Revelers move trees into their homes, plan gala parties, and prepare to lift their glasses high in praise of festive feasts. ’Tis the season for getting together, and thoughtful hosts are busy searching for just the right wine to complement their holiday fare.
When carefully chosen, wines enhance each dish without swamping delicate flavors or disappearing amid the complexities of more flavorful offerings. An omelet brunch or Christmas Eve turkey calls for Viognier and Pinot Noir, while hearty main courses, such as ham or a standing rib roast, require a rich Roussanne or meaty Syrah.
“I always like to have an older Syrah from a magnum,” said Bob Lindquist, owner and winemaker at Qupé, founded in 1982. “Then I often make people drink a celebratory bottle of Nouveau Beaujolais!”
To help buyers decide just which wines to buy, the staff at Lindquist’s Los Olivos tasting room are featuring several holiday favorites. The first is Qupé 2009 Marsanne, Mountain Vineyards, fermented in neutral barrels and blended with 15 percent Roussanne.
A few years ago, the New York Times praised Qupé’s Marsanne as the “ideal white,” and the 2009 vintage lives up to those glowing words. The wine boasts flinty, mineral flavors with notes of citrus and hazelnuts, followed by a honeyed finish. It matches well with roast chicken, veal, or seafood bathed in a creamy sauce.
Fresh and bright with nicely balanced alcohol, the Qupé 2008 Grenache, Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard, displays an elegant blend of wild cherry, spice, and herbs-de-Provence. The grapes were grown using biodynamic techniques, fermented with the grapes’ native, wild yeast, and aged sur lees for 17 months.
The flavors of this wine show great intensity with a racy flair that makes a perfect match for peppered beef or herbed lamb chops. Alternatively, the wine works well when served after the meal with an assortment of flavorful cheeses, including Gouda, cheddar, and Spanish Machego.
Versatile and always welcome when variety rules the day, a crisp rosé goes with everything from appetizers to starter salads to country ham. The Verdad 2009 Grenache Rosé, made by Louisa Sawyer Lindquist, Bob Lindquist’s wife, boasts aromas of fresh strawberries, along with flavors of berries and watermelon touched with spice.
This wine was made from grapes grown specifically for the rosé at the Lindquist’s new, Demeter-certified and biodynamic vineyard, located in Edna Valley. Picked early, the grapes give the wine a bracing freshness, while yielding a balanced beverage that’s relatively low in alcohol.
Katie O’Hara, co-owner of Bedford Winery, champions an unusual, yet highly adaptable wine for holiday pairing.
“I like our dry Gewurztraminer,” she declared. “It is barrel fermented in neutral oak, so it’s more substantial with a richer body and creamy mouthfeel. The subtle lychee nut/pear flavors go well with turkey—smoked, roasted, or deep fried—and for those who like goose, the same thing.
“When made in a dry, crisp style,” she added, “there’s also an inherent mouthwatering, bitter quality that I find seductive, and a perfect foil for meats with more fat.”
Of course, no holiday spread would be complete without a Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir, described by O’Hara as among “the most food-friendly varietals.” Bedford Winery offers a fine 2008 vintage loaded with rich, full flavors and at an affordable price ($30).
“I find Pinot Noir, in general, is always a classic, without stringent acids or hit-over-the-head fruit,” O’Hara said. “Though tightly structured, the Bedford gives way in the glass, showing layers of berries and spice. It complements whatever is thrown at it: smoked meats, lamb, pork roasts crusted in herbs, or stuffed game hens.”
For more flavorful dishes, such as roast beef, lamb, and cassoulet, O’Hara recommends the Bedford 2008 Tempranillo, a Spanish varietal that, though intense, yields a complex wine that is deceptively food-friendly. This wine offers dense body shot through with a rich blackberry and spice character, and delivers a long velvety finish.
Becky Corey, co-owner of CORE Wine Company, in Orcutt, admitted that she usually selects a Rhône-style wine for her mid-winter celebrations.
“One of my all-time favorites that goes perfectly with the variety of a holiday table,” she said, “is our 2006 Elevation Sensation. It’s a blend of Grenache and Mourvedre, and it’s elegant and powerful at the same time. It’s a wine that everyone can enjoy.
“For the sweeter side,” she added, with a tempting lilt in her voice, “I like our late-harvest Grenache, called Candy Core, paired with chocolate-cherry bread pudding or poached pears.”
The aromas of roasting meats and baking treats tend to ignite the holiday mood. Even if dinner is nowhere near ready, feel free to open some wine and get the party started.
The culinary aromas coming from K. Reka Badger’s house are always enough to get the party started. Contact her at rekabadger@hotmail.com.
This article appears in Dec 16-23, 2010.