Brush Up on Wine and Food Pairings Before You Host the Holidays

The holiday season is in full-swing! Whether the dinner table will be set with traditional favorites or a few new dishes, we have just the right wine choices to help bring your festive meals to life. 

Like holiday gifts, the options are bountiful. Go with the crowd pleasers, and consider having at least one red and one white available so everyone can enjoy a glass of wine with their holiday dinner. For instance, if you are having turkey, consider choosing a Riesling and Pinot Noir, or any other combination.

If you're unsure of which ones to pick up, you're in luck. Jack just released his 2017 favorite wines in this year's Haskell's Hundred list. You can't go wrong with any of these, and they're all retailed under $100!

Perfect Wine Pairings with Turkey

While the wines in this year's Haskell's Hundred are highly recommended, the list doesn't indicate which ones make for the best pairings, so we wanted to give some further guidance in the spiriting of holiday giving. Turkey is an easy dish to pair with wine because it doesn't have strong flavors, so almost anything will do. Here are some of our favorites:

Vouvray

• Domaine Vaufuget Vouvray - Enjoy this off-dry white table wine from the Loire Valley region of France with dinner or spicy appetizers. (#33)

Riesling

• Sittmann Late Harvest Spatlese Riesling - A late harvest wine seems appropriate for Thanksgiving, and thankfully, goes well with turkey. It has aromas of green apples, pears and apricots. The sweet flavors of peaches and apples are balanced by a crisp acidity, so it's not too sweet. Try it chilled. (#84)

Rosé

• Limerick Lane Rose - Made from estate-grown Grenache grapes in the Russian Valley of California, this rose continues to be a knock-out. If you are a guest and stressing about whether to bring a bottle of red or white, go with this. (#96)

Beaujolais Nouveau

• Mommessin Beaujolais Nouveau 2017 - The new wines of the season are here and we encourage you to try them out. This wine, made from Gamay grapes and released once a year, will go with everything on your plate. We promise you'll be happy, and more importantly, everyone will else will be, too.

Pinot Noir

• Coeur de Terre Oregon Pinot Noir - One of Jack's favorite Pinot Noir's the year, and it's a great price. (#8)
• Baus Family Private Reserve Pinot Noir - From Sonoma County, comes a wine that consistently delivers. Fresh crushed strawberries and bright cherries lead the way in both aromas and flavors in this fruit-friendly wine. (#73)

Wines to Compliment Your Ham Dinner

Ham can be salty and even a little overpowering, but these wines will pair nicely.

Rosé

• Mado en Provence Rosé 2016 - Light in color and well-balanced, it will pair lovely with dinner, or as an aperitif. (#13)

Vouvray

• Domaine Vaufiget Vouvray - A treat from the Loire Valley, Vouvray tends to lean sweeter but not too sweet. It's just sweet enough to pair delightfully with ham, spicy foods, desserts, goat cheese, and well, many foods.

Chardonnay

• Newton Unfiltered Chardonnay 2014 - Jack says, "This is one of the best American Chardonnays that I have tasted in a long time. This wine rivals some of Burgundy's top producers." For a small dinner affair, here's a Chardonnay you might want to consider. It's intense, focused and complex. Pink grapefruit, fresh fig, and pear aromas are enhanced by elements of spice and vanilla, contributing additional depth and intrigue. (#2)

Pinot Noir

• Gearbox Pinot Noir - A dense, spicy Pinot that's a perfect companion for ham. (#36)

• Fog Mountain Pinot Noir - a lovely wine from California at under $15. (#44)

Zinfandel

• Windstorm Zinfandel - It has a jammy aroma of blueberries, raspberries, Asian spices, and licorice. (#20)

Cotes du Rhone

• Delas Espirt Cotes-du-Rhone -A wine made for drinking, and for eating. Perfect. (#59)

Don't Forget Your Wine Pairing for Dessert

Sparkling Rose

• Treveri Cellars Sparkling Rosé - A Washington state bubbly that offers hints of berries and citrus.

Moscato

• Bartenura Sparkling Moscato Rosé - Bring the best of two worlds together with this Italian sparkling Moscato rosé.

• Chateau Grand Jauga - Lovely, lush, balanced. Perfect to sip after dinner near a fire. Now on sale.

As for Jack's #1 wine selection on Haskell's Hundred List? Well, let's just say you could enjoy this one for Thanksgiving, Hannukah, Christmas Eve, or just a Friday night with your loved one.

Introducing: Savigny Les Beaune Premier Cru Hospices de Beaune Cuvée Fouquerand 2014 - Jack says this Burgundy pairs with roasted chicken, game, or wild mushroom risotto.

Cheers!