It’s that time of year again—celebrating, entertaining, and spending quality time with loved ones. Our Director of Sommology, Leslie Sbrocco, gave us the scoop on the perfect pairings for your holiday dinner party. Eat, drink, and be merry, wine lovers!
Appetizer Pairings
Kick off your holiday party with the perfect delectable dippers that will have your guests going for seconds, thirds, and fourths.
Does a holiday appetizer get any easier than shrimp cocktail? Leslie recommends pairing this fresh, spicy combo with our refreshing, fruity 2019 Jitterbug Sauvignon Blanc. Added bonus—the colors from this appetizer pair perfectly with your holiday decorations.
Holiday’s coziest appetizer is here—pigs in a blanket. Pair this soul-warming treat with our 2020 Marula, Pinotage for a well rounded bite that is wine expert-approved.
Protein Pairings
One of the hardest parts about organizing your holiday dinner party is deciding which delicious main meat dish to feature. Here are our top picks—we’ll leave the final decision up to you.
Glazed ham is a holiday classic, making it the perfect main course for a holiday dinner party. Wow your guests by pairing this smoky meat with our 2020 Pearls & Kicks, Rosé. Leslie recommends this crisp rosé to compliment a sweet and savory ham.
For the red meat lovers, there’s nothing better than prime rib for the holidays. Whether you like your prime rib with horseradish cream sauce or blue cheese, pair it with our 2018 Luxx Merlot. Leslie says the earthy notes from this Merlot will complement the prime rib perfectly.
Pasta Pairings
Holiday parties are the time to get carb-o-licious. Go all in and pair your favorite pasta dishes with these top wine picks.
Garlic, butter, shrimp—yes please! Leslie’s recommendation? Pair this savory classic with our 2020 Chiacchierone, Catarratto. Our light, refreshing white will bring balance and brightness to this dish.
There’s truly nothing more warm and welcoming than layers of pasta, cheese, and meat. Pair your lasagna with our Italian red, 2020 Avincerre, Marche Rosso. Leslie’s advice: what grows together goes together. That means the flavors in the wine will marry beautifully with the flavors in the dish because they’re native to the same soil. Merry Christmas to you!
Dessert Pairings
Time for a sweet finale. Round out your holiday dinner party with sweet wine pairings that will add a festive finishing touch the celebration. Trust us, when you bring out a little sip of something sweet to pair with your treats, your guests will know it’s the holidays!
Gingerbread captures all things holiday. Pair this spicy, sweet treat with our 2019 Hotsy Totsy, White Wine Blend. This lively white will round out the heavy profile of the gingerbread.
Sweet, sour and everything nice. Cherry pie is fun and sweet treat perfect for the holiday table and with a dessert wine to boot. Leslie’s pick? Pair our Double Date with your favorite cherry pie recipe for a sweetly tart finish to your celebration.
Fudge is a holiday favorite—from plain chocolate to mint to peanut butter, there are so many flavors to choose from! Pair this sweet treat with our Fissata Red for a bubbly celebration of all things holiday. Leslie says this bold, fizzy wine will be the perfect pairing for your celebration finale. Our wine lovers everywhere agree! (It’s our #1 best seller!)
The Must Haves
Now that we’ve covered the perfect pairings for each of these holiday classic dishes, it’s time to reveal the ultimate wines that will complement your holiday dinner party. For the white wine lovers, we recommend a crowd-pleasing full-bodied white, like our 2020 Peekaboo, Chardonnay. More of a red wine lover? Pair your holiday party with our 2018 5 String Reserve, Petite Sirah or our award winning 2018 Cucharón Red Blend. These best in class reds will be perfect for your table and taste buds! Don’t forget the bubbly with our new and exclusive, 2020 Three Hearts, Fizzy White Wine.
Trying one of these delicious holiday dinner party food and wine pairings? Share your photos and stories with us on social! Tag us in your holiday festivities @travelingvineyard. Eat, drink and be merry, wine lovers!