Balance is key when choosing wines to go with turkey dinner
Canadian vineyards offer a wealth of possibilities
Christmas dinner provides myriad flavours and textures.
When making your wine selections, choose those that will have the versatility to pair with the variety of dishes without overwhelming them — wines with a depth of flavour as opposed to a heavy body.
For whites, the best matches are fruit-driven and crisp. With reds, look for wines with deep flavours and elegant, mellow tannins.
A touch of acidity is always a good thing when pairing with food, but avoid big oaky wines or those that are excessively high in alcohol as they will overwhelm delicate dishes. Balance is always the key.
Most importantly, Christmas is a time to bring family and friends together.
Here are a few great wines that are versatile enough to partner with your holiday dinner, but pretty tasty to enjoy on their own.
Merry Christmas! Cave Spring Riesling 2011, Niagara Ontario $21.99; CSPC: 234583
Vibrantly fresh aromas of mineral, pineapple and pink grapefruit, delicate but penetrating flavours, a touch of spice, slightly off-dry and bracing acidity to keep everything in balance. A great value from one of Canada’s Riesling leaders. Stags’ Leap Viognier 2011, Napa California $32; CSPC: 732486
Beautifully floral with peach aromas and flavours, vibrant, minerally and fresh with great complexity, balance and an uplifted finish. Sublime! Niepoort Redoma Rosé 2010, Douro Valley Portugal $23.99; CSPC: 748091
Rosé gets a bad wrap because of White Zinfandel, but good dry rosés are delicious and default food wines. Made from traditional Portuguese grapes, this wine is full and concentrated with aromas and flavours of raspberry, cranberry and cherry with hints of spice, earth and vanilla, firm structure and long, fresh finish. Anyone who thinks Rosés aren’t serious wines should try this. Cedar Creek Pinot Noir 2009, Okanagan, B.C. $ 32; CSPC: 567412
Bright blackberry, raspberry, black cherry and plum aromas and flavours with a hint of spice and fresh herbs, silky texture and a fresh finish. Jean-Paul Brun Beaujolais Terres Dorees Lancien 2010, Beaujolais France $25; CSPC: 741808
Beaujolais is making a comeback. Forget Nouveau (please!), this delicious wine possesses lots of black cherry and spice notes, elegant and stylish with bright acidity on the silky finish; 100-per-cent Gamay grapes. Have a question about wine, food and wine pairing , ordering wine in a restaurant or anything else having to do with wine? Email Gurvinder g@vinomaniawines.com. Bookmark his blog at edmontonjournal.com/vine and follow him on twitter at EdmontonWineGuy