Holiday Food with Fine Local Wines – by Erika Bishop, Troon Vineyard Marketing Director
How lucky are we to live in a burgeoning wine region where so many delicious options are a stones-throw away? Keeping this in mind, you have every reason to celebrate the holiday season with style and great taste. But the season can bring confusion when it comes to pairing the perfect wine with the perfect meal because there are so many great flavors that come into play. Consider this your official “cheat sheet” for finding the ideal food and wine pairings for your November festivities.
The Harvest Party–2006 Tempranillo, Red Lily Vineyard
Who doesn’t love all of the comforts that come with a traditional Harvest Party? Delicious, hot, and earthy foods utilizing the bounty of the season means you’ll likely be dining on roasted meats, root vegetables, and apple crisp. For this meal, I lean toward a nice Tempranillo and Red Lily makes a dandy one. The crushed black fruit flavors are spot-on with just enough floral notes to please. This bold choice stands up nicely to your heartiest stews and braised meats.
Game Day–2011 Anna Maria Viognier, Valley View Vineyards
It’s game day, right? So I imagine you’ve got some bean dip, hot wings and chips. Or maybe you’re more of the artisan cheese, smoked salmon and harvest bread type. Either way, Viognier is a solid choice for enjoying all of the salty, crunchy, yumminess of the day. Viognier is a dry white wine with peach and apricot flavors. It can hold its own with spicy foods like buffalo wings but is absolutely delightful with cheese and seafood, too. Valley View Vineyard is known for producing a delicious Viognier.
Thanksgiving Dinner–2011 Estate Syrah & 2011 Dry Riesling, Troon Vineyard
The traditional day of American feasting is one of my favorite holidays. Every year I make the traditional fare my family can count on and relish. But for the cook in me, I always throw in something new. I will admit I don’t hit that homerun as often as I’d like, but that’s okay. It fills my needs, and more often than not, I get that thumbs-up across the table that warms my inner chef. So when deciding on your wine for the main event, you really must consider everything on your table, not just the bird. Roast turkey is one of those dishes that is lovely with both red and white wine. But what else is on your table? What’s in your stuffing? And how have you seasoned the bird this year? If you make a sausage and cornbread stuffing and serve Brussels sprouts with sautéed pancetta, then lean toward a Syrah. You’ll need something bold, yet easy to drink to stand up to those strong flavors and the Troon Syrah is a very food-friendly option. If your meal features apple stuffing, fresh fruit salad and puréed parsnips, then consider the Dry Riesling. The Troon Vineyard Riesling has traditional flavors of pear and yellow apple but with noticeable minerality, making it the perfect foil for your holiday feast.
Thanksgiving Day Dessert–Essensia, Quady Winery
What is Thanksgiving dinner without pumpkin pie? If your house is like mine, you’ll be presenting several dessert options. I know with certainty that the best pairing for that spiced, custard confection, fruit pies and chocolate, is Quady Winery’s Essensia. This delicious dessert wine is made from 100% Orange Muscat with aromas of orange and apricot. It’s a divine and memorable way to end your holiday feast.
Leftovers!–2009 Merlot or Syrah, Schmidt Family Vineyards
Honestly, I LOVE Thanksgiving weekend because of the leftovers! There’s nothing better than a great homemade turkey sandwich, stuffing and gravy over toast, turkey tetrazzini, and turkey and fall veggie soup. And to soak in every last morsel of your holiday menu, go for a good, easy drinking red. Schmidt Family Vineyards Merlot fills the bill. Merlot is one of those wines that just works great with casseroles, sandwiches, soups—you really can’t go wrong.
I recommend that you stock-up on your holiday wines early. And, if you haven’t ventured on to the Applegate Wine Trail, you owe it to yourself to get out there and find out what is right outside your door. There’s no better time to do so than on November 24th when “UnCorked” invites you to visit all 18 Applegate wineries in one afternoon. In one day you can winery-hop and sample the goodness that we grow just a few miles from town. Come out and taste for yourself what makes our wine region so unique. For more information on UnCorked, please visit ApplegateWinetrail.com and see for yourself. Cheers!
Posted November 5, 2013