Holiday Food & Wine Pairings with Mary Cressler

Last year I did a great podcast with Mary Cressler on holiday food and wine pairings and what to look for when in the wine store.  T'is the season and I thought it would be beneficial to re-post the post and podcast to help you with your holiday wine purchases and pairings.
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Holiday food and wine pairing decisions can be more stressful than holiday shopping.  When you walk into that wine shop you can be completely overwhelmed with the choices you have in front of you.  What wine to pair with your dinner, dessert and then after you make the purchase you hope it was the correct one.

In this podcast we sit down with Mary Cressler, wine writer, blogger and consultant at Vindulge as she dishes out some great advice on looking for that bottle(s) for the dinner and celebration.

Remember, you are the host and as a host it's great to introduce your guests to new wines.  Don't be afraid to go a little out of your comfort zone for that new wine.

Some thoughts for your food pairings on your holiday table:

Serving Fish, salty and fried pair with a Sparkling.  Sauvignon Blanc for light delicate white fish. Spanish Albarino goes well with seafood.  Avoid red and tannic wine but a nice Pinot Noir with Salmon is a nice pairing.

Serving prime rib, roast beef or a big chunk of meat  go for the rich and tannic wine like a Cabernet Sauvignon, or Tempranillo from Rioja.  You want a rich and full bodied red wine.

Serving a pork roast  or tenderloin, go with a Rhone style wine,.  Syrah or Grenache.

After you are all done with dinner comes my favorite, dessert.  For this reach for the  Port and Ice wine.

Most of all find a trusted wine shop that can steer you in the right direction.  Tell them your price range and if they make you feel uncomfortable, leave and don't shop there.

Listen to Mary and her great advice on what to look for in a wine and how to choose a bottle for your holiday dinner and celebration.

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What's on your Thanksgiving Table

As the holidays approach, we often find ourselves in the liquor/wine store contemplating our wine purchase.  Should we get a California Chardonnay, an Oregon Pinot Noir, a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand or South Africa? Everybody has their own Thanksgiving traditional meal.


I am very lucky to live in Hudson Valley Wine Country with over 25 wineries. There are regional wines that will match any palate and plate. Whether it's red, white or sparkling, you will fine some wonderful choices here in the tasting rooms as well as the liquor/wine store.  Yes many local wines can be found in the local liquor/wine stores.


What will be on my table Thursday?  One of my new favorites - Traminette. Whitecliff, Palaia and Benmarl all produce wonderful Traminette. In fact I just purchased 2 bottles of Benmarl's Traminette this weekend when I stopped by the tasting room.  For red wine lover at my table, we will have a Whitecliff Gamay Noir along with a Millbrook Block 5 East Pinot Noir.  There might even be some Brotherhood Blanc de Blanc making an appearance too.  What will be on yours?



There is wine produced in almost every state.  This Holiday Season, support your local community and businesses.  When you shop, when you dine, even when you purchase wine "THINK LOCAL FIRST!" (Thank you Charlie North- DCRCOC)