Great Grapes to Pair with your Holiday Feast

By Ernie Manzella

In general, special occasion menus include multiple main courses, such as turkey and ham, along with numerous side dishes usually prepared in very different ways. Each of these dishes will usually be prepared using different spices while some will be roasted, others grilled or fried or possibly boiled. All of this results in a blending of divergent flavors that can play havoc with our usual wine preferences. For instance, Chardonnays are overwhelmed by ham; turkey is obliterated by Cabernet Sauvignon and many typical vegetables and side dishes such as cranberries, artichokes and asparagus to name a few, contain elements that twist the flavors of most wines in the wrong direction. If this is not bad enough, we have salads with their greens, tomatoes and vinegar based dressings that, because of their high acidity tend to render most wines undrinkable.

True, there are many stumbling blocks impeding your successful wine pairing for your holiday feast, but please don’t fret. There is hope, and better yet there are some straight forward guidelines that can help you pair wine with your special holiday menu. First, keep in mind that pairing wine and food is largely an individual choice. You should drink the wines you like with the food you like, and when experimenting with different pairings the objective is to have fun with the process. Also, keep in mind that a winning wine and food combination is the pairing that makes both the food and the wine better in combination than either would be alone. This championship style of combining the elements of gourmet dining makes a meal a celebration. To help you get started on you quest to become a “master sommelier” there are some basic guidelines that can help you maximize your enjoyment of your wine and food pairings. Consider the following:

Balance weight and texture
You don’t want your wine to overpower your food, but you also don’t want the flavors of your food to be too intense for the wine. Complicated? Not really. Consider both the weight of the flavors as well as the textures of your food when trying to find a balance. Thus, you should pair lighter food with light-bodied wines and heartier, more flavorful, richer and fattier dishes with fuller-bodied wines. For instance, a light bodied fish like sole works best with a light bodied white wine, like Pinot Grigio while a heavier fish such as salmon calls for a richer fuller wine like an oak-aged Chardonnay or a fruity Pinot Noir for its perfect pairing.

Consider the foods preparation
Is it grilled, roasted or fried; what type of sauce or spice is used? For example, roast chicken goes with most red and white wines, but it particularly lends itself to a fresh and fruity but light-bodied Pinot Noir or the fresh fruit flavors and good body of a Chardonnay. Conversely, chicken cacciatore with all of the tomato and Italian spices would not be at its best with Chardonnay or Pinot Noir, but would pair best with a medium red like Chianti

Balance Tastes
You need to use multiple senses here since flavor is a combination of aroma and taste; you also need to consider all of the dishes included in the meal in unison. For instance, a mildly flavored food like roast turkey pairs well with both light bodied white wines, such as a mildly oak-aged Chardonnay, and light reds, such as Pinot Noir, but in the context of a Christmas dinner featuring a spicy sausage stuffing, cranberry sauce and other strongly flavored side dishes a more intense wine, such as a rich red Zinfandel would be much more appealing and satisfying. If the dish is roast pork and it is being served lightly seasoned, choose a light red wine like Pinot Noir. If you plan to use pepper, garlic and other spices than a bigger red such as Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon would be much more appropriate as a pairing.
 

Match Flavors
There are four or five basic tastes. They are sour, sweet, salt, bitter and the new one umani, or savory. Pairings work best when the basic taste of the wine and food are similar. This means making sure that the sauce is not sweeter than the wine or that the acid in the wine is sufficient to match the acidity in the food. Use the dominant flavor in the food as your guide. For example, rich and fatty foods such as a roast beef or a prime rib usually pairs best with tannic reds such as a California Cabernet Sauvignon while highly acidic foods such as salad greens, tomatoes and vinegar dressings usually go best with acidic wines such as Verdejo or Sauvignon Blanc. Salty or smoky flavors, like those found in a baked ham, are best paired with fruity and low tannin wines such as Tempranillo or Reisling.

Consider Counterpoint Flavors
Opposites sometimes do attract, therefore very hot or spicy foods—some Thai dishes, or hot curries for example —often work best with sweet desert wines or Reislings. Opposing flavors can play off each other, creating new flavor sensations and cleansing your palate.
 

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