December Holiday Drink Guide 2024
Happy December, my little latkes! It’s me, your Fairy Winemother, and I’m back with some suggestions that will help you deck the halls without decking your family members.
For the first time in twenty years, Hanukkah begins on Christmas Day, which I’m sure is making some inter-faith households breathe a sigh of time management relief. With Kwanzaa starting the day after Christmas, this means it is running in tandem to Hanukkah as well…if someone has a recipe for sweet potato latkes with apple butter, please send it to me.
This short guide is here to take a load off your mind when you head out to do your beverage shopping, as a host or guest. Lots of holidays means lots of parties, and lots of different food traditions that can’t be remedied with one kind of wine. Your family and friends may have different traditions than the ones listed here (we always make egg rolls at my house!), this isn’t meant to be a comprehensive list, but something that hits the most common traditions found at these holiday celebrations. Even though I don’t personally celebrate all three holidays, I have definitely been a guest at celebrations for all of them, and it’s nice to bring something that jives with the vibe. I’ve also included a spirit-free recipe for those who don’t or can’t indulge!
Please note that all the wines listed for Hanukkah can be found in kosher varieties, at KosherWines.com or other retailers, please ask your local wine professional about their kosher wine brands if you are attending a celebration in an observant household.
If Champagne is the holiday queen, then reds are her court; it’s Big Meat Season, baby! And these guys are everywhere. But, not every table will be the place for your biggest, boldest reds. Christmas can mean anything from beef wellington to squid ink tagliatelle and your standard Cab Sauv is not going to be your bestie for those (sorry to this man). It’s true, your more traditional Christmas roasts will be able to take a bolder red, like an Italian Barbera. A la Tony Soprano, he’s a little spicy, but not too bitter, and he’s got body-ody-ody; a key in standing up to Big Meat.
Also, like Tony Soprano, if you’re headed to an Italian Christmas feast, you may be faced with 7 fishes. “No red wine with fish”, first of all: it’s not the law, drink what you like, and second of all: even when it comes to conventional wisdom there can be some exceptions. Heartier fish and less gentle cooking methods can stand up to more flavors, but you’ll still want a red that is light on the palate. That’s where Trollinger comes in. She also goes by Schiava. She’s German (don’t tell Tony), and she’s cooler than you and me both. Very easy to drink and can take a chill, she’s acidic and herby so she will take you through a nice fish dish without hollering over it.
If Ham is the plan then Blaufränkisch is your man, he’s got body, he’s got black pepper and he’s got baking spice going for him which will go hand in hand with your grandma’s famous glaze, even if it is just Honeybaked.
I don’t know a single goose-haver at Christmas, but if Bob Cratchit finally invited you over, Ebeneezer, I would suggest you bring an old vine Zinfandel to compete with that fatty, game fowl. Also, pay your employees more!
If you’re headed to Hanukkah, you’re probably in for something a little lighter. It’s “The Oil Holiday”, so you’re in for more fried treats than Big Meats, but many families still make a celebratory brisket. This braised brisket can oftentimes lean both savory and a bit acidic, so big loud reds may not be what you need. Lighter, fresher reds are going to be the move for both brisket and beyond.
We talked about her for Thanksgiving, but Beaujolais is still an excellent choice for Hanukkah, she’s bright and zippy enough to cut through fried foods, but not so overwhelming as to blow your palate out when it’s time for brisket (or even a super crispy roast chicken). On an aesthetic note, Beaujolais Nouveau, which is usually a less expensive option, also tends to come in some very fashionable labels and makes a wonderful host gift.
Nebbiolo, like Trollinger can be herbaceous as well as fruity and earthy, which makes it another great wine to complement a latke spread or brisket plate (she loves a fatty meat and sweet and sour sauce). Nebbi’s sophisticated older sister is Barolo, she’s pricier but they’re the same grape.
To round out this fruity trio, my dear Grenache. Once again, a stunner of herbs and red berries (all the better to sufganiyot with, my dear), he’s a little sturdier than the other two, and can take some bold flavors. If your Hanukkah household is also a Chinese takeout & a movie family, then you two will get along like penguins in tap shoes.
Kwanzaa cuties! I know it’s not known as a wine holiday but what food holiday isn’t? Kwanzaa is an amalgamation of traditions across the African diaspora, and the choices in this guide reflect that. An earthy and rich South African Pinotage works great with grilled meats and fatty cuts like oxtail or the deep flavor of braised collards. Our BFF Beaujolais is killer with tomato forward jollof rice, and Carménère’s bell pepper vibes pair perfectly with jollof’s cousin, jambalaya. This would be a great opportunity to explore some Black owned wine brands, like a Bosman Family Pinotage.
It’s turned chilly, so all your aunties are telling you it’s Chardonnay season, the more butter the better. But, I am here to tell you there is no time like the present to get salty! Salty about a great many things, surely, but mostly salty white wines that are going to groove so well alongside your cocktail party snacks, fried friends, and seafood towers.
An Italian fish feast is the time for the salty whites to shine! And not just all the cousins arguing with each other. A briny seafood spread deserves a delicious, racy Muscadet. I know she sounds like “Moscato” but where Mo will cry on your shoulder, Cadet will punch you in the mouth. Less Ariel vs. Ursula, more Ariel vs. Vanessa. She’s a classic pairing with oysters and works just as well with all shelled sea pals, especially chilled.
Chablis is another French classique that will please your most difficult auntie. More akin to a crisp, acidic Chardonnay, with all the more minerality, which makes here a friend of fish, as well. She’s also a buddy of turkey, if you’re a double fowl holiday household.
Even more than Chablis, a white Côtes du Rhône blend is picture perfect with crispy roasted fowl like turkey, chicken, or even cornish hens. A balanced, girl, but with a pleasant lingering salinity.
The Hanukkah table is another place for a white wine to thrive. I’ve never met a potato that didn’t love salt and acid, which is where Picpoul is going to take the stage. Like lemon with chicken schnitzel, the salt and acid in Picpoul is really going to make whatever fried delights your family and friends whip up absolutely pop off. Latkes? Picpoul. Roast chicken? Picpoul. It’s also just very cute to say.
The Hanukkah table is also welcoming to Riesling. Both the crispy dry version and the rounder, sweeter, off-dry. Riesling is the Gemini of the wine world, not many understand both her sides, but the ones that do often come to love her. Even in her off-dry era, she is still an easy pair with chicken, kugel, and can take you after dinner into extra sweet treats like sufganiyot and rugelach.
Speaking of sufganiyot, she doesn’t get enough credit during this holiday. Latkes this. Brisket that. Let sufganiyot have her moment in the sun! Which she comes in many flavors and can be a part of many pairs, but often comes with a raspberry or strawberry filling and with that comes a lovely Provencal Rosé to bring out those red berry notes and balance the rich sweetness with a hit of acid (bonus points if its sparkling).
For Kwanzaa, I wanted to focus less on salt and more on warm, tropical notes to complement the West African, Southern American, and Caribbean foodways of the holiday. But Albariño brings a bit of both to the party. Fried fish? Oyster dressing? Red rice? Much like your Aunt Alba, this is the girl who will get you together.
Viognier is like Chardonnay on vacation. Beautifully tropical and full bodied, she can take you from conch fritters, to shrimp and grits, all the way through peanut stew and curry chicken.
Sémillon is one where region really matters. For many diasporic foodways, a New World Sémillon will be a great pair. It will feel more akin for a full bodied Vioginer than a crispy, dry riesling. She’s going to get along well with a wide variety of bold, spiced foods like ham, glazed salmon, and roasted sweet potatoes.
Party Time = Party Wine! I know this is what you’ve been waiting for, and yes; when in doubt, bring bubbly. But, the wide world of bubbles is often left woefully unexplored, different regions, methods, and blends can bring their own uniqueness to the party and make you look like an absolute genius when you strike the right note.
Pinot Meunier is the wine that made me want to write this guide. It’s the class clown of traditional champagne blends, used sparingly to give a little something extra, though some vintners are putting him in the spotlight (like Field Recordings’ “Champs”). He is brash, biting, and briny, not at all how you think of a classic champagne, and he takes the bubbles + seafood pairing to new heights.
Christmas bites tend to be the pinnacle of rich, so something bone dry like Brut or Brute Nature can cut through the fray and provide some freshness. While Brut is going to give you a very dry product, Brute Nature is going to be the driest of the bunch.
Similar Pinot Meunier bubbles, Blanc De Noirs, is just bubbles made from 100% Pinot Noir grapes or a combo of Noir and Meunier with the latter being the background singer to Noir’s Patti LaBelle (maybe he’ll be there, maybe he won’t, but Patti will carry it all the same). Blanc De Noirs, while not a sparkling rosé, technically, does tend to be smoother and more full bodied than a blend that is primarily Chardonnay. Blanc De Noirs can feel like a cozy little top off after a hearty Christmas roast.
Like the holiday itself, Hanukkah bubbles are about brightness. Bubbles are perfect for this holiday since they’re festive and can punch through all the fried food without leaving you feeling heavy.
One great option is traditional Champagne or other sparkling wines made via the “Méthode Champenoise”, which include increasingly popular wines like Cremant, but are not limited to region. These are great when you want something that in addition to the freshness from the acid, also feel rich and round, with finer bubbles, and if you want to replicate the magic of the all time pairing of french fries and Champagne. Look for something with biscuit notes to complement desserts like rugelach.
On the fruitier side we have Prosecco, the beloved Italian staple. She is affordable, can be juicy and green apple tart, but also runs a little sweeter and with bigger bubbles than Champs. You know her, you love her.
Brut Rosé, because we respect sufganiyot in this house! Demi-sec is also appropriate if you would want something sweeter. The red berries complement the jam, and the acid plus bubbles keep the fried dough from feeling too heavy. If your sufganiyot are jam-filled, then I would suggest a yeasty/biscuity champagne or MC sparkling wine.
With Kwanzaa, we are once again covering many bases, and like I mentioned previously, when it comes to bubbles there’s really no wrong answer (there’s no wrong answer, period, you like what you like). But these are some real crowd pleasers.
Blanc De Blancs, as you may have guessed is sparkling wine that is 100% Chardonnay grapes. This doesn’t mean she will taste like the oak aged stuff, however. She is bright, and crisp overall, but her depth can depend on her region (like most California Chardonnay, BdB from this region will be smoother than her French counterparts). As a host gift, this is one that will feel very special.
I said Moscato d’Asti and I meant it. Her ubiquity has lead to her being reviled in recent years, but she can still be quite good. Work with your wine professional to find some examples that are fresh, and not cloying. It’s her sweet side that makes her the life of many parties, but when it goes too far she can be a real headache.
Traditionally, across the African Diaspora, the concept of red drinks at celebrations has become agreed upon history. Having a Lambrusco on the table can continue the tradition. He’s my #1 crowd pleaser for folks who are on the fence about wine, especially red wine. Enough residual sugar to please the Sweet Scuppernong lovers, but when sourced well, balanced enough to please the hoitiest of the toity.
We’re sticking with syrups this season because they are quick, easy to gift, and can be used in so many ways. This mulled syrup is a holiday season workhorse: great in cider, throw it in some wine for instant wassail, make your Christmas morning coffee extra festive, or sweeten up some hibiscus tea with it for the laziest faux-sorrel imaginable (it’s not your grandma’s but I am not your grandma, I am just a tired woman who likes a fancy beverage). You can certainly make your own spice blend and add the proportions you prefer, but I know many of use may not be using these spices in volume, so for cost and time I like to use high quality spice blends from somewhere like Spicewalla, Penzey’s, or Diaspora Co. Are mulling spices and chai masala exactly the same? No. But the cinnamon and clove base are a great foundation for a similar variety of uses. If you don’t like star anise, chai masala may be a better option for you. It may also be more available for purchase depending on where you live, or you may already have one in your pantry. Add more spices/steep longer for a stronger flavor, add more sugar and water solution if you want to tone it down.
Mulled Simple Syrup
1TB Mulling Spices (or Chai Masala)
Fresh Ginger
Orange or clementine zest
Water
Sweetener of choice
Add 1c water and 1c Sugar or cup for cup sweetener to a pot and stir until the sugar dissolves.
Add spices and ginger (a couple slices) to the pot and simmer for 2-3 minutes. do not let this boil.
Add zest (1/4-1/2 of the orange)
Let cool. Allow to steep for a few hours or in the fridge overnight for stronger flavor. Remove solids. Store in the fridge for about a week
Since it’s the holidays my gift to you is a second recipe! Brunch-mas season is upon us and if you want something that feels more festive than the traditional mimosa* or bellini, may I introduce to you the Merry Kir-mas cocktail. She’s a jazzed up take on a kir imperial. A bottle of Chambord always looks like a good time, and the addition of pomegranate juice makes this feel more at home on a brunch spread.
*if you want something festive and more traditional, try making cranberry tangerine mimosas with my spiced cranberry syrup from our Thanksgiving guide, plus a splash of tangerine juice.
Merry Kir-Mas Cocktail
Brut Champagne or sparkling wine
Pomegranate juice
Chambord
Add 1/2oz Chambord to a champagne flute or coupe
Add 3oz Champagne
Add 1oz Pomegranate juice
OPTIONAL Lemon twist garnish
Like a mimosa or bellini, these ratios are a suggestion. More Chambord will make a sweeter cocktail, more juice will cut the alcohol. Follow your heart (and drink responsibly).
Have fun and be safe this holiday season! And if you want more fun and easy ideas for your own parties and events, head to 163creative.com to schedule a consult! Options include a DIY kit with personalized recipes and shopping lists.
