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I can hardly believe it’s almost the holiday season! It seems to come earlier and earlier every year.
If you’re like my family, you’ll be drinking a bunch of different wines as we head into New Year’s Eve. It’s awfully hard to formally pair specific wines with the array of foods on the holiday table; there’s so much of everything that no one wine can cover all the bases. In this blog, we will cover our favorite wines for the holidays to make all of your special moments even more memorable.
Breaking Down the Best Wines for the Holidays
I've rounded up some of the best holiday wines, from whites to bold reds, all perfect for pairing with your holiday meals and celebrations.
Chardonnay: The Ultimate Holiday All-Rounder
When it comes to versatility, Chardonnay is the queen of holiday wines. Whether you're serving rich seafood dishes like lobster or crab, or something heartier like roasted turkey or ham, Chardonnay has the body and acidity to handle it all. Its creamy texture, notes of ripe fruit like apple and pear, and subtle oak influence make it an easy match for both lighter and heavier dishes.
Why It's Great for the Holidays: The richness of Chardonnay pairs beautifully with winter flavors and indulgent meals, and it's equally suited for sipping by the fireplace with a cheese board. For a reliable option, Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay is a perfect pick—it’s wonderfully balanced, with subtle buttery oak and vibrant fruit flavors that make it a holiday crowd favorite.
Sauvignon Blanc: Crisp & Refreshing for Every Celebration
If you're looking for a wine with a bit more zip, Sauvignon Blanc is your go-to. This bright, crisp white wine is full of refreshing citrus and green apple flavors, making it an ideal pairing for lighter holiday dishes like salads, roasted vegetables, and seafood appetizers. It's also fantastic with dishes that have a little tang, like goat cheese or cranberry sauce.
Why It's Great for the Holidays: Sauvignon Blanc's acidity and crispness cut through richness, so it's perfect for balancing out creamy dishes, and its citrusy notes are a refreshing contrast to heavier holiday foods. Try pairing it with a Vintner’s Reserve Sauvignon Blanc for a wine that’s as festive as it is flavorful.
Jackson Estate
2022
Lake County
points
750ml
$35
bottle
Pinot Noir: The Perfect Red for Every Holiday Table
If you're looking for a red wine that won’t overwhelm your meal, Pinot Noir is your best friend. Light to medium-bodied with soft tannins, Pinot Noir is easy to drink and pairs wonderfully with a wide variety of holiday foods—especially turkey, roasted chicken, or duck. Its red fruit flavors of cherry and raspberry, combined with subtle earthy undertones, make it a versatile choice that complements a variety of flavors without overpowering them.
Why It's Great for the Holidays: Pinot Noir is elegant yet approachable, making it ideal for both formal holiday dinners and more casual gatherings. For a wine that embodies the essence of the season, reach for a Grand Reserve Pinot Noir—its soft tannins and balanced fruit flavors are a perfect match for everything from the main course to lighter appetizers.
Cabernet Sauvignon: Bold and Elegant for Rich Feasts
For those serving rich, hearty dishes like roast beef, lamb, or glazed ham, Cabernet Sauvignon is the wine you want to have on hand. Full-bodied with bold tannins and dark fruit flavors like black currant, plum, and blackberry, Cabernet Sauvignon is the powerhouse red that can stand up to the richest holiday dishes.
Why It's Great for the Holidays: Its deep flavors and structure make it an excellent choice for pairing with meaty entrees and hearty sides like mashed potatoes and roasted root vegetables. If you're looking for a wine that exudes sophistication, try a bottle of Poet’s Peak Cabernet Sauvignon, which brings a perfect balance of fruit and spice, and has enough depth to shine through a holiday feast.
Merlot: Smooth, Smooth, Smooth
Merlot is the red wine that almost everyone can agree on. Known for its smooth, velvety texture and flavors of ripe plum, black cherry, and cocoa, Merlot is easy to love and makes a fantastic holiday wine. It pairs beautifully with turkey, roasted chicken, pork loin, or anything with a bit of sweetness, like a cranberry sauce or a fruit-studded stuffing.
Why It's Great for the Holidays: Merlot’s smooth, soft tannins and fruit-forward profile make it an easy drinker that complements a wide variety of foods. It’s perfect for those who want a red wine that isn’t too heavy but still offers plenty of flavor. The K-J Vintner’s Reserve Merlot is a great choice for the holidays, with its balanced structure and rich, fruit-driven profile.
Rosé: The Versatile All-Day Wine
Rosé isn't just for summer—it's an excellent choice for holiday gatherings, too! With its light, refreshing character and a flavor profile that mixes red fruit with a touch of floral notes, Rosé is perfect for everything from appetizers to lighter main courses like roasted chicken or seafood. Plus, it’s a crowd-pleaser that pairs well with nearly any type of holiday spread.
Why It's Great for the Holidays: Rosé is incredibly versatile, making it an ideal wine to serve when you want something light and festive that can go with a wide range of foods. Look for a Vintner’s Reserve Rosé to bring a crisp, fresh flavor to your holiday table.
Why Chardonnay is Our Favorite Holiday Wine for Every Occasion
But if I had to choose one wine to have with everything, from the first afternoon cocktail through the duck and roast beef and ham, to the mashed potatoes, roasted root vegetables and jello salad, to the most decadent dessert, it would be my number one favorite white wine ever, Chardonnay.
Some people say that Chardonnay is too rich to be versatile with a bunch of different foods. Oh sure, they’ll concede it’s the perfect partner for crab, especially if it’s in-season Dungeness crab like we have here in the Bay Area, and super-especially if you serve it up with plenty of sourdough bread and butter.* But there is a certain crowd out there that believes you need something drier, crisper and leaner to be a really good food match.
Far be it from me to deny the allures of Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris or any of the other dry, crisp white wines. I’ll drink a good one anytime! But for me, Chardonnay really does have all the attributes of the most versatile white wine in the world.
(Well, one caveat: Sparkling wine is even more versatile than Chardonnay. But then, many of the greatest sparkling wines are made with Chardonnay.)
It’s all a matter of taste, of course, but for me, Chardonnay’s richness is exactly what it has going for it. Few white wines in the world are richer. Check it out for yourself: While Kendall-Jackson produces several different Chardonnays (Vintner’s Reserve, Jackson Estate, K-J AVANT, Grand Reserve etc.), all share common flavors of intensely ripe mango, green apple, key lime pie and pear, with of course the fabulous creaminess that comes from lees stirring and the buttered toast and vanilla bean of oak barrel aging. Those characteristics may seem to suggest pairing with slightly sweeter fare (and crab, as well as other shellfish, especially lobster, can taste sweet due to its amino acids, fats and ocean salinity). But a great Chardonnay only gives the impression of sweetness; it’s actually a dry wine, which is Chardonnay’s magic: it tastes rich but finishes dry. That’s just what I want in a table white wine.
Perfect Wine Pairings for Rich Holiday Dishes
You might want to drink one of K-J’s fuller-bodied, oakier Chardonnays with your fancier, richer foods: Christmas ham, shellfish, a grand soufflé, shrimp, pork loin. With simpler but no less tasty fare, like roasted chicken, pasto pesto, baked butternut squash or buttery white rice, you might turn to something like K-J AVANT or Vintner’s Reserve. And there’s practically no dessert I can think of that doesn’t go with Chardonnay, unless it involves chocolate, although even with chocolate, there’s an exception: Try Chardonnay with a white chocolate truffle. Now that’s really getting into the holiday spirit!
* Dungeness Crab season is highly dependent of weather and ocean conditions and this delicious crustacean may not be available every year.
Steve Heimoff is one of America’s most respected and well-known wine writers. The former West Coast Editor for Wine Enthusiast Magazine and a contributor to Wine Spectator, he has also authored two books on the subject of California wines, including “New Classic Winemakers of California: Conversations with Steve Heimoff,” published in the fall of 2007.
For more food and wine pairing tips, visit the Entertaining section of our website.
