Turkey Dinner Picks for Dummies

The best advice anyone can give you about which wines to serve for Christmas dinner is to get out and purchase them this weekend, before the pressure of Christmas Eve arrives and stocks are depleted and the store clerks are frazzled.

This week we are going to make some suggestions based on a trio of Christmas dinner main courses, turkey, ham or beef, and I have asked a friend and colleague in the wine business, Torontonian John Szabo, to share some of his thoughts about the big dinner, on the heels of the release of his new book, Pairing Food and Wine For Dummies .

Since I have covered this topic extensively over the years, I wanted to share some of Szabo's thoughts . He says, "If the number of different plates being served is large, the guests numerous, and preferences across the board, forget the straitjacket of specific wines with specific courses and take the broad approach instead. The holidays are about making everyone happy, so all you need do is lay out a bunch of different bottles on the table at the same time, and let family and guests taste whatever, and in whichever order they wish."

For the classic roast turkey with sage herb gravy and rosemary-cranberry stuffing, his two areas of interest are the Rhone or Rhone style blends - say, from Paso Robles. He says the key to these blends "are the light-bodied, bright and zesty fruit and the relatively low tannins." The fruit and low tannins is where the deal is sealed with turkey. The same thinking suggests to Szabo that "Rosé, with its bright fruit character and almost zero tannin, is another fine match." I would chime in with any Gamay-based varietal wine or its French equivalent Beaujolais.

For baked ham with smoked honey ham, garlic, Dijon mustard, brown sugar, orange zest and herbs, Szabo suggests two whites: "A lightweight, crisp, and stony (off-dry) Riesling from Germany's Mosel Valley with a late-harvest or spätlese designation, or an aromatic, fruity, round Pinot Gris from Alsace." I'm sure if he lived in B.C., he would suggest a local Pinot Gris as another fine choice to grace the table on the big day.

For a prime rib roast with a red wine jus with garlic, red wine, shallots, seasoning salt, breadcrumbs and dried Italian herbs, Szabo leans toward "a medium to full-bodied, balanced, moderately tannic Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon." His alternative pick is "A similar medium to full-bodied, balanced, moderately tannic South Australian shiraz."

Now enough talk about food and wine. Grab some bottle and enjoy the day with your family and friends. We will be back next weekend with some delicious Champagne selections to celebrate the New Year.

Selbach Riesling (Fish Label) 2011, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany

Price      $16

UPC       00717215001707

Score    88/100

Remarks              Floral, green apple, slate, honey, waxy, grassy, citrus aroma. Fresh, crisp, juicy palate with balanced sweetness. Green apple, lime, grassy, slate, nectarine skin flavours. Good intensity and balance. Excellent value here. Turkey anyone?

Therapy Vineyards Pink Freud 2011, Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada

Price      $17 - $24 in VQA and private wine stores only

UPC       626990125365

Score    88/100

Remarks              Earthy, spicy, tobacco, strawberry, rooty, light raspberry aromas. Fresh, juicy, slightly sweet style but elegant with strawberry, leafy, tobacco, apple, earthy flavours with a bit of cranberry. A touch tart but good fruit throughout. Drink now. Odd blend of merlot and pinot noir.

CedarCreek Pinot Gris 2011, British Columbia, Canada

Price      $18

UPC       778913020094

Score    88/100

Remarks              Fresh red apple, honey, floral, pear, guava, grapefruit aromas. Fresh, juicy, round, elegant palate with honey, baked apple, grapefruit, spicy, floral, lime rind and pear flavours. Good intensity and balance. Delicious and ready to drink.

Penfolds Thomas Hyland Shiraz 2010, South Australia, Australia

Price      $20

UPC       012354071988

Score    88/100

Remarks              Similar to last year the spicy black cherry, blackberry liquorice nose come with a touch of dried herbs that give way to a warm slightly tart mid-plate with resiny, tobacco, black olive, blueberry flavours flecked with vanilla and garrigue notes. Deep warm black fruit marks the finish. Best with grilled lamb chops.

Famille Perrin Rasteau L'Andéol 2010, Côtes du Rhône Villages, Rhone Valley, France

Price      $22

UPC       631470003019

Score    88/100

Remarks              Rasteau L'Andéol comes off a two hectare vineyard, on a bowl-shaped site (gravel over sand and clay) that faces south which is well-protected from the Mistral. The result is very ripe (sweet tasting) grenache that is best over five to six years. The 2010 benefits forma great growing season and only ten percent sees and wood (foudres). Expect dense, sweet, supple, glossy red fruit flavours with flecks of cocoa, earth. Ready to drink. Try this with grilled lamb chops.

Sebastiani Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, Sonoma Counry, California, United States

Price      $23

UPC       088232002610

Score    89/100

Remarks              It's difficult to ignore the sheer hedonistic character of this wine that mixes fruit from Sonoma Valley and the Alexander Valley. It's not all cabernet either with 12 percent merlot and small amounts of syrah, petit verdot and petite sirah for color and spice. The '08 is extremely rich and soft on entry, with pronounced blueberry and cassis fruit aromas. The flavours are similar with dried herbs spice and vanilla notes in a warm sweet finish

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