Christmas Wine Pairings
The Christmas holiday season is full of fantastic food choices. Are you thinking of trying something new this year? Or perhaps you like to stay with the traditional ham or turkey for the main course, pairing it with some excellent Christmas wine. Many people find comfort in and look forward to celebrating in such traditional ways during the holidays. Many have turkey for Thanksgiving and ham for Christmas. If you are one of those traditionalists, have you thought about wine pairings with Christmas ham? Doesn’t your mouth water just thinking about all those divine traditional dishes that you might only get to enjoy during the holiday season? Turkey, ham, prime rib, roast beef, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing, corn, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, apple pie, cherry pie, and the list goes on and on. Scrumptious! Add the right Christmas wine and you have memories to last you until next year.
WHEN SERVING HAM
Ham is just as popular as turkey in many homes during Christmas. Smoked, baked, or honeyed, ham goes best with mildly sweet wines. Riesling and Gewurztraminer, with a dash of residual sugar and low in alcohol, are the perfect wine pairings with Christmas ham. There is almost always a glaze on the ham and the type of glaze can also help determine which Christmas wine will be most suitable. Riesling is a very versatile wine and can be paired with pork-themed foods and barbecued ribs as well.
WHEN SERVING TURKEY
Like ham, you can expect to find turkey during Christmas dinner in many homes. With turkey, there are also herb stuffings, roasted veggies, thick and rich sauces, potatoes, and an assortment of savory sides, which must also be taken into account when determining the best wine pairing. At the top of the list are Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling. Not only do these wines have their own pleasant herbal undertones, but they are also very easy on the palate.
INTERNATIONAL DISHES AND CULTURAL FOODS
With a wonderful mix of ethnic diversity comes an amazing list of new foods to try. Christmas culinary creations can add an extra layer of fun to festive holiday meals. If you are having Asian cuisine with heavy spices, this calls for the likes of Gewurztraminer or Riesling.
If you are starting Christmas dinner with appetizers or snacks (e.g., cheese crackers, smoked ham, etc.), then go with something like a bubbly or Chenin Blanc.
MULLED WINE DESERVES A MENTION
Mulled wine has been consumed during Christmas for centuries. Mulled wine is made from red wine, but it is served warm and contains a variety of spices like cinnamon, cloves, and star anise. It is still consumed in many European nations but in North America, we have far better varieties of wine to pair with Christmas food. But which wine pairs with Christmas foods? You'll have to try some for yourself!
When choosing Christmas wine to go with the widest variety of Christmas dishes, you cannot go wrong with a Riesling. It is always going to be a good, solid choice. Check out current offerings for Christmas! Happy Holidays and Bon Appétit!