The holidays are all about food, tradition, and togetherness — and what better way to enhance those moments than with the perfect wine? Whether your celebrations follow a conventional calendar or take place off-season, the right wine pairings with holiday favorites can take any important meal to the next level.
From classic desserts like apple pie to hearty mains like roast pheasant, we’ve curated unique wine pairings that will make your holiday dishes even more memorable. And if the exact wines aren’t available, we’ve included helpful tips for alternative options to keep the festive spirit alive.
Apple Pie and Ice Wine
Canada currently produces some of the world’s best Ice Wine. Ice wine is made from a process in which the grapes are left in the vineyard until they freeze and are harvested (usually at night). Because the water freezes, sugar-rich must is the only juice that oozes out of the frozen grapes. Frequently used grapes include Riesling and Vidal Blanc (a French hybrid), which makes deep yellow, very sweet wines with rich, tropical fruit, and honey flavors. These wines are extremely rare and hard to make (imagine picking frozen grapes in the middle of an Ontario winter…), which is why they’re often priced above $50 a bottle.
On pairing with apple desserts:
Wines for apple-based desserts need sweetness and a matching intensity. So, for apple pie (usually delicately flavored), we’ll opt for a white wine with sweetness, such as Ice Wine, Moscato d’Asti, sweet Riesling, or sweet Chenin Blanc (another excellent choice).
Kerststol (Stollen) and Grapefruit Mimosas
I found this great recipe for Kerststol, which is quite similar to stollen but incorporates marzipan and is a traditional Dutch breakfast treat enjoyed on Christmas morning.
On pairing wine with breakfast:
When pairing wine with breakfast, going light on ABV is important to keep you happy (and not sluggish) throughout the day. A half of a grapefruit frequently accompanies breakfast stollen, so instead, we’ve included the grapefruit element in the beverage itself. If you’re looking for the right sparkler for this pairing, try Prosecco.
Christmas Pudding and Madeira
Christmas pudding is one of those desserts you either A) love and look forward to or B) absolutely hate. If you’re in group A, I highly recommend you start investigating fortified wines like Madeira over the holidays. The cold season is perfect for sipping fortified wines (served in small, 75 ml / 3 oz portions), full of rich nutty-sweet flavors. These wines also pair marvelously with puddings, fruitcakes, nuts, and other winter delights.
Pistachio-Cranberry Roast and Agiorgitiko
There is an increasing number of environmentally-conscious vegetarians who are new to the wine scene. Fortunately, a growing number of excellent umami-rich options exist. This one, the Pistachio-Cranberry Roast (a recipe from Jamie Oliver), is what we’ll be making for the vegetarian crew at chez Wine Folly. We opted for Agiorgitiko (a Greek red) for several reasons:
- It’s fun and a bit tricky to pronounce.
- This wine’s high acidity and red fruit flavors will complement the cranberry.
- The high tannin/bitterness factor in the wine will be matched with the fat of the nuts in the dish.
On pairing with veg:
Vegetarian main entrées (if you’re not relegated to eating sides) have umami and richness similar to meat dishes. That said, you’ll find there are some differences including the texture and use of sweeter root vegetables (carrots, etc.) that lend these dishes to medium-bodied red wines with red fruit flavors and good acidity. Great alternatives include Garnacha, Valpolicella blends, Sangiovese, and Merlot.
Mince Pies/Cornish Pasties and Primitivo
I wonder why Cornish pasties aren’t more popular in the US; they are awesome. Take yummy bits of meat, raisins, and other dried fruits baked into a small personal pie. You can find mince pies in the UK and Australia (we’ve had Aussie pasties, which are amazing!). Since this dish offers both savory and sweet flavors, a great wine to pair would have prominent fruity flavors but also a medium body to match the intensity. For this, a Primitivo (Italian Zinfandel) fits the bill perfectly. However, some other exciting wines in Southern Italy will do wonders, too, including Frappato (from Sicily) and Gaglioppo (from Calabria).
Roast Pheasant and Côtes du Rhône
If this is your first time having pheasant, you can choose between farm-raised pheasant (which tastes like a richer version of chicken) or wild pheasant (which offers more gamey, dark meat). A GSM blend is ideal for both options. Originating in the Côtes du Rhône, these blends are earthier than their Australian or American counterparts. For dishes with lots of roasted harvest foods, the earthiness in Côtes du Rhône seems to disappear, bringing out the more fruity flavors in the wine.
Prime Rib and Reserva Rioja
Prime rib is one of the top American favorite entrées for the holidays. Prime rib’s intensity calls for an equally bold wine (Pinot Noir won’t cut it). Cabernet Sauvignon would be a great choice, but if you’re interested in something a little more elevating, a Rioja Reserva has enough delicacy to pair with the flavor of prime rib (which is somehow both meaty and delicate) while maintaining higher tannin, which will cleanse your palate.
Roast Turkey and Marsanne/Roussanne
We had oodles of red wine recommendations for turkey pairings on Thanksgiving, so we thought that instead, it might be fun to introduce a white wine that does wonders with birds. Marsanne and Roussanne are Rhône Valley wine grapes that produce a richer style of white similar to Chardonnay. In the US, the Rhône Rangers organization has championed these two wines, and they grow from Southern California up to Washington.
Baked Pasta and Barbera
An Italian holiday dinner isn’t complete without a baked pasta dish in some format (lasagna, stuffed shells, etc). And, what better wine to pair with Italian food than the everyday wine of Piedmont: Barbera. Barbera works well with tomatoes because of its naturally high acidity and dominant red fruit flavors. You don’t just have to look in Piedmont, Italy for this wine, it also grows in California.