HOLIDAY WINE AND FOOD PAIRING RECOMMENDATIONS

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and although we are inbound with limited travel options this year because of the pandemic, that doesn’t mean you should shy away from stocking your cart with your favorite wine to accompany your delicious holiday meals. A good holiday meal deserves a good wine pairing whether your family celebrates with a stuffed turkey, glazed ham, beef brisket, yams, potato pancakes, or any other traditional holiday dishes. Not sure where to start? TriWine has a few holiday wine suggestions to help complete your holiday meal!

When it comes to pairing holiday wines with dishes, there are two basic rules to keep in mind: 1. Buy a wine that compliments the food and 2. Buy a wine that enhances the flavor of the dishes. The goal is to match the wine flavors and intensity to the food you are serving it with. For example, Thanksgiving holiday wines are usually paired with winter seasonal vegetables, roasted foods, ethnic spices, and baking spices as these are common winter theme foods. When pairing wines with Christmas dishes, you’ll want to pair your wine with the main protein dish since Christmas has several traditional variations. What types of wine should you buy to pair with your holiday dish? To help you on your journey, we’ve listed a breakdown below of holiday wines that pair well with the main protein dish, whether its turkey, ham, and roast beef:

TURKEY

Lambrusco
Zinfandel or Primitivo
Gamay
Pinot Noir
Amarone

HAM

Lambrusco
Sherry or Madeira
Châteauneuf du Pape
Amarone
Rosé
Grenache or Garnacha
Côtes du Rhone Blends
Riesling
Chenin Blanc
White Zinfandel
Moscato d’ Asti
Sparkling Red

ROAST BEEF

Barbera
Carmenere
Nero d’Avola
Cabernet Franc
Aglianico
Tempranillo
Sangiovese
Merlot
Cabernet Sauvignon
Barolo
Malbec

We hope that this comprehensive list of food and wine pairings will help you out this holiday season as well as help you create the most splendid pairings that your family will talk about for years to come. To help you get started, we’ve listed some wineries below that we know will make for an epic food and wine pairing.