Holiday Entertaining "Sonoma Style"
Good friends, delicious food and great wines are always a perfect combination, but never more so than during the holidays. We hope these simple ideas to make your holiday entertaining more enjoyable, for you and your guests.

The Best Gifts Begin with Wine
  • Personalize it. Tie anything from ballet tickets to a favorite recipe around the neck of a wine bottle with colorful ribbon.
  • Offer your favorite food & wine pairing. Attach your favorite chocolate bar to a bottle of Kendall-Jackson Cabernet Sauvignon, or print your favorite recipe pairing and tie it on the bottle with a raffia ribbon.
  • Choose something that's sure to please - a gift of wine from Kendall-Jackson. For a gift that lasts all year long, consider a Wine Club Gift Membership.
  • Visit our Wine Gift Section
Create a Festive Atmosphere
  • Make a dramatic statement by decorating in only one color. For example, choose a red theme set out bowls of red apples; use only red candles; hang red ornaments on red ribbons; place a basket of red guest towels in the washroom.
  • Use a designer's trick. Mix high and low to set the table. Combine fine crystal glasses with flea market finds. Pair your grandmother's china with whimsical water glasses.
  • Let someone else do the cooking. Set out no-cook hors d'oeuvres - nuts, olives, cheese and crackers - before dinner. Serve a menu of internet-ordered regional specialties, such as Virginia ham.
  • Simplify dessert. Serve a plate of specialty chocolates as a simple and elegant treat.
Entertaining with Wine
  • Make your holiday gatherings fuss free and fun by serving appetizers or tapas paired with your favorite wine. Begin by serving small dishes paired with white varietals and then progress into dishes paired with red wines.
  • Provide one bottle per four to five guests. Six to eight people will consume two bottles per course. (Always provide sparkling water or other non-alcoholic beverage options.)
  • Chill white wines and Champagne in advance.
  • Open wine 15-20 minutes before your guests arrive. Taste the wine before serving.
  • In general, light, delicate foods are best paired with a similarly weighted wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc. Conversely, heavier, richer dishes requires a more substantial body and weight, such as Pinot Noir, Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon.
  • Click here to see our complete Wine and Food Pairing Guide.