Wine Country Ontario Blog
Holiday season is upon us and sometimes the challenge doesn’t end at picking out a great wine. What food do you pair your Ontario wine selection with?
The Grange of Prince Edward Vineyards & Estate Winery has put together a simple guide to holiday pairing ideas with Chardonnay and Cabernet – classic choices with so many options!
Take a look at our tips below:
Chardonnay
Notes: a dry style white with fresh flavour; ripe yellow fruit and some warmth on the palate. With notes of yellow pear, apple and sweet preserved lemon; Chardonnay is light enough not to overpower the dishes it is paired with and remains fresh on the palate.
Things to pair it with: It is a great accompaniment to poultry, white meat, fish and shellfish as well as many of the traditional sides like sweet potato mash or acorn squash. It is a classic dry white that would work perfectly at cocktail parties or with a cheese plate.
Cabernet
Notes: a go-to red for the holiday season. It is a rich, heavy-style red with lots of warmth and fruitiness. It is perfect for balancing rich dishes. Cabernet Sauvignon provides a bit of spice and body to stand up to heavy dishes while Cabernet Franc adds ripe, jammy fruit character and a smokiness to the mix. The Cabernet family of wines are made for the holidays!
Things to pair it with: It is perfect with a traditional Christmas Eve dinner or a wholesome classic likeroast beef. With gravy, or red fruit compote, this is a rich meal, with a lot of strong flavours that require a wine to match. Other great pairings with Cabernet are lamb and other roasts, but also chocolate cake, gingerbread, fruit cake with brandy sauce, or blackberry pie with vanilla ice cream.
What are your favourite holiday wine pairings? Share with us on our Facebook page or connect with us on Twitter!
