In the holiday rush, it’s hard to find a moment to plan before the last minute dash to the LCBO. So, as a busy litigator and wine-lover, I offer some thoughts about wines for your holiday gathering – crowd pleasers and holiday pairings.
The Large Crowd / Cocktail Party
If you are hosting a larger crowd and not trying to pair with any particular food, you are likely looking for “crowd pleasers.”
What are crowd pleasers? They are good quality wines that are great value and appeal to a wide range of palates. You want to streamline your bar with say, one white and one red, and still know that you have ‘something for everyone’. Crowd pleasers also make great everyday drinking wines.
Familiar whites that are commonly crowd pleasers include many Sauvignon Blancs, dry Rieslings (with an emphasis on “dry”), unoaked or subtly-oaked Chardonnays and Italian Pinot Grigios.
There are two broad styles of whites that it is best to avoid for a larger crowd. First, sweeter whites (anything off dry or sweeter) are not crowd pleasers because, although they include many beautiful wines in their ranks, a significant number of people do not enjoy them. Second, heavily oaked whites (for example, many California Chardonnays) have some die-hard fans but are off-putting to a lot of people.
A good bet on offer at the LCBO now is Wildass Sauvignon Blanc 2015 at $18.95. Wildass is the less expensive label of Stratus Vineyards and often produces delicious wines that are extraordinarily great value. This Sauv Blanc is a great example of what Ontario Sauv Blanc should be. This wine should go over well with both fans of both Sancerre (Sauv Blanc from the Loire Valley in France) and fans of Sauv Blanc from Marlborough, NZ.
Also on offer and on sale at the LCBO now, try Malivoire Chardonnay 2015 at $17.95. Malivoire is a well-established smaller winery in Beamsville. This Chardonnay has seen some oak but is nicely-balanced and the oak does not overwhelm.
Moving on to reds, they can be a little trickier at a cocktail party as many reds are best enjoyed with a good food pairing. Lighter-bodied reds are often nice to sip with or without nibbles. Try a Pinot Noir or Gamay Noir (the Beaujolais grape). The trouble with Pinots is that the good ones are often fairly expensive. With that said, there are some local Ontario wines that are great value.
For an easy-drinking and great value option, try Flat Rock Cellars Pinot Noir 2014 on sale at the LCBO for $19.20. Also try any Pinot Noir from Coyote’s Run - Black Paw Vineyard or Red Paw Vineyard (mostly the 2013 vintage available in the LCBO).
If you will be serving some hors d’oeuvres and prefer a bigger but still easy-drinking red, try a Chianti Classico. I recently served Antinori Pèppoli Chianti Classico 2014 which, at $19.95, is excellent value. The ripe and tart cherry, red current, leather and herbal notes help this wine pair well with a variety of foods.
What are crowd pleasers? They are good quality wines that are great value and appeal to a wide range of palates. You want to streamline your bar with say, one white and one red, and still know that you have ‘something for everyone’. Crowd pleasers also make great everyday drinking wines.
Familiar whites that are commonly crowd pleasers include many Sauvignon Blancs, dry Rieslings (with an emphasis on “dry”), unoaked or subtly-oaked Chardonnays and Italian Pinot Grigios.
There are two broad styles of whites that it is best to avoid for a larger crowd. First, sweeter whites (anything off dry or sweeter) are not crowd pleasers because, although they include many beautiful wines in their ranks, a significant number of people do not enjoy them. Second, heavily oaked whites (for example, many California Chardonnays) have some die-hard fans but are off-putting to a lot of people.
A good bet on offer at the LCBO now is Wildass Sauvignon Blanc 2015 at $18.95. Wildass is the less expensive label of Stratus Vineyards and often produces delicious wines that are extraordinarily great value. This Sauv Blanc is a great example of what Ontario Sauv Blanc should be. This wine should go over well with both fans of both Sancerre (Sauv Blanc from the Loire Valley in France) and fans of Sauv Blanc from Marlborough, NZ.
Also on offer and on sale at the LCBO now, try Malivoire Chardonnay 2015 at $17.95. Malivoire is a well-established smaller winery in Beamsville. This Chardonnay has seen some oak but is nicely-balanced and the oak does not overwhelm.
Moving on to reds, they can be a little trickier at a cocktail party as many reds are best enjoyed with a good food pairing. Lighter-bodied reds are often nice to sip with or without nibbles. Try a Pinot Noir or Gamay Noir (the Beaujolais grape). The trouble with Pinots is that the good ones are often fairly expensive. With that said, there are some local Ontario wines that are great value.
For an easy-drinking and great value option, try Flat Rock Cellars Pinot Noir 2014 on sale at the LCBO for $19.20. Also try any Pinot Noir from Coyote’s Run - Black Paw Vineyard or Red Paw Vineyard (mostly the 2013 vintage available in the LCBO).
If you will be serving some hors d’oeuvres and prefer a bigger but still easy-drinking red, try a Chianti Classico. I recently served Antinori Pèppoli Chianti Classico 2014 which, at $19.95, is excellent value. The ripe and tart cherry, red current, leather and herbal notes help this wine pair well with a variety of foods.
Pairings
It is fun to get creative with pairings and the range of wines that will pair well with any particular food is remarkable. My view is that you should never dismiss a pairing until you try it as you just never know. With that said, in the interests of brevity, I offer some more traditional pairings here.
With Turkey
Pinot Noir is classic. You could splurge on a Burgundy but most of the slightly more affordable options in the LCBO are not great, or not yet ready to drink, or both. If you are going to splurge a little, I recommend trying a nice Pinot from New Zealand (try Central Otago, Martinborough or Nelson regions) or from the Willamette Valley, Oregon.
As a less conventional alternative, if you are serving some tart cranberries with your turkey, I think a Brunello di Montalcino pairs marvelously.
With Latkes
The starch and oil in latkes pairs beautifully with a bubbly or a crisp refreshing white such as a Sauvignon Blanc or Chablis.
With Roasted Game or Tomato-based Dishes
Sangiovese pairs beautifully. Splurge on a Brunello di Montalcino or try the less expensive little brother, Rosso di Montalcino, or a great value Chianti Classico.
Alternatively try a Northern Rhone Syrah with game dishes – a classic.
With Beef Tenderloin
There are many great options for beef tenderloin. Bordeaux-style blends, Super Tuscans, California Cabs, Barolo (or other less expensive Nebbiolos), Rioja, Priorat, Chateauneuf-du-Pape (or other Southern Rhone wines)…the list could go on almost indefinitely.
One of my personal underappreciated favourites which also pairs nicely with braised meats or meat sauces is Aglianico (from Campania or Basilicata in Southern Italy). Or, try a Portuguese wine from the Douro region. These are often great value and have wide appeal with a nice balance of fruit and spice. They are made with native grape varietals (Touriga Nacional is often the dominant grape).
With most of these reds, some age improves both the wine and the pairing so look for older vintages. (There are sometimes multiple of vintages available for any particular label on the shelves in the LCBO). Decanting will generally be a good idea as well.
For Mulled Wine
In my opinion, Ontario Baco Noir cannot be beat as a base for mulled wine. It is cheap and has the right fruit and spice notes. In the LCBO and on sale now, try Henry of Pelham Baco Noir 2011 at $13.95. This wine could also pair nicely with braised meats, game or portabello mushroom.
And most importantly, enjoy the holidays!
With Turkey
Pinot Noir is classic. You could splurge on a Burgundy but most of the slightly more affordable options in the LCBO are not great, or not yet ready to drink, or both. If you are going to splurge a little, I recommend trying a nice Pinot from New Zealand (try Central Otago, Martinborough or Nelson regions) or from the Willamette Valley, Oregon.
As a less conventional alternative, if you are serving some tart cranberries with your turkey, I think a Brunello di Montalcino pairs marvelously.
With Latkes
The starch and oil in latkes pairs beautifully with a bubbly or a crisp refreshing white such as a Sauvignon Blanc or Chablis.
With Roasted Game or Tomato-based Dishes
Sangiovese pairs beautifully. Splurge on a Brunello di Montalcino or try the less expensive little brother, Rosso di Montalcino, or a great value Chianti Classico.
Alternatively try a Northern Rhone Syrah with game dishes – a classic.
With Beef Tenderloin
There are many great options for beef tenderloin. Bordeaux-style blends, Super Tuscans, California Cabs, Barolo (or other less expensive Nebbiolos), Rioja, Priorat, Chateauneuf-du-Pape (or other Southern Rhone wines)…the list could go on almost indefinitely.
One of my personal underappreciated favourites which also pairs nicely with braised meats or meat sauces is Aglianico (from Campania or Basilicata in Southern Italy). Or, try a Portuguese wine from the Douro region. These are often great value and have wide appeal with a nice balance of fruit and spice. They are made with native grape varietals (Touriga Nacional is often the dominant grape).
With most of these reds, some age improves both the wine and the pairing so look for older vintages. (There are sometimes multiple of vintages available for any particular label on the shelves in the LCBO). Decanting will generally be a good idea as well.
For Mulled Wine
In my opinion, Ontario Baco Noir cannot be beat as a base for mulled wine. It is cheap and has the right fruit and spice notes. In the LCBO and on sale now, try Henry of Pelham Baco Noir 2011 at $13.95. This wine could also pair nicely with braised meats, game or portabello mushroom.
And most importantly, enjoy the holidays!