| With the holiday season fast approaching, most | | | | well are Gamay, Pinot Blanc, Dry Rose, Grenache, |
| people are tackling the difficult task of purchasing | | | | Valdiguie, and Dry Gewurztraminer. |
| wines that can be paired with the special foods of | | | | . Duck or Goose: The perfect wine matches are |
| the season. Apart from the universal saying of | | | | Sangiovese, Chianti Classico, Rioja, Pinot Noir, and |
| Drink What You Like, there are a few useful tips | | | | Tempranillo. |
| to help you select the proper holiday wine. | | | | . Ham: You can pair any type of Gewurztraminer, |
| . Forget about all the traditional reprimands, like | | | | off-dry Rose, or Riesling. |
| pairing red wines with red meat and white wines | | | | . Well done Prime Ribs: Your best options would |
| with seafood. | | | | be dry Gewurztraminer, Dry Chardonnay, and dry |
| . Try pairing full-bodied wines, either red or white, | | | | Riesling. |
| with full-flavored foods, and lighter wines with | | | | . Rare to medium Prime Ribs: The best wines for |
| lighter food items. | | | | this meat are Rioja, Sangiovese, California |
| . Foods with sauces generally require a medium to | | | | Barbera, Chianti Classico and Tempranillo. |
| full-bodied wine. | | | | . Roast beef or steaks: Merlots go well with |
| . Boiled, steamed or lightly sauteed food should be | | | | roasted meats, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet |
| matched with dry and light white wines. | | | | Sauvignon. |
| . Chicken, Pork, or Veal are best suited with any | | | | . Grilled or Roast Lamb: Only one wine will go with |
| full-bodied white wine. | | | | this: Syrah. |
| . Spicy food items and off-dry white wines make | | | | Before going ahead and buying yourself holiday |
| an excellent match. | | | | wine, remember to first differentiate between the |
| . Fat rich food items like foie gras and cheese | | | | full-bodied and light-bodied wines. For instance, |
| should be paired with sweet wines. | | | | some of the most famous light-bodied white |
| . Sweet dishes and desserts go very well with | | | | wines are the Muscadet, Dry Riesling, |
| wines that have high apparent sweet flavors, or | | | | Tank-fermented Sauvignon Blanc, Malvasia Bianca, |
| you might prefer it with other beverages. | | | | and the Dry Gewurztraminer, while some of the |
| Like most marriages, pairing wines with a | | | | full-bodied white wines are the Chardonnay or |
| particular food item perfectly is rare and difficult. | | | | white Burgundy wines, Barrel-fermented |
| However, there are a few such classic marriages, | | | | Sauvignon Blanc and aged Sauvignon and Pinot |
| like chocolate and Cabernet Sauvignon, duck with | | | | Blanc. On the other hand, some of the light-bodied |
| Pinot Noir, stilton or any blue-veined cheese and | | | | red wines include Rioja, Tempranillo, Barbera, |
| Port, foie gras and Sauternes. | | | | Grenache, Chianti, Sangiovese, Red Burgundy, |
| In most cases, marriages are by chance incidents | | | | Pinot Noir, Gamay and Beaujolais. And, some of |
| or happy accidents. Like wines, food preparations | | | | the most famous full-bodied red wines include the |
| also tend to vary greatly, and a marriage largely | | | | Petite Sirah, Syrah, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet |
| depends on certain compatibilities. On one hand, | | | | Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Merlot. |
| one wine may match a certain food preparation. | | | | However, the most famous wine that is |
| On the other hand, similar wines may not match | | | | absolutely perfect for all holiday meals is the |
| another type of preparation. | | | | bubbly or champagne, which always sets a festive |
| For all the meat eaters out there, here is a list of | | | | spirit to the holiday season. So, follow these |
| wines that should be paired with certain holiday | | | | guidelines and tips and you should have no |
| meats: | | | | problem buying your holiday wines! |
| . Turkey: The wines that match this meat very | | | | |