These wines will pair with Christmas dinner, no matter what you're having
Hard to believe the season has all of a sudden arrived. As usual, the hustle and bustle of the holidays arrive as well. Hanukkah is underway and Christmas is coming up fast, there is a lot going on. So, probably at this time, the selection of wines for parties and dinners is beginning to creep into your thought process.
Remember, a few articles back, for your home celebration, which comes first-the food or the wines? I think that at this point you have already made a menu so choosing the wine to pair is important. I want to narrow this down to the two most popular wines in the U.S. those being cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay. Hopefully, your menu will pair well with either of these two.
Let’s start with cabernet sauvignon as pairing is somewhat easier. For the holidays, you should, in my opinion, dig a little deeper into your wallet and purchase something that will elevate your meal. Obviously, there is a complete price range from like $5 to $5,000 when it comes to cabernet sauvignon. I was thinking in the $50 to $100 range of which there are many. American cabernet tends to be heavier from higher alcohol, possess the usual tannins and acid, and are fruitier than its European cousins. It is the perfect match with steak as the fattiness of the meat calms the tannins in the wine and the acidity cuts through the fat making a pleasant beverage on your palate.
Now, if you aren’t enjoying steak, there are a few alternatives that I would suggest pairing with cabernet. Lamb comes to mind, again a fatty choice that works so well with the wine. And I see that wild boar is available and always a good choice. A few of my favorite producers that offer many choices are Beringer, Beaulieu Vineyards (BV), Chateau Ste. Michelle, Robert Mondavi, Daou, Jackson Estates and Duckhorn. These are just a sampling of what is readily available and will have wines in the price range I suggested. They also have offerings at much higher prices if you are so inclined. I have avoided boutique wineries as they tend to be pricey, but well worth it.
Moving on to chardonnay. Typically, chardonnay is defined by its oak influence which adds flavors of vanilla, caramel, butterscotch and spice. But, they also display aromas of apples, pears, citrus and minerality. There was a time not so long ago when everyone wanted the wines to be oaky to the point that it disguised all the inherent goodness a chardonnay has and basically took over the food. Over time Americans have come to realize what the French have known for years that the wine does need to be aged in oak, but not as much so that the flavors and aromas of the wine can be enjoyed. And there are some producers actually ageing in stainless steel, no oak at all. But I digress. There are many influences on the chardonnay besides oak but those are decisions made by the winemaker. I do believe that to fully enjoy the wine it needs the proper amount of that all-important attribute: acidity. Also, one should look at the alcohol level on the label, the higher it is the heavier the wine will be and needs to be paired with heavier food. So, chardonnay works with a lot more choices than cabernet.
Because we love seafood and we have lots of it, this works well with a simple raw oyster or raw clams. Just choose a lighter style chard. As you move into heavier foods, like those with butter, this is the wine. Think lobster in any of its forms. Something with a cream sauce, a heavier style chardonnay will work well. And it seems that brown butter dishes which are becoming more popular go well. As for other proteins, pork and chicken are favorites. So, as you can see you can do a lot more with chardonnay. As for producers, Jordan chardonnay is high on my list. It is very Burgundian in style and checks so many of the boxes I have mentioned. Very popular today is Rombauer which tends to be a bit heavier. I always enjoy Chateau Ste. Michelle chardonnays, again, offering many levels and styles of the wine. A few other favorites at a higher price but well worth it would be Far Niente, Ramey, Rutherford Ranch, Grgich Hills, King Estate, Cuvaison and Domaine Drouhin. Again, most should be available.
As you can see, chardonnays are the easier choice of wines for the holidays. But as I have said many times, whatever wine you like is what you should have, no matter the pairing! By the way, our local wineries all offer chardonnays and Newport Vineyards has a cabernet sauvignon. Shop local!!
This month’s PSA. The hospitality industry which is so important to our community continues to be plagued with so many issues. The labor situation has somewhat gotten better, but supply issues still are real. With the cost of goods, energy and labor still rising, menu prices are beginning to reflect those increases with little relief in sight. In addition, we have been warned of possible rolling blackouts if we have a colder-than-normal winter - those will be beyond annoying. Nevertheless, our restaurants and caterers have faced all these challenges admirably and carry on. Let’s hope 2023 improves for everyone!
In closing, I wish all of you a wonderful and joyous holiday season and a very Happy New Year!! Remember, please drink responsibly!
Len Panaggio is a wine consultant and former corporate beverage director for Newport Harbor Corp. Send feedback and suggestions to lcp23223@gmail.com. The Wine Press runs each month in The Daily News and online at newportri.com.
This article originally appeared on Newport Daily News: Christmas dinner wines choices: cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay
