Red Wine Pairings with Holiday Favorite Foods

With the holidays around the corner, it is now time for parties, celebrations and family gatherings. With abundant choices for the holiday main course, identifying the right wine that blends with the food selected is inevitable for rendering maximum enjoyment to the celebration.

The possibilities for the holiday food pairings with the wine are endless. Let us examine some best holiday flavors and the wine that fuses with it.

Before pairing the red wine with the right food, remember that the taste exuded by the food can bring about the variations in the wine selection. With each taste-sweet, sour, bitter, and the salty-the perfect wine pairing differs.

Generally, the wine from a particular region blends with the major cuisine offered by them. For instance, the Italian wines can fuse well with the Italian dishes. The rich flavor of the red wine makes it an ideal combination with hearty food like beef, duck, pork, goose, and even pasta dishes.

#1 – If you plan to make a roast turkey for the Christmas dinner, red wine is the traditional drink that pairs with the dark meat. The berry flavor of the Gamay Noir or the varied aromas presented by the light to moderate body of Pinot Noir can bring out the true flavor of the wine and the turkey. It also pairs well with a smoked turkey. The full-bodied Tempranillo is a great match for a paprika or cumin flavored turkey.

#2 – For relishing every bite of the beef’s rich flavor, reach for the dry, full-to-medium-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon or the spicy-flavored Zinfandel, where the sauce is heavy.There are others who prefer to go for prime rib, cooked rare. The delicate taste of it will pair with the fruity Beaujolais or the lighter red wines like the Merlot or Pinot Noir. But if it is cooked with the horseradish mayonnaise, you will have to match the taste with the Claret or the Cabernet Sauviaugn.

#3 – If the holiday food is the duck, then go for the mellow, rich-flavored Merlot that enjoys heady tastes of blackberry, plum or cherries depending on the sauce in the dish. The dry red Cabernet Sauvignon also pairs well with the duck.

#4 – A ham-centered meal can go best with the Pinot Noir or the fruity highly fragrant Gamay Noir.

#5 – End the holiday meal with a chocolate cake and a red wine with spicy flavor like the Zinfandel or Cabernet Sauvignon.

Complement every dish with the right wine for relishing every bite during the holidays.