Something Different: Holiday Entertaining Wine Styles

By Carrie Becker in Food on Dec 4, 2009 7:20PM

As much as we love our fare-share of shrimp cocktail and hot artichoke dip at holiday parties, what we really don’t want to see this holiday season is a line-up of the usual suspects on the wine bar (e.g. Chardonnay, Merlot…”I will not drink MERLOT!”). The Chicagoist team is going to hook you up with some approachable yet interesting wines that will keep the holiday party centered on your mad hosting skills and not your drunk uninvited co-worker.

Bubbles
Everyone likes them and they all want to drink a lot of them. Give the people what they want but in a more affordable way. Cava, a Spanish sparkling wine, is a magical choice for stretching your buck and keeping your guests quenched. Traditionally, Cava can lean on a more sweet side so if this is not your thing, let your local wine retailer know you like a brut.

We like: Cava Brut Gran Sarao

The Other White Wine ()
Grüner, Grüner, Grüner ..Go! If you are not going to believe us, just ask the fine folks at Food & Wine magazine, Grüner Veltliner is making a fantastic come-back on the wine scene and the people of Austria are rejoicing by offering us some fantastic tasting and priced bottles. If your guests like pinot grigio/gris, they will love this food-friendly wine for its citrus and sometime peach notes.

We like: Ebenauer Gruner Veltliner

Speaking to the Masses Red
A lot of red wines typical to a holiday party can be pretty tannic and dry. While they have their place with certain foods, lets face it more of your guests spend time drinking then pairing their libation with your spread of noshes. Your red selection should be something that easily drinks on its own and has some nice body plus we like a nice juicy berry red. Red blends, especially a Syrah/Grenache/Mourvedre blend, is a great way to introduce your guest to something new that will pair with a variety of your hearty hor ‘s douerves and sip on its own.

We like: Twisted Oak 2006 Calaveras County *%#&@!

Go forth and imbibe this holiday season!