Wines For Holiday Dinners
Written By: Matthew Apsokardu on Wed, Dec 3rd 2008
All over the U.S. people are gearing up for holiday celebrations. Whether planning a meal for 4 people or 40, one question inevitably comes up: “what wines should I serve this year?”
When it comes to food and wine pairings, holiday dinners can be considered the Superbowl. Appetizers, side dishes, and entrees all abound in many different varieties, making traditional pairing methods difficult. Despite this complexity, there are still some varietals that get consistently picked up more often than others.
“When it comes to reds, I lean towards Pinot Noir every year” said Randy Torban, wine professional and director of business at ClassicWines.com. “It’s light enough that it doesn’t overburden side dishes that have delicate taste profiles, but sturdy enough to hold up to turkey.”
Other red wines that generally see an uptick for a turkey dinner include Beaujolais, Zinfandel, and Syrah. Beaujolais is very light and fruity and therefore offers itself well to a variety of foods. Zinfandel and Syrah provide solid structure and won’t be overtaken by thick gravies or dark meat.
Kamal Mukherjee of DrinkUpNY.com and DrinkUpForLess.com weighed in from the business perspective: “As we approach the winter and holidays, sale of reds are increasing. However, due to the economic stress, customers are insisting on value. Customers who used to buy $40 bottle are now shopping for $20 or $25 price tag.”
On the white side of things, Germany is a big player. “Riesling and Gewurtztraminer are both very good selections for a meal like this,” said Torban. “Crisp…light…refreshing…great for food that can bog you down.”
Mukherjee found other intriguing trends: “Sale of Cava and Prosecco are much higher than Champagne. New world wines, especially wine from Argentina and Chile are capturing market share in leaps and bounds during this economic down turn of our holiday season.”
Economical pairings are all well and good, but what if you want to really stun your dinner guests? What if you’d like to find that just-right pairing for every course you’re serving? Kamal Mukherjee has you covered. In preparation for the coming season, Mukherjee prepared a special section of his website designed specially to guide to wines available for purchase online that match your desired dish.
Using this trending info and Mukherjee’s excellent buyer’s guide, it’s very unlikely you’ll get caught flat-footed the day of your holiday feast! www.drinkupny.com.
