This week, we begin what school children in the U.S. have long considered the holy triumvirate of holiday respite, rivaled only by the extended time away from school called Summer Vacation. For this week, the oft-exploited holidays of Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas attack us in quick bursts of targeted marketing succession.
Now that I’m older, a full-fledged adult, I look at the season a bit differently. To me, it’s the Season of Hopeless Wine Pairings, in which I am besieged by requests from friends, family, and strangers alike who are looking for an answer to the fright-inducing question:
“What wine should I bring to [Insert Holiday Dinner Name Here] ?”
For reasons that I find difficult to understand, hardly anyone who asks me that question seems ready to accept my answer:
“It doesn’t really matter unless you’re trying to pair a wine with specific dishes, so just drink whatever you and your guests like best.”
Like the aforementioned school children, they are somehow desperate to identify a “correct” answer, even if there isn’t one. Will this be on the exam?
I realize that Holiday time in the U.S. can be particularly stressful for modern adults – which is why I think it’s even more important not to sweat the wine choices for holiday dinners; just bring something you’ve been dying to try, or that you like. No, I’m serious – that’s all there is to it. You can over-complicate it if you particularly like being stressed-out, your call.
Anyway, I invite those looking for some relief from the potential hangover of holiday wine pairings to check out the latest issue of Mutineer Magazine, in which I join up with Drew Langley (from L.A.’s Providence) and Michael Scaffidi (from The Jefferson in D.C.) to pair wines with specific holiday dishes like Smoked Paprika Popcorn, Pork Belly Sliders, and Ganache Stuffed Figs. So you’ll get some interesting and inspired holiday cuisine suggestions along with wines to go with them.
Oh, yeah – and Marina Orlova is on the cover, and she is ridiculously hot.
Enjoy the issue, and let’s drink a toast to a low-stress run through upcoming Holiday season.
Cheers!
(images: mutineermag.com)
The pork belly sliders sound delicious. What was paired with them?
Riesling for me…
Isn't it such a funny thing once you think about it; getting stressed over holidays? These are days literally created for celebration and fun, and still, some of us become stressed? The question then becomes are people ever not stressed? It's something we all ought to work on. The most stressed I get during the holidays is deciding whether or not I want a scoop of ice cream on my pie.
:-)
By the way, I think the answer is "No – people are always stressed!"
I make it my goal to never be stressed! :-) It's not worth my time (or anyone else's that I thus would influence by being so). Sure, I have the occasional derailing, but the other 99% of the time it's peachy keen. Hm… I'm thinking peach cobbler now with … I wonder how certain Viognier would pair with that…
Is it wrong to hate you? :-)
I get the same questions every holiday season since I am the "wine guy" in the family. My answer is always, "Just bring something good."
Good one!
Joey-can I call you "Joey"?…maybe not. Folks call me "Joey" before they've earned the respect to floss that condescending "y", but that might be a personal issue. Anyway, I've got to be real here: it sounds like you're a little jaded by the whole holiday pairing thing. You must be asked ad nauseum. To me, it's such a fun challenge to try to suggest something, and then get some feedback. I totally agree that the best food with wine is what you like, but then too many people would never try new things. I like to think I'm nudging them toward a new experience.
Sorry about the "Joey" thing. I'm working in Indianapolis, and- like many fine cities- there's nothing to do here but drink. Prost! (or some midwestern toast I don't know as a southerner).
Nobody calls me Joey.
You're right, maybe I am a bit jaded. I think it hits its zenith at Thanksgiving. There is no right answer for the T-Day wine pairing. None. The Thanksgiving fare is just too varied. Now, if you want roast turkey recco's, now we are talkin'!
Cheers!
Solution: there are anywhere from 5-8 bottles of wine on the table at our Thanksgiving :-D
That's a very, VERY good solution :-).
I'll be over that day at 6PM.
Sounds good!
I love this question & post. I bring 5 great bottles of different varietals so everyone can taste different flavors and pairings. It creates lively conversation and everyone learns what they like.
Fantastic approach – if you can afford it, that is…
Might by it for the coffee article. Never seen this mag before. I must live in the boonies or something. Tried voting for you on the blog awards. Best of luck.
Thanks!!!