Wine Pairings for the Holidays

(Photography by Deirdre Heekin)

As the holidays get closer, it’s good to know what kind of wine to serve on the right occasion with the right meal, right? Deirdre Heekin, winemaker and author of An Unlikely Vineyard, is here to share some of her favorite wines along with food pairing suggestions. Her selections include a variety of wines that pair well with anything from shellfish to roasted root vegetables to a plate of aged cheeses, and more.

The following is an excerpt from An Unlikely Vineyard by Deirdre Heekin. It has been adapted for the web.

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Sparkling Wines

For the holidays, the desire for celebration is always front and center, so having a few different kinds of bubbly on hand makes those impromptu toasts or dinners easy. Sparkling wines are a little higher in acidity making them great companions for all kinds of dishes— anything from raw oysters to roasted root vegetables beneath a golden roast goose.

Ca’ dei Zago Prosecco– Italy

This family makes one thing, and one thing very well, an ancestral-style biodynamically farmed prosecco. It’s distinctive, real, and very well-priced.

Podere Saliceto L’Albone – Italy

If you want to surprise and cause a little bit of stir, the L’Albone is your number. It’s a dark and savory, dry red Lambrusco, great when paired with good, fatty cured meats and stuffed agnelotti pasta in broth.

Furlani – Italy

For a splurge, any of the Furlani wines will please. These are true alpine wines from high in the Dolomites. They make a very dry Brut Natur and a stunning sparkling rosé. These wines make me think of snow and sitting by the fire.

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White Wines

For whites, I look for wines with a lighter and intriguing offering that pair well with all kinds of appetizers and starters made from vegetables, smoked fish, shell fish, or salty cured meats.

Meinklang’s Somlo – Hungary

This wine is from northern Hungary. Biodynamically grown, this blend of four rather obscure Hungarian grapes, tells well the story of the landscape there.

Domaine Guillot-Broux – France

This medium-bodied Chardonnay is from one of the oldest certified organic vineyards in France. Elegant at the start of a meal, but also holds up to the main course, even that beef tenderloin.

Tanganelli’s Anatrino or Anatraso – Italy

These two wines come from vines more than 110 years old and their character is resplendent in a deep amber, or orange color. Because of the color, aroma, texture, and tannins these wines are the epitome of versatile, working effortlessly with oysters to aged cheeses.

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Red Wines

The red wines that beckon to me during all these celebratory meals are ones that will not weigh me down. Since holiday food is often rich, I like a little counterpoint in the wine. My go-to bottles again exhibit that flexibility which allows them to go with so many different foods.

Montemelino Rosso – Italy

A cunning and silky blend of Sangiovese and Gamay, the wines from this tiny vineyard are naturally fermented and aged in old oak barrels that sleep under the farmhouse and in the little chapel on the property.

Paterna Rosso – Italy

Another medium-bodied to lighter red from outside Arezzo in Tuscany. The wine shimmers with flowers and fruit and a little earth and pairs well with vegetables, meat, and fish—think pork shoulder, or roasted trout.

San Fereolo Dolcetto – Italy

For a slightly brambly wine, though still very feminine, the biodynamically farmed San Fereolo Dolcetto always inspires me. Crushed cranberries, woodland fruit, slate and ink come to mind in winespeak, but the reality is the wine transports you to the edge of the forest. It makes me think of roast fowl, juniper, and clove, celebrations around the table, and raising glasses to the new year.

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Recommended Reads

Cheers! A Guide to Making Sparkling Cider

Relax and Refresh with Country Elderberry Wine