Even if you are well versed with wine varities, it can be tough to choose a selection for holiday gatherings. What type of wine should you choose for Christmas? It’s easy to fall back on your favorites, but that may not be the best choice for your guests.
Are you are preparing an extravagant festive dinner for family and friends or hosting a cocktail party for work colleagues? Either way, December is the ideal opportunity to sample and share some different wines.
The winter holiday seaon is a magical time. Enhancing your wine selection simply makes the season brighter. Light the fire, roll out the rug, sing some carols, and fill your glass!
Warming Mulled Wine
What could be more festive than a glass of spicy, citrusy mulled wine to warm the spirits of your guests? To make mulled wine, you simply heat some spicy, medium to full bodied red wine (traditionally a claret). Then, you add spices like cloves, grated nutmeg, cinnamon, and star anise. Chunks of orange and lemon are also welcome additions. Just, be careful not to over boil and add as much sugar as you wish to taste.
Served in little round rock glasses and garnished with a cinnamon stick, this aromatic little aperitif will bring a smile to many a Scrooge!
Have guests that don’t drink but still want them to join in? Try our Non-Alcoholic Mulled Red Wine recipe!
A Glass of Bubbly
Who doesn’t love a delicious fizzy drink? With its romantic, intricate labels, champagne and sparkling wine in general is a must for celebrations! Rose champagne, with its pretty light blush is an ideal aperitif. A dryer brut champagne blends beautifully with some sushi nibbles, smoked salmon or foie gras for the more decadent dinner party.
For a more rustic, less refined approach a bottle or two of Cava will pair handsomely with some Spanish style tapas snacks such as olives, spiced almonds, salami and manchego cheese with crusty bread.
Our favorite bubbly this season is the beautiful and delicious wine from Gemma di Luna. Gemma di Luna offers delicious Italian wines that scream luxury and are under $20! Gemma di Luna Prosecco and Sparkling Moscato elegantly express the most loved Italian sparkling wines.
The bottles are as lovely as the wine they hold, too. Moscato is from Piemonte and the Prosecco is DOC. Gemma di Luna wines are distributed nationwide. They are the perfect accompanyment to any holiday celebration including Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
The Turkey Dinner
Sliced turkey, herb stuffing, caramelized carrots, and the obligatory sprout- this is the main event, the traditional Christmas lunch. Here, the overall feeling you are going for is one of comfort and indulgence. Wines that match beautifully are Pinot Noir or Gemma di Luna’s lovely Pinot Grigio DOC. A more full bodied or tannic wine overpowers the delicate white meat. The overall feeling of indulgence is counteracted nicely by the trademark smoothness and less robust characteristics of these varieties.
Gemma di Luna’s Pinot Grigio DOC is a beautiful, fresh wine made from premium grapes grown in Delle Venezie, Italy. It’s light, fruit-forward, and smooth with a delightful finish. It’s the perfect accompanyment for a turkey dinner or a savory-side dessert (like crepes or Creme Brule).
Desserts and Cheeses
Christmas time is a perfect opportunity to try something new. So, why not match your Christmas pudding and brandy butter with an equally indulgent dessert wine? Muscat is rich or a sherry, derived from naturally sweet grapes tops things off nicely. A glass of bubbly (see above) also works well.
After bellies are happily stuffed, retreat to the couch with a glass of spicy, plummy port, Port hits the spot perfectly; especially with a nibble of smoked Applewood cheddar. As the lulling echo of Christmas songs quietly infuse the room, feel free to drift off and dream by the fire.
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