When planning a meal, don’t worry about matching a wine to everything on the table because not everything will pair perfectly. Instead, keep it simple and select a wine that compliments the main meat dish. A good rule of thumb is to serve light to medium-bodied wines with a lighter meal and a full-bodied wine with a heartier meal.
Some wines are easier to pair with meals than others, but there are a few varieties which will never let you down regardless of what you are serving this holiday season.
Red Varietals: Pinot Noir, Red Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Beaujolais
Pinot Noir has delicious flavors of strawberries, cherries, and raspberries, which is perfect for just about any dish. Red Zinfandel tends to have more intense, spicy and red fruit flavors, making it ideal for meals with red meat. Cabernet Sauvignon can offer complexity and tannins that pair well with most hearty foods. Syrah has strong spicy, fruity flavor that will pairs wonderfully with red meats and Beaujolais wines offer a light, fruity flavor which is great to serve with lighter meals.
White Varietals: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling, and Gewurztraminer
Sauvignon Blanc has bright, citrus flavors with a crisp and clean acidity making it perfect to serve with fish and vegetable dishes. Chardonnay flavors range from ripe, tropical fruits like pineapple, guava, and mango to green apple and citrus, it will pair nicely with any poultry. Riesling has a wide range of sweetness from dry to sweet, with flavors of nectarine, apricot, and pears, serve it with any cured meat or starchy vegetables. Gewurztraminer is fruitier with flavors of passion fruit, lychee, and just enough spice so that pairs well with gamey meats.
Beaujolais Nouveau:
Another popular wine to serve during the holiday season is the iconic Beaujolais Nouveau which will be arriving in our stores on November 21st. French law requires that the wine is not released for sale until the third Thursday of November. This date marks the start of the new vintage, picking, bottling and selling of wines in the Beaujolais and Maconnais region of Burgundy. Many people enjoy these new wines because they are so food friendly, making them a great choice for any holiday gathering. This year’s vintage is speculated to be exceptional and we expect that the bottles will sell out quickly.
This year we will be offering the 2019 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Red, Bouchard Aine & Fils Beaujolais Nouveau, and 2019 Mommessin Beaujolais Nouveau. See our website for the inventory status of these products.
2019 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau $10.99 #16380
2019 Bouchard Aine & Fils Beaujolais Nouveau $10.99 #27436
2019 Mommessin Beaujolais Nouveau #27437
