Written by David Setley, December 12th 2022
The holiday season is upon us! Many of us are busy shopping, hanging decorations and welcoming family and friends into our homes to celebrate this most wonderful time of year. As part of my planning, I like to think about what wines will best complement my holiday gatherings.
At Passion Vines, we begin many of our wine events with what we call a “welcome wine.” Welcome wines provide a delicious way to say hello and create a welcoming environment. At home, a welcome wine is a great aperitif to create a relaxed and inviting atmosphere before dinner. There are many directions one can go with a welcome wine, but there are a few basic rules. First, less is more. The goal is to stimulate, not spoil, your guest’s appetite. Second, stick with lighter-bodied wines. Third, serve a welcome wine that complements your appetizers or your first course.
Options for welcome wines are only limited by your imagination. Sparkling wines are certainly popular at holiday celebrations; why wait until New Year’s Eve to pop the cork? Any light, crisp champagne, prosecco, or cava in either traditional white or rosé do very well. Sparkling wines come in a wide variety of dryness and price levels to fit most anyone’s tastes and budget. Among my personal favorites are the very reasonably priced Café’ de Paris, from France, and Le Contessa, from Italy. Alternatively, a Moscato d’Asti, like Bartenura from Lombardy, Italy fits the bill nicely and has been a crowd-pleaser at many of our wine events.
If still wines are more to your liking, I would reach for the Pierre Sparr Riesling, from Alsace, France for a crisp, dry white. For a Rosé, I would choose the Jean-Paul Picard & Fils Sancerre Rosé. Or, for a red, try a light-bodied, flavorful Aglianico from Campamia, Italy like the Rocca Del Dragone. All are reasonably priced and would set a festive mood for any holiday get-together.
Beyond the welcome wine, good wine at the dinner table is a wonderful way to complement your holiday menu, whatever holiday you celebrate. Latkes are a traditional Hanukkah dish, often served with applesauce and sour cream. Pair them with a good Chardonnay, such as Barkan Chardonnay from Israel. The Barkan collection of wines are Kosher, as is the Bartenura Moscato d’Asti, mentioned above as a great welcome wine option. Try the Barkan Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon paired with brisket, a traditional Hanukkah main course.
Kwanzaa, the African-American celebration of heritage and culture, may be celebrated with foods such as sweet potato pie, collard greens, sausage gumbo and cornbread. There are many wine pairing options for these foods! For a white wine, consider a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, such as Whitehaven from Marlborough. A light-bodied red, such as the A to Z Wineworks Pinot Noir, or the French Alphonse Mellot Pinot Noir would be perfect as well. A heartier rosé, such as the Domaine Clo — La Petite Bete Rosé from France, or the Proprietà Sperino — Rosa del Rosa from Italy would be my personal choice.
Italian American families, including mine, like to celebrate Christmas Eve with the Feast of the Seven Fishes. There are many variations, but shrimp, crab, clams, mussels, oysters, scallops and fish such as salmon, Branzino, or Baccala’are frequent the menu. Cioppino, a delicious seafood stew, often makes an appearance. A nice Pinot Grigio works well, but why not try something new? The Pehhcora Pecorino from Abuzzo, Italy is an Italian white wine that offers a nice roundness and minerality that pairs beautifully with seafood.
If you’re already thinking ahead to New Year’s Eve, there are several options for your midnight toast. Although any sparkling wine can be used, if there is one time per year to splurge a bit on true Champagne from France, this is it. Try Gonet-Medeville Premier Cru or Charles de Cazanove — Champagne Brut Tête de Cuvée or Nicolas Feuillatte — Blue Label Brut Champagne . Good Champagne doesn’t have to break the bank; all of the above are under $50.
As you welcome guests into your home this season, hopefully some of these wines help make your celebrations merry and bright. Happy Holidays to you all, and thank you for reading! As always, I appreciate your thoughts, questions, or comments. Contact me at dsetley@passionvines.com. Happy Wining!
