ALMetro360

good acidity. Whatever you choose, you won't regret it as this wine is very flexible when it comes to pairing with food. It blends well with traditional holiday flavors (turkey, stuffing) as well as side dishes. 5. Z INFANDEL A brightly-colored, full-bodied red with fruity, berry-like notes. If you are interested in something a little more intense than pinot noir, then zinfandel is the right red for you. This wine doesn't have a lot of tannins, so people sensitive to them will also enjoy it more. Zinfandel is excellent for both light and darker meats, and it complements spicy, bitter, and sweet flavors. All in all, it's a solid choice for your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. 6. C HAMPAGNE OR S PARKLING W INE Nothing puts you in a celebratory mood like a chilled glass of good champagne. Barring severe budget limitations, splurge on the real thing for this special occasion. Sleek, crisp, and sharply tingling, champagne can be sipped throughout the evening, in- cluding dinnertime. You may be surprised to find that it blends evenly with every single dish. If you are looking for a more budget- friendly option, a dry or slightly sweet sparkling wine, such as Prosecco, will do just as well. Pairing food and wine is an art form rather than an exact science, so a lot of it comes down to subjective tastes. Whether you choose a vibrant, well-balanced white or a fruit-forward red for the same dish, it's really up to you. However, it might be worth investigating a bit to find out about your guests' particular tastes and serve great wines they'll enjoy. n S OURCES Denig, Vicki. “The Best Wines to Go With Turkey.” Food&Wine, 12 Nov. 2018, foodandwine.com/holidays-events/thanksgiving/best-wine-turkey-pairings. Accessed 23 Sept. 2019. Kerridge, George, and Angela Gackle. Vines for Wines: A Wine-Lover’s Guide to the Top Wine Grape Varieties. Csiro, 2005. Macnell, Karen. The Wine Bible. 2nd ed., Workman, 2015. Slinkard, Stacy. “A Guide to the Best Wines for Thanksgiving.” The Spruce Eats, 18 Mar. 2019, thespruceeats.com/wines-for-thanksgiving-3510980. Accessed 23 Sept. 2019. “Thanksgiving Wines — Six Pairing Strategies.” 20 Nov. 2016, wines.com/blog/thanksgiving-wine-pairing-strategies/. Accessed 23 Sept. 2019. Find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020 21 .....................................................................................................................................................................