Holiday Food and Wine Pairings from Winemaker Tony Coturri

It’s always a bit of a Headscratcher when it comes time to match wine with Holiday fare.The traditional foods turkey, beef and ham seem to be pretty straight forward.

White wine with poultry, red wine with beef and ham is kind of between the two.
Our cuisine is changing. Our tastes are changing. There is much more emphasis on fresh foods and the preparation is very basic and relaxed. However sometimes, particularly around the Holiday we tend to want richer, more exotic and elaborate meals yet still keep an eye on healthy choices.

There are two basic ways of matching Wine and Food:
Complement or Contrast
Complementing is the easier of the two; rich creamy sauces with beef pairs well with Cabernet Sauvignon or other dry wines such as Merlot, Malbec or blends of the two.

Dessert pairs with sweet-style wines, later picked Zinfandels, ports, and sauternes. Easy... no fuss, or muss.
But… consider wines like a Syrah from a hot climate, that while dry, carries fruitiness… or consider the earthiness of a Sangiovese and the complexity of Pinot Noir…..These wines are are a little more difficult to pour at gatherings.

Here are some contrasting combinations that might be interesting as well as tasty:

Coturri Zinfandels, such as our Estate, Freiberg Vineyards and East Block Chauvet.
A fun match for these offerings is an appetizer of sourdough bread and blue cheeses.
The acrid flavor from the blue cheese balances well with the sweetness of the Zin. The cheese gets creamier and the wine shows more fruit and becomes dry.

Turkey is a meat that contrasts well with Zinfandel. The meat can be a little dry and yet rich from the stuffing. A late-pick Zin will bring those two flavors together.
Orange Duck is yet another perfect match for a Coturri Zin.

Consider Coturri Syrahs: Such as our Crane and Sonoma Solstice....or our Cote des Cailloux, a Syrah blend.
These wines traditionally match well with slow-cooked stews, Cassoulet or grilled poultry, especially duck breast. I would pair a Syrah with a spicy Crab Cioppino, (and when I say Spicy I mean Spicy)
a green salad made from raw cabbage and a sour dough crispy bread such as Bruchetta or Crostini.

Roast a Goose with a nice crispy skin and herbs like rosemary and sage.
Throw in lots of winter vegetables such as kale, cabbage, winter squash and Tuscan Nero Cavolo
(black cabbage).
This is the kind of dish that will set off a Syrah’s flavors .

Beef:
When I get to Prime rib and other beef dishes I still love a Cabernet Sauvignon and the Claret-style wines.
The Coturri Testa, Rustling Ridge, Maclise and Feingold wines are all about beef.
Bring-on the Yorkshire puddings, mashed potatoes with butter, green beans with slivers of almonds and chopped garlic.
One of the ultimate pairings is Beef Wellington, a tenderloin coated with pate or mushrooms, baked in a pastry shell.
Wellington requires a lot of preparation but is well worth the effort. Remember to decant these wines at least an hour before serving.

Also, save a glass or two of the Cab or Merlot to have with dessert. There’s nothing better than a nice dry, fruity, bold wine to enjoy with a piece of decadent chocolate cake.

Coturri’s Jewell Pinot Noir and Freiberg Sangiovese have flavor profiles that are complex and somewhat contradictory. Both are noted for their earthy aromas and tastes, yet both have a wonderful fruitiness. Strong tannins are also a hallmark of both wines.

Wild game birds such as Dove, Chucker or Pheasant, either roasted or grilled, with simple or complicated saucings, work well with these wines.
Try juniper or cranberries in a reduction sauce.
Choose Polenta as an excellent accompaniment for these dishes. The Sangiovese is well suited for pairing with wild red meat. A grilled Vension finished with some fresh tangy olive oil that’s more green than gold in color- gives you the classic Steak Florentine.

There’s one dish that is magic with Pinot Noir and that is Mushrooms, Sweetbreads and cream sauce in a puff pastry. This dish has it all…..the earthiness of the mushrooms, the sweetness of the sweetbreads and the cream sauce for the tannins in the Pinot.
I hope these pairings I have shared will entice you to try one.

Closing notes and well wishes from Tony…..

The Holidays are always a time of reflection.
Every year has its good times as well as it’s bad.
Both have to be experienced and understood.
Here's to all of our new friends and to those lost along the way.
May 2008 get you a little further down the road you want to be on.

The perfect gift for the Holidays from Coturri Winery

What is a more perfect gift than Wine ?

This Holiday Season, consider giving the gift of wine to Friends and Family by signing them up for the Coturri Wine Club.

A Subscription to our Wine Club is a gift that lasts throughout the year
and is both a great value and way to give your loved ones that perfect gift.

Here’s how : http://www.coturriwinery.com/wineclub.html

All Photos © and courtesy of: Mike Zakowski