Pair Your Holiday Table With The Perfect Wines
Author:Annette HanamiAdd the finishing touch to your festive holiday table with these food-friendly wines that complete the look, and the mood, of the occasion.
For a Subtle Soiree, Drink This Wine
I love how Brooklyn designer Hannah Shih of Hanalulu Co. combined pinks and gold to create a delicate yet refined table. Pair this with the ethereal Hyde de Villaine Chardonnay ($55) from Hyde Vineyard in Carneros, it’s a Chardonnay-lover’s dream.
For Earthy Edge, Drink This Wine
With this down-to-earth yet formal table by Hannah Shih, meditate on the 2011 Robert Mondavi Reserve To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon ($145). This deeply complex and long-lived wine is rooted in the famed To Kalon Vineyard first planted in 1868.
Image courtesy Robert Mondavi Winery
For earthy table décor and as guest momentos, add a limited edition sculpture of “To Kalon Vine in Graphite” ($38). The 5” sculpture and writing instrument, intricately carved by SF artist Agelio Batle, was made with fragments of spent old To Kalon vines. The 2011 vintage is the first vintage that the Reserve is labeled To Kalon Vineyard, making it an extra special bottle to serve or gift this holiday season.
For a Coastal Christmas, Drink This Wine
Image courtesy Kelly Hoppen London
London designer Kelly Hoppen combines the forest and the sea on this romantic table, substituting traditional floral centerpieces with flower-like corals dressed in glitter. The setting evokes the stunning landscape of the West Sonoma Coast and the freshness and purity of the Pinot Noir wines made there such as the 2012 Flowers Sea View Ridge Vineyard Pinot Noir ($70). It’s one of the most versatile wines for the holiday table.
Where Red Rules, Drink This Wine
Red and gold are classic Christmas colors, but the rich hues, textures, and patterns on this table make it truly elegant. Set the table with the stylish 2011 Hall Wines Kathryn Hall Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($135)…its stunning red and gold label will make it a centerpiece wine.
Image courtesy HALL Wines
For a Fun Fete, Drink This Wine
This whimsical holiday table by Cassandra Lavalle of coco+kelley brings out the child in all of us with its pastel sisal trees and toy nutcracker ornaments. For fun gatherings like this, think fruity zinfandel like the 2012 Lagier Meredith Tribidrag ($45), a high elevation, Mt. Veeder zin that’s fresh and spicy, perfect with holiday food. In naming the wine Tribidrag, Carole Meredith, a serious UC Davis Professor credited with tracing zin’s origins to Croatia, gives a playful nod to the grape’s original name from the Middle Ages.
For the Unexpected, Drink This Wine
I love the crisp, clean lines of Hannah Shih’s black and white table with its pops of neon yellow. With this non-traditional look, think Paso Robles, where the winemakers create unique blends of Rhone varietals, Zinfandel, and Cabernet. The Rhone varietals grow especially well in the unique limestone soils there. Drink the 2012 Tablas Creek Esprit de Tablas ($55), a deeply colored, bold blend of Mourvedre, Syrah, Grenache, and Counoise that will stand up to the roast beef.
For the Sophisticated Table, Drink This Wine
Image courtesy Kelly Hoppen London
Plan a gleaming New Year’s Eve with this sophisticated table of taupes, grays, and stylish, long-stemmed glassware designed by Kelly Hoppen. Add sparkle to the occasion with a bubbly wine like the dry and fruity Mumm Brut Prestige ($22), perfect for aperitif through dinner, then cap it off with the slightly sweeter Mumm Cuvee M ($22) for dessert.
