What are the best wines for Thanksgiving to go with turkey and with ham? —Debra H., Sanford, Fla. I’m excited to get this question, because it means that Thanksgiving is around the corner. And of all things that can be around the corner, Thanksgiving is perhaps my favorite one. Usually when I give advice about Thanksgiving dinner, I say that you can throw the turkey out of the equation, since turkey is pretty neutral and goes with nearly any wine. Instead, you need to find wines that will pair well with a complicated array of side dishes. Many traditional holiday sides can have a sweet component to them, such as cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes and even stuffing with dried fruit or apples. A Thanksgiving wine needs to be versatile enough to go with any of these sides, and I have to assume there is a green bean casserole in the mix. But ham, you say? Ham narrows the focus a little bit more. I love Riesling and Gewürztraminer with ham, and those would typically pair well with the sides, too.

On the red side, I’d continue to stick with soft and fruity examples of Zinfandel, Pinot Noir and Grenache. And don’t forget the bubbly, which goes with just about everything.Christmas dinners present a prime time to try new wines with favorite recipes of old. Will it be ham, turkey, goose or prime rib? If you are looking for new wine options to complement your holiday meal, then look no further, check out our unique selection of versatile whites and diverse reds that are sure to enhance your Christmas gathering, varietals picked for both their presence and adaptability. Baked, smoked, or honeyed hams beg for wines with a dash of sweet. A German Riesling with a touch of residual sugar, made lighter in style and a bit lower in alcohol will hop on the ham pairing wagon with plenty of food-friendly acidity and crowd-pleasing palate appeal. Alsatian Rieslings tend to bring more body, significantly less sugar, and a richer palate profile than their German wine cousins, and are capable of handling a wide range of pork-themed options with a wine focus on weight and pairing presence.

Red wines that can accommodate ham happenings tend to be lighter in body and overall style. Beaujolais, Pinot Noir (especially from Burgundy or California's Russian River Valley), and Spain's Tempranillo grape often exhibit subtle tannins with an easier going pairing profile. Turkey on its own presents a fairly straight forward pairing partner, but who really eats turkey solo? Herb-filled stuffing, roasted veggies, rich sauces, and an assortment of savory sides manage to make their way alongside the bird. best wine list in sfIt's these sides and sauces that must be taken into account when working out the best wine pairings.best wine to take camping Sauvignon Blanc is hands-down one of the top white wine picks for turkey and savory sides, as it tends to bring its own herbal tones to the table.dry red wine no 1

When it comes to pairing wines with duck, considerations have to be made for the unique, fatty profile along with the innate gaminess of the meat. The wines of France have a long and storied pairing partnership with a variety of duck preparations. As local foods paired with local wines make a trendy comeback, there's an underlying synergy between "historical" regional pairings and the red wines of Burgundy, Bordeaux, as well as the reds of the Rhone Valley will handle the elements of roasted, smoked, or braised duck. best wine with japaneseIf the duck is served with a fruit-based sauce then the wine pairing gears will shift towards the white wine trails. top 10 french red wine brandsGewurztraminer, Riesling, and Sauternes will make their mark on the fruit-themed duck pairing profiles.best white wine for social drinking

Prime rib makes a serious play for a variety of red wines. A big, bold Cabernet Sauvignon from California, a playful Lodi Zinfandel, a rustic Tempranillo from Spain, a refined red from Bordeaux, a Barbaresco or Barolo from Italy - all of these varietals can mix and mingle with a slice of prime rib and bring out subtle nuances in the pairing depending on the regional roots. White wines will have a tough time keeping up, but if you are hard pressed and must venture to the white grapes, try a full-throttle White Burgundy (Chardonnay) to keep pace with the rich textures and greater ratios of protein and fat. Christmas culinary creations from around the world add an extra layer of festive foodie fun. Whether it's exotic Asian spices, calling for the likes of Riesling, Gewurztraminer, and even an aromatic Viognier or heavy European desserts with warm spice nuances, preferring a pairing with the weight and flavor of a fortified wine like port or Madeira - there are dozens of unique pairing potentials.

Keep in mind that flavor is not the only consideration to be made, but textures, spice intensity, serving sauces, weightiness and rich ingredient elements will all serve to sway a food and wine pairing potential.And last, but not least there are choices to be made with which wines to serve with chocolate and a variety of dessert wines that are more than capable of serving as dessert themselves!Assuming you're going to spend more on the red you drink with Christmas dinner than on those you buy for the rest of the holiday, what should you go for? Christmas is as much about mood as about food, so the temptation is to pick a wine you know will impress, rather than one that will work with the turkey. Judging by the offers the supermarkets wheel out at this time of year, they reckon what we want is châteauneuf-du-pape, bordeaux, burgundy and rioja. Of the four, I think châteauneuf works best, though it sometimes fails to deliver all that the handsomely embossed label promises. Recognisable name aside, you'd get equal pleasure from a good côtes du rhône such as Ogier's substantial, handsome Rasteau Côtes du Rhone Villages (£9.39 in 24 Booths stores; 14.5% abv) or Marks & Spencer's Cairanne Côtes du Rhône Villages (£9.99; 14% abv), both from the excellent 2010 vintage.

Gigondas is another good option, though some are as pricey as châteauneufs. One that isn't is the Wine Society's Exhibition Gigondas from Château Saint Cosme (an incredibly reasonable £12.50; 14.5% abv). Rioja, although not the first bottle I'd turn to with turkey, is always a crowd pleaser. There's a brilliant offer on the velvety smooth CVNE Imperial Rioja Reserva 2004 (13.5% abv), which is currently selling in 300 branches of the Co-op for £14.99. Even the Wine Society charges £20 for it and many come in around the £25 mark. I'd certainly turn to it if we were having roast beef or lamb rather than turkey. You'd be hard pushed to find a bordeaux as good at the price. Pinot noir is often touted with turkey, but I tend to find its delicate fruit decimated by the sharpness and sweetness of cranberry sauce. For that reason I prefer (on this occasion) new world pinot to burgundy. Majestic has the sumptuously lush Peregrine Pinot Noir (13.5% abv), from Central Otago, which is currently on offer at £19.99 instead of £25 if you buy two or more.