It’s that time of year again, and you have no idea which wines to pair
with your turkey and stuffing, honey-glazed ham and other scrumptious treats
this holiday season. Do you stick with your usual favorites, Pinot and Cab,
and throw in a nice Chardonnay for contrast? Or do you try something you’ve
never had before, like a Gruner Veltliner, to make a big statement?
The answer lies somewhere in between. When serving up the rich meals typical
of this time of year you ought to offer a blend of whites and reds, but
you also ought to seek out specific wines whose flavor profiles and weight
complement these heavier foods, which are often laced with a combination
of sweet, savory and spicy notes. Some of these wines are exotic-sounding
and can add an exciting contrast to your otherwise traditional table – never
a bad thing!
To jump start your creative process, I’d like to suggest three wines I
find perfect for holiday meals. The first is a bubbly, which sets a festive
tone for this special time of year, followed by a white and a red that are
uniquely suited to rich meats and their sidekicks. Please excuse me if my
mouth begins to water while I write this.
Champagne
There’s no better way to start a meal than with Champagne, and
holiday meals, with their abundance of salty and nutty starter foods,
are the perfect occasions. Start things off with a bang, literally, by
popping open a bottle of bubbly to pour alongside mixed nuts, cheeses,
puff pastry-based appetizers and other salty and savory hors d’oeuvres.
I recommend Taittinger’s non-vintage “Prélude” Champagne, which is made
from grapes sourced exclusively from Grand Cru vineyards and features a
distinctive salty pretzel aroma and flavor. Backed up by pleasant notes
of lemon custard, flowers and peach fuzz, this wine’s flavor profile is
at once delicate and deep – classy, in other words.
Tip: Champagne, with its crisp acidity and refreshing effervescence, is
as much at home at the beginning of a meal as it is throughout; it’s largely
held to be the most versatile of all wines when it comes to food pairing.
For the ultimate in holiday extravagance, make Champagne available to your
guests throughout the meal.
Gewurztraminer
Looking for a white that can pair as well with turkey and stuffing
as with cranberry and sweet potatoes? Then look no further than Gewurztraminer,
the “spicy” white wine with a full body that’s perfectly at home on the
holiday table. Gewurz literally means “spice” in German, and wines made
from the pink-skinned Gewurztraminer grape are known for tasting subtly
of baking spices like cinnamon and ginger – seasonings used frequently
in holiday meals.
And as one of the richest white wines, Gewurztraminer can stand up to the
hearty dark meat found in turkey as well as the savory sides that go along
with it, such as stuffing and creamed potatoes. Perhaps the best part yet,
Gewurztraminer is loaded with heady aromas including musk, lychee fruit
and rose water that make simply smelling it a treat in and of itself. Look
for dry versions from France’s Alsace region, such as Bott Frères 2002 Gewurztraminer.
Cru Beaujolais
The Cru-caliber wines from France’s Beaujolais region are ideal
candidates for the holiday table because of their innate versatility.
Sourced from any of 10 superior regions or “crus” within the vast Beaujolais
territory in eastern France, Cru Beaujolais is a medium-bodied red wine
that strikes a deft balance between structure, complexity and food-friendliness.
The food friendliness comes from the Gamay grape, which makes the uncomplicated
light-bodied reds we know as Beaujolais Nouveau. The added complexity comes
from superior vineyard sites and better winemaking practices than those
used for the entry-level Nouveau. Together, these additional elements impart
a distinctive earthiness reminiscent of forest floor and dried leaves –
of autumn, in other words.
The wine’s appealing dried cherry notes, along with this woodsy autumn-like
character and Beaujolais reds’ renowned food friendliness, make it a great
match for the entire spectrum of the holiday table. Its medium body won’t
overwhelm turkey (which, after all, is a white meat) while its deeper notes
allow it to stand up to pork, potatos and even roast. Watch for versions
from the top three crus: Morgon, Fleury and Brouilly.
Happy celebrating!
The Savvy Traveler
