Wines for the Holidays and for Celebrations the Year Round

An Introduction for the Novice Wine Afficianado

When the holiday season is upon us we begin to feel the need to stock the wine cupboard with a variety of wines.  Wines for the holidays and for other celebrations like anniversaries and graduation parties move the event from a dinner out to a celebratory occasion.  A selection of wines with great taste in elegant glasses will add that special touch that transforms the special event into a truly great celebration.  Wines come in a price range from very low to outrageously high….(You may want to spend a lot of money; I don’t.)

I know some wonderful California cabernet sauvignons from a vintage year 1997 in the $120. range.  I, however, prefer the lesser known and much lesser in price wines that I can enjoy without thinking about the costs.  At the other end of the economic scale is a 2001 cabernet sauvignon from Duck Pond Cellars that satisfies my need for complexity with fruity aromas of cherry, cloves, a rich burst of berries and the toastiness of oak; and to make it even more attractive is the price of around $12.00.  There are many cabernets in between these two extremes and some wonderful selections can be found at www.winesnw.com .  

That tricky little thing of pairing wine with those wonderful holiday foods used to baffle me.  I wasn’t entirely sure I liked the wines often recommended in the entertainment section of the newspaper.  I knew what I liked both in food and in wine so why not pair those tastes?  If that is where you are, do not despair; the idea is not to follow some one else’s rule but to find your own style.

A winning wine and food combination is the pairing that makes both the food and the wine better in combination than either would be alone.  This championship style of combining the elements of gourmet dining makes a meal a celebration.  Here are some tips for those common foods we all enjoy and the wines that go well with them.  These suggestions are only to get you started, find what you like and match your own food favorites with some wine favorites that your palette finds complimentary.