Unlike my last post, I think this time I will list the wines with a little description and then recommend foods to go with them.
Arneis: This light to medium bodied Italian wine is one of my favorite wines for appetizers. So if you are having friends pop in for tree trimming or to watch a classic holiday flick...consider serving this wine, a few nibbles and you'll have happy guests! With hints of fruits like peach and pineapple, it loves proscuitto and melon. I would also serve it with poached shrimp, grilled scallops, an antipasto platter and goat cheese served with fruit. Wild Horse Arneis is a good value, but if you want a stellar example of the varietal, check out Cal-Italia vintner Viansa, on-line or on-site sales only...their Arneis was my introduction to this wine and is still my favorite!
Chardonnay: We have twins here...but they are not identical! First we have the full bodied buttery, sometimes oaked Chardonnay. I would pair this with a holiday turkey, complete with all the traditional fixings. Anything cooked in a brown butter sauce would be very happy paired up with this twin! Seafood like butter poached lobster, baked cod, fried clams, or roasted salmon will shine with a buttery Chardonnay...Mer Soleil Reserve Chardonnay 2013 is worth the $35 for a special holiday meal...especially if buttery is your kind of Chardonnay. For a real splurge, I recommend Cakebread Chardonnay 2012 or 2013 at about $45. Cakebread is a classic Chardonnay and has long been a favorite of mine.
As for the lighter to medium bodied Chardonnay which is typically aged in steel and features grassier notes, along with some minerality...this begs for brinier foods...whether crabs, shrimp or oysters...most shellfish pair well with this sister. So, if a seafood salad or boiled shrimp were to make an appearance on your Christmas Eve buffet...go with the unoaked Chardonnay like Chateau St. Jean Sonoma Coast Chardonnay ($30)...bright and light aromas of kiwi, lemon and peach. For a refreshing and inexpensive quaff, consider Kenwood Sonoma County Chardonnay 2013 ($12)...it is full of green apple pucker and zingy lime and ginger notes. It is perfect for a salad course or leftover turkey sandwiches...light on the mayo!
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| Drunken Shrimp Salad |
For Hanukkah, perhaps latkes and sour cream..try the kosher Backsberg Chardonnay ($12)...a nice, natural acidity with hints of lemon zest, white peach and hazelnut notes.
White Burgundy: The first wine I sipped that made me want to drink more wine was a Chassagne Montrachet...a glorious white burgundy...so blame Paris...a sole meuniere to die for and this very special occasion wine for my predilection for wine...perhaps you might indulge for a romantic New Year's eve lobster dinner...ask your wine merchant for availability and pricing.
Gewurztraminer: Probably the most versatile white I can recommend is a Trimbach Gewurztraminer ($24). The 2013 is a bright pale gold with aromas of warm spices, lychees and roses. The taste is rich, spicy and well balanced, pairing beautifully with ham, turkey, foie gras, lobster and fried seafood and Thanksgiving leftovers!
Riesling: Another favorite Alsatian white is the Trimbach Riesling 2012 ($20). It is light, crisp and has honeyed fruit highlights...all of which pair nicely with corn pudding, trout, scallops and yes...the New Year's Eve staple...Chinese take-out.
The next three wines are worth experiencing...but you may want to go to a wine tasting first to try them...they can be pricy...and very often are too sweet for the uninitiated. But that being said...this is the perfect time of year doe these dessert wines and they should be experienced with love and joy!!
Ice Wine: this sweet white wine is made from grapes that were allowed to freeze on the vine before harvesting...intense fruit flavors from raisin to pear and apple, this type of wine is perfect for sipping after enjoying fondue or raclette before a roaring fire! Enjoy apple pie with a slice of cheddar, some cheesecake or perhaps some shortbread cookies as an end to your repast. While up at Niagara Falls this past summer, I purchased some Inniskillin Vidal Ice Wine to enjoy this holiday season.
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| Russian Tea Cakes and Ice Wine! |
Muscat (or Moscato) is a fragrant, sweet and spicy wine which is quite reminiscent of a liqueur. Highlights are warm spice notes, peach and or candied orange flavors. I have spent many a dinner in Europe finishing up an lovely meal with a muscat and some biscotti for dunking in the sweet wine. Creamy custards, panna cotta or souffles are naturals for this wine, Muscat that has prominent orange flavors was meant to be enjoyed with dark chocolate....as a matter of fact, a perfect hostess gift would be a bottle of Michele Chiarlo Nivole Moscato d'Asti ($15.00) and some dark chocolate truffles...hint...hint...
And my final recommendation for a holiday white is a Sauterne. I always feel very grown up and special when I am offered a glass of this lovely French white. I believe that simpler is better with Sauternes...it is all about this wine after all...so a lovely stilton and some pears or an almond tart or cake...simple and delicious. If serving Sauterne as an aperitif, consider almonds, pate de foie gras or campagne, blue cheeses or stuffed mushroom caps. The Chateau Guiraud 2005 375 half bottle ($45) is an excellent dessert wine that is full bodied with hints of honey, vanilla and nuttiness and is a very good wine at a very good price.
"If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough." Meister Eckhart
Next post...Holiday food and red wine!
Cheers!
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