Once again, we are approaching two of the year’s most extensive food and wine holidays. Thanksgiving and Christmas are big food holidays and for many, this means busting out many bottles of wine for the meals and parties that will be thrown during the next month and a half. I’ve turned the corner on my thinking about the wines to uncork for the holiday meals. Make it easy on yourselves; drink the wines that you like. I read a very well-written article about this subject, and I agreed totally with their conclusions. You may read a lot of advice about the right wines to pair with a turkey dinner, duck, or prime rib. For instance, you may hear that Riesling and Gewurztraminer are the perfect white wines to accompany the traditional Thanksgiving fare. But what if you don’t like those wines? Then, don’t serve them. If you like Chardonnay or Pinot Gris, then drink those. If you serve a wine you don’t like, it could dampen your enjoyment of the meal. If you have many people over for dinner, open a few different types of wine and let your company choose what they want. In my experience (no doubt you’ve experienced this as well) most of the people you invite don’t give a rip about the matching of the wines to the food. They just want to enjoy the food, drink wine, socialize and have fun with family and friends. So, don’t stress yourself out worrying about the right wines to buy….Drink what you like. Period.
Of course, this does not mean I won’t give a few suggestions. I know some folks who like a little guidance. I plan to keep it as easy and inexpensive as possible. I will be shooting an episode on my YouTube channel this week, featuring some of my choices, so stay tuned. My options are simple: a balanced Sauvignon Blanc for white and a Pinot Noir or Zinfandel for reds. I’ve discovered a couple of Italian Primitivos (Zinfandel) that could fit the bill for a very reasonable price. Whatever you decide, make it something you’re comfortable with. As usual, I’ve been searching out wines that deliver for under twenty bucks. Quite a few choices will fit this category in my department. I know some of you will want a sparkling wine to have around. If you like Prosecco, buy that. If you like Cava, buy that. Rose’ bubbles work well, but they tend to be a bit more expensive. I gravitate towards Cava myself because you get pretty decent quality at a great price. There are bubbles that I like that are alcohol-free if you want to keep the alcohol consumption down a bit. Once again, I will preach from the rooftop…. Buy and pour what you feel comfortable with and don’t stress about it.
After our trip to Crete, I encountered many people who were surprised that I found some great wines from this country. Let’s face it: Many people think that Retsina is the wine of Greece. Greece has one of the oldest wine histories in the world. Dionysus is the Greek god of wine, and his counterpart is Bacchus from Italy. Wine has been a part of Greek culture for centuries and they have come a long way in wine quality and production methods. I will continue to focus on Greek wines in my upcoming YouTube episodes. I’m very excited to record a blind tasting of Xinomavro and Nebbiolo. I could not believe how closely these two varietals are. Xinomavro is one of the main red grapes of Greece, and it is on all the restaurant menus. When I ordered it, I was pleasantly surprised at how much it resembled Barbaresco, an Italian red made from the Nebbiolo grape. It will be interesting to see if I can tell the difference between the two in a blind format. I hope I get it right, watch to see if I sink or swim.
Cheers!
Stan The Wine Man
