Unaccountably, many people who are perfectly capable as both cooks and hosts find themselves at sixes and sevens when it comes to bringing suitable wines to their holiday tables. Since I can’t guess what will be going on in your house, or what your guests like and don’t like in wine, the best advice I can offer on the subject comes in the way of a few guidelines, ones I stick close to at the family dinners we host at home. Here goes . . .
Loosen up. Traditional and even traditional-with-a-tweak holiday meals aren’t really challenging from a wine pairing point of view, and I would be very surprised if the sort of wine you generally like to drink wouldn’t do just fine — with maybe a little special-occasion upgrade.
Lighten up. Wine exists to whet the appetite, not fatigue it, so keep your choices on the lighter, brisker side of things and mind the level of alcohol. A big, boozy Chateauneuf-du-Pape may lend drama, but in our experience this really isn’t the place for it. It’s one of the reasons we like cru Beaujolais or lively Loire Valley Cabernet Franc for holiday table reds. In whites we generally reach for something fresh and unoaked — think Alsace Riesling or basic Chablis.
Mix it up. Offering just one wine per course is pretty risky, so — especially if you’ve got a tableful — put out several at once with the idea that they’ll serve for the entire meal. Guests help themselves, sampling what they fancy. Present both white and red options. I think you’ll see that from the point of view of compatibility with a given dish there’s probably less difference between heftier whites and lightish reds than you imagine. It’s an approach that promotes conversation, helps everyone feel involved, and does something to close the psychic gap between host and guest. True, you’ll likely have wine left over. Worse things could happen.
Bookend it. A kind of magic attends the first and last sips we share (think of toasts and ones-for-the-road). It’s standard procedure at our place to welcome guests with a glass of sparkling wine, even on the most informal occasions. It needn’t be Champagne – a sound regional bubbly will do just fine – but there’s nothing quite like popping the cork on something fizzy to strike a note of celebration and good cheer. Then, cap it with something lusciously sweet. Port and Saussignac are good choices, as are those late-harvest beauties from Germany with the ponderous handle trockenbeerenauslesen. None are inexpensive, but even the daintiest pour will leave them dazzled.
Here’s hoping your holidays are memorably delicious.
-Stephen Meuse
This Week in the Wine Corner . . .
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 15, 3-6 PM – PSYCHIC GAP
2018 Dufaitre Beaujolais Villages Nouveau, $19.95
2013 Saint Jean de Bébian, “La Chapelle de Bébian,” Coteaux du Languedoc Blanc, $26.95
2015 Valli Unite “Gaitu” Colli Tortonesi Rosso, $19.95
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 16, 3-6 PM – CRUSOME SIGHT
2015 Domaine Thillardon, Chénas Cru Beaujolais, $29.95
2017 Julien Sunier, Morgon Cru Beaujolais, $36.95
2017 Damien Coquelet Chiroubles Cru Beaujolais, $28.95