Picking wines for the the holiday weekend can be as easy as 1, 2, 3 and 4.
While the traditional food is usually the same, you may want to change up the choices for wine.
These are our suggestions for wines to pair with the meal or just enjoy with friends and family. Ideally you have all four categories available for them to choose from.
Champagne
Light, unoaked, off-dry white wines
Light bodied, high acid reds
Bold, round, slightly rich reds
Champagne
Everyone loves bubbles and they’re perfect for holiday celebrations. We often forget to have some Champagne ready for aperitifs or something to sip on while cooking. Sure, there are many sparkling wines and less expensive options, but when it’s a big day, go big or go bigger. Magnums show you care.
Light, unoaked, off-dry white wines
With a variety of savory dishes and a marathon of drinking, it’s nice to have something that quenches, balances and keeps the ABV low. Riesling and Chenin Blancs are ideal, but you can also insert Alsatian whites, Gruner Veltliner, and Chablis here.
Light bodied, high acid reds
The undisputed champion of the day is Gamay. For decades the go-to category has been Beaujolais. Not having one feels wrong. Make sure you don’t disappoint, but also expand this section with other wines like Rioja, Pinot Noir, Piedmont, and Tuscany.
Bold, round, slightly rich reds
We get it, not everyone is going to drink white wine or enjoy a funky old world high acid red, so be thoughtful and offer the popular styles. Cabernet blends are safe, but you can easily make a crowd pleaser out of a Southern Rhone, Amarone, Zinfandel, and Garnacha blends from Spain.
