Wine for the Holidays
... don't make the usual mistakes ...
The relatively small amount of
wine consumed per capita in the United States is mostly taken
care of by a few dedicated wine drinkers. But once or twice
a year, between Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Eve,
nearly everyone contributes a little to the overall depletions.
Unfortunately, these occasional
wine drinkers are unlikely to join the ranks of the regulars
for three reasons. First of all, most of the wine sales in the
U.S. are rung up in supermarkets, where the selections are generally
limited to the only most widely-available and advertised brands.
Secondly, most of these sales are in the $10-and-under brackett,
where the quality is likely to be acceptable, but not likely
to stimulate many vinous epiphanies. Third, because occasional
wine drinkers most often pick wines that clash with elements
of the Traditional Holiday Meal and end up tasting not very
pleasant to them. The main offenders are the current wines of
fashion -- Chardonnay and Merlot.
DRINK WHAT YOU LIKE
The old advice of white wine with fish and red wine with
meat is obsolete; new wine styles and complex methods of food
preparation mean almost anything goes. Most of the time, wine
and food are complimentary. Some combinations, however, can
be nasty.
Foods and beverages all contain
portions of some "basic" flavor elements: salt, sweet,
and sour. Foods that are "balanced" in these flavor
elements tend to match well with wines that also have "balanced"
flavor elements. Foods or wines that are out-of-balance may
still find their complementary match, but the range is likely
to be more narrow or even downright specific.
The important thing to remember
in food and beverage matching is: Match the Principal Flavors.
If the preparation is simple, match the main ingredient; if
the sauce is the main flavor, match the sauce. Sweet with Sweet,
Tart with Tart, Tannic with Tangy. Sparkling wines work great
for almost everything, because they have those scrubbing bubbles
that cleanse the palate, regardless of the food.
CHOOSE WINES LOW IN ALCOHOL
(under 13%)
Alcohol clashes with food flavors. Traditional Holiday Meals
are likely to include sweet elements, such as Candied
Sweet Potatoes, Cranberry Sauce, Waldorf Salad and Apple, Mince,
Pecan and Pumpkin Pies. These sweet flavors will make the dry
wines taste hot and alcoholic even if they are relatively neither.
Wines that are slightly sweet, on the other hand, will taste
pleasant and more dry than they would with savory or tart food.
| CHOOSE
Sparkling Wine
Johannisberg Riesling
Chenin Blanc
Gewürztraminer
Rosé
Beaujolais (French)
Gamay
Valdiguié
Pinot Noir
Chianti (Italian)
Zinfandel (watch the ALCOHOL!) |
AVOID
Chardonnay (If you MUST, pick a cheap one --
it is less likely to have oak flavors that will provide
the same flavor appeal with a T.H.M. as would liquid
kindling)
Sauvignon Blanc
Fumé Blanc
Viognier
Cabernet Sauvignon (too
TANNIC)
Merlot (too TANNIC)
Barbera (too TANNIC)
Syrah (too TANNIC)
|
FIFTEEN MINUTES BEFORE SERVING
Take the WHITE wine OUT of the refrigerator and put the RED
wine IN. The whites will taste richer and fuller and the reds
not so harsh.
TWO HOURS MINIMUM FROM BOTTLE
TO THROTTLE
Don't drink and drive. Stay safe; that means more than anything
to you and your family at this time of year. These
last two tips are good advice for any time, not just during
the Holidays.
