The Wine Observer

Wine Pairings for the Holidays

A refreshing break from the routine.

By Paul Karpecki, OD

The holidays are a wonderful time to slow down and be thankful for all the blessings in our lives and enjoy time and incredible meals with loved ones. With good food goes good wine, so this month we'll visit pairings for the holiday season.

Beaujolais Nouveau

This wine is released each year on the third Thursday in November at one minute past midnight — typically one week before Thanksgiving. Over a million cases of these wines, from small villages in the Beaujolais region of France (near Burgundy), make their way around the world this time of year. If you were to visit this region of France, you'd see an incredible celebration announcing the arrival of this new wine (vin de primeur).

Beaujolais nouveau is made from the gamay grape, which is fruity and easy to drink, making it a terrific choice for people just starting to enjoy wine or those who prefer white wines.

The wine is only fermented for a few weeks, which results in a light purple/pink colored wine with no tannins. It should be served slightly chilled, just like a white wine, and goes well with turkey or other light dishes. Beaujolais Nouveau is a wine you need to drink in the year it was released, as these wines will not keep.

Thanksgiving

Truthfully, it's difficult to find a wine that goes with all of the various fixings associated with a Thanksgiving feast. Since the focus of Thanksgiving is on the food, it's best to select a wine that is neutral rather than an extremely “big” wine. I would avoid cabernet sauvignon or bordeaux, for example. Some of the best selections are pinot noirs from Oregon, Santa Rita Hills, Santa Maria, Coastal Sonoma, Central Otago of New Zealand and Burgundy, France.

One of my favorite wines for Thanksgiving is a pinot gris from Oregon, the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia or Alsace, France. An ideal Thanksgiving meal may start with a pinot gris followed by a toplevel pinot noir. Rieslings also pair well and have nice complexity if from a good wine maker. If you prefer larger white wines, consider vouvray (chenin blanc grape) from France or a viognier. Although it is heavier, the spiciness and aromatic scents of a viognier work well.

A dry rosé from southern France, such as Bandol or Chinon from the Loire Valley, pairs well with most dishes and is an impressive presentation. A red zinfandel is a great choice for red wine lovers because it often has notes of cranberry — very appropriate for pairing with Thanksgiving turkey!

Christmas/Holiday Season Dinners

Choosing a wine to enhance your holiday dinner greatly depends on what you are serving, but these occasions are an opportunity to select versatile wines that are fuller than those described for Thanksgiving. Generally, since it is a winter meal, hearty red wines are most desirable.

If you are serving ham, consider pinot gris, riesling or gewürztraminer for whites and pinot noir, zinfandel, a lighter version of syrah and rioja (tempranillo from Central Spain) for reds. If, however, you are serving prime rib, then you need a big, tannic wine to accompany it. There aren't many white wines that would work, so focus on reds like cabernet sauvignon or bordeaux, zinfandel, syrah (or shiraz if from Australia), a hearty merlot such as Duckhorn, Pride Mountain or from Pomerol or St. Emilion (France), a large Italian wine such as Barolo, Barbaresco, Brunello and the super Tuscans.

New Year's

Naturally, when we think of New Year's, we think of champagne and celebration, as we begin a new year of hope and potential. Supposedly, the association came from a series of coincidental historical celebrations in the Champagne region of France. From there, the famous champagne houses and some sparkling wine makers heavily marketed their “bubblies” as luxurious and celebratory. This level of marketing, following an early-established branding of champagne, solidified its reputation as one of celebration, whether it's following a sports championship or to toast a new year.

Many people use New Year's as a time to begin with an impressive champagne. My favorites include those from Reims and Epernay in Champagne, France — Pol Roger, Krug, Laurent-Perrier, Salon, Piper-Heidsieck, Moet & Chandon and Pommery. Some of the best sparkling wines from California include Domaine Carneros, Roederer Estates, J Vineyards, Gloria Ferrer and Schramsberg.

No matter what you celebrate, I wish you and your family a blessed holiday season and prosperous and abundant 2012. Cheers! OM