The dilemma every holiday: How do I please all my guests and also serve a wine or wines that pair well with the cuisine.? Here are some basic suggestions for the 2009 Holiday Season.
Christmas Dinner Wines: Merry pairings - It is always a smart move for the Thanksgiving or Holiday dinner host to offer a choice of wines. This year, my choices are Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, and Zinfandel. Pinot Noir’s balance of crisp berries, light spiciness, and managed, moderate tannins make it the versatile wine of the holidays. Sauvignon Blanc’s crisp acidity matches well with first course salads. Zinfandel is a smart move with any big and spicy dishes and is a hit with those leftover turkey barbecue sandwiches.
Great Dinner Wine:
Gary Farrell Pinot Noir Starr Ridge Russian River Valley 2006 -$46 - beautiful clear ruby color with aromas of cherry, raspberry, and spicy dried berry with mineral notes and fine-grain tannins on the finish. I did a wine tasting at their winery last month and was won over by Gary Farrell wines. Master Sommelier, Tim Gaiser , (www.ciaprochef.com/winestudies/instructors.html) steered me to visit this beautiful winery in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma. I ended up shipping 6 bottles home: their Pinot Noir, Starr Ridge Vineyard and their Bradford Mountain Zinfandel.
Great Value dinner wine - check out this
website
Planet Grape. MS Katherine Fallis, www.planetgrape.com - Some of her Best Values
2008 Dry Creek Vineyards Fume Blanc Sonoma County $10.99 Classic aromas of lemon-lime,
melon, and subtle mineral notes lead to flavors of grapefruit and lemon zest with grassy nuances..A wonderful first course and great buy.
2007 Lake Sonoma Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley $19 -The wine exhibits black fruit flavors and fresh ground pepper notes. Its Dry Creek pedigree shows in its supple mouth filling qualities and its lingering finish.
Holiday Party Wines: Festive and Affordable Choices for the New Year
Sparkling wine and champagne are festive. Spanish Wines are Hot. The liveliness and acidity of sparkling wines holds up to the boldest appetizers and cheeses at holiday parties. California Zinfandel ‘s and Rioja’s from Spain mix well with the spiciness you find at the tapas buffet.
How to throw a tapas party? The folks at Tapeńa have the recipe:
www.tapenawines.com/tapas-party.html?gclid=CPyp68H4mZ4CFQoeDQodz2ahmw
Segura Viudas NV Brut Reserva (Cava) $10 -Citrus Orange and peach flavors with a solid finish for this Spanish Sparkler. A Best Buy from Wine Enthusiast.
2008 Tapena Verdejo Tierra de la Castilla Spain $9.99 - a Katherine Fallis recommendation.
2006 Rivarey Tempranillo Rioja Spain $7.99 - this wine adds a dusty, leathery edge to its raspberry and blackberry fruit tones.
Wine Gift Successes:
Two Winners
First: Chilled, Sparkling Wine - Always arrive with the wine gift at the appropriate temperature for serving. The host may choose to enjoy your wine at a later time, but you have made your gift immediately available.
Schramsberg Blanc de Noir 2005 or 2006 $32 - this “white from black” wine from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes is particularly well-suited to serve with a variety of foods, including soft and nutty cheeses. It has a backbone and zest for any occasion. Schramsberg pioneered the Blanc de Noirs style in the United States, releasing the first such American sparkler in 1967.
Bellavista Franciacorta Brut NV -$42 - This méthode champenoise sparkling wine from Italy’s Piedmonte region won a 91 score from Wine Advocate. The grapes used are 90% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Bianco and Pinot Nero. The perfume is rich with ripe fruits and vanilla and the bubbles are small and long-lasting
Second: Custom blended wine with a Personal Label - the Triple “R” Ranch and Lone Star Wine Cellars, McKinney, Texas has made their wines available to their wine club for custom blending. http://www.lonestarwinecellars.com/. We sampled these red wines directly from the French Oak barrels in order to choose a blend for our individual taste. My wine was a Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blend and the bottle sports a custom label courtesy of Stoney Creek Wine Press: http://stoneycreekwinepress.com/. Stay tuned for an article on this trend.
Fantastic review, makes me really jealous of anyone that has time to do the course.
Posted by: tina g | 12/21/2009 at 11:06 AM
Good writeup!
Posted by: Steve C | 12/16/2009 at 09:45 PM
I love your blog and all the fun wine information! Keep it up!
Posted by: Dale Carrillo - CWP | 12/16/2009 at 11:39 AM
As a food service director for a large private school, my introduction to this blog is enlightening. I'll find it especially helpful in planning the wines for special events.
Posted by: Bill Gorman | 12/13/2009 at 03:15 PM
As a yacht Captain having guests with a refined palate, my chef & stews could use Grapestone Concept's assistance from time to time not only to pair wines with foods, but keep us up on what's new and hot.
Posted by: Captain Robert High | 12/12/2009 at 01:45 PM