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Christmas Wine Tips

For many people, the holiday season is a time jam-packed with activities and celebrations! Tree-decorating parties, family get-togethers, office parties, and that magical night of Christmas Eve.

To make sure your party guests are happy, it’s easiest to limit your wine selection to just two or three to alleviate confusion. A good all-around, popular white wine is a dry Riesling from Germany, the French region of Alsace, or the Finger Lakes region of New York. For a red, try a Pinot Noir from Burgundy, Oregon, or California.

However, if you want to start your holiday party with a bubbly, think about a Cava from Spain, a Prosecco from Italy, or a sparkler from California. These are good choices because they are light, crisp, and dry, they can successfully accompany many canapés and appetizers, and they don’t carry the price tag that Champagne from France does. For a drier style, look for the word “Brut” (dry) on the label. Want a little sweetness in your sparkler? An off-dry sparkler will say “Extra Dry” or “Extra Sec,” while “Sec” will indicate a slightly sweet wine, and “Demi-sec” is a sweet wine.

For a lot of families, their Christmas dinners are made up of many of the same dishes they celebrated with on Thanksgiving. For white wine lovers, options can include a dry to off-dry Riesling, an unoaked Chardonnay, a Gewürztraminer, Viognier, or Pinot Gris. A crisp, dry Rosé from the Tavel region of France’s Rhône Valley is an excellent food wine and pairs beautifully with baked ham and many of the side dishes at your Christmas dinner. For your red wine lovers, offer light- to medium-bodied wines such as Pinot Noir, Chianti Classico, or Beaujolais. Some families eat duck or goose as their Christmas dinner’s main course, and Pinot Noir goes especially well with these birds’ gamey qualities. For those who want a more full-bodied red, choose a Cabernet Franc, such as a Chinon from France’s Loire Valley, an Argentine Malbec, or a California Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon.

With dessert, be sure that the wine you serve is sweeter than the dessert , and that the weight of the wine matches the weight of the dessert. Many holiday desserts are made with chocolate, and a gorgeous wine that pairs deliciously with chocolate is Brachetto d’Acqui, a red Italian sparkler with a beautiful aroma of strawberries. Many fortified wines, such as tawny port, cream sherry, and Madeira, are fabulous with desserts.

And here’s something fun to sip on as you’re decorating your tree: mulled wine, a hot drink made with red wine (Merlot is an excellent choice), port, apple cider, oranges, apples, and spices! It’s also a tasty way to warm up when coming in from the cold!

Happy Holidays!

Hanukkah Wines

Q: Our family is celebrating Hanukkah. What makes a wine kosher, and how do we select a good kosher wine?

A: Wine is deeply rooted in the celebration of Hanukkah, and the wine consumed during Hanukkah must be kosher. Kosher wine follows the strict guideline of dietary laws called kashrut. Below is a brief description of what makes a wine kosher.

The techniques used to make kosher wine are the same as those used to produce other wines; however, it must be made with only kosher ingredients, and it cannot come into contact with anything that is not kosher. A Sabbath-observant Jewish man must be involved in the processing and handling of the wine from harvest to bottling. The grapes used to make the wine must have been handled by a Sabbath-observant Jewish man, and the equipment used must be rabbinically certified without previous contact with non-kosher products. A non-Jew is not allowed to touch any of the equipment or raw products, and a rabbi must bless the facility and its wine. In addition, the label on the bottle must also have a hechsher, which is a seal that indicates kosher approval. An example of a hechsher is the “OU” symbol representing the Orthodox Union.

Mevushal wine is a type of kosher wine in which an extra step is taken during its production. It is heated to 194 degrees Fahrenheit; it is then deemed clean, even if non-Jews have handled it. This is the type of kosher wine that is typically served in restaurants.

Many wineries are now making kosher wines, so it is easier today to find a wide variety of kosher choices. Choose wines from Israel, made in the regions of Golan Heights, Yarden, or Upper Galilee. If you prefer to go with domestic kosher wines, try Herzog Wine Cellars or Hagafen Cellars, both located in California, the Kedem Winery in New York, or Manischewitz, a popular brand of kosher wines made in New York.

Happy Hanukkah!

Grape Girl Debbie

Do you have a wine related question?
Mailto: info@GrapeCrushEvents.com

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Debbie Jones, CSW
Senior Wine Consultant
Since November 2010, Debbie Jones has been the Senior Wine Consultant for Grape Crush Productions. Debbie is an integral part to the development of our wine tasting programs and ensures all of our amazing volunteers are well educated on the wonderful wines that they help pour at our events. Whether at our private tastings or major community events, she's always eager to share her love for wine with others. An Atlanta native, she holds the Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) credential from the Society of Wine Educators and has been actively involved for years in wine and food events throughout the city.

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