With crisp evenings and a distinctive whiff of festivity in the air there is no better time to gather round a table and enjoy fine food and wine. We’ve collated the wines perfect the spread that festive cheer. Beef is at home with full bodied reds. Malbec is an obvious choice but anything fulsome with robust tannin will do everything up to the finest cuts justice. Lamb loves wine and not just the perpetual favourite Rioja. Medium bodied, red wines with a fruit driven character and smoky sweet spice turn lamb into decadent treat. With its fattiness and underlying sweetness Pork pairs perfectly with fruity, aromatic whites and medium to full bodied reds. A white meat, but not lacking in flavour - pork makes for the most interesting of food pairings. Choosing a wine to pair with chicken isn›t just a choice between Chardonnay or Pinot Noir explore more options here. Medium bodied reds with moderate tannin, oak and spice are the ideal partner to rich, gamey venison.

Pairing wines with curry can seem daunting-but it’s really fun! Aromatic, fruity whites work a treat or try some smokily spiced reds like Carmenere. Light, fresh and simple white wines complement the delicate nature of fish and other seafoods but red isn't out of question. Aromatic and spicy whites match the aromatic and spicy nature of Chinese foods.It's the best day of the year — no, it's not my birthday or Halloween or anything like that — it's National Drink Wine Day. Not to be confused with National Wine Day, which falls on May 25th. Not really sure what the difference between those two days is, but whatever. I'm not really complaining — I don't need a national day to tell me to drink wine, especially if that day falls on a Saturday. That being said, drinking wine is easy; knowing what wine to pair with food can get tricky. So I've compiled a handy guide of sorts to food and wine pairings for National Drink Wine Day.We all know the basics of wine pairing, like red wine pairs with meat and white wine pairs with fish — although The Chew's Clinton Kelly actually recommends pairing a light red wine with meatier fish like salmon and swordfish.

What else have I been lied to about my whole life? But, anyway, what about the food you actually eat on a Saturday, like pizza bites and sushi and takeout? What wines do you pair with those? Never fear, I will attempt to cover all the main Saturday food groups so you can have a fulfilling and well-informed National Drink Wine Day.It's Olivia Pope's favorite food, and a major food group in my own diet. But what's the best vino for popcorn? 's own wine doctor, Dr. Vinny, recommends a Chardonnay. Chardonnay often has buttery flavors, which complements the buttery flavors in your popcorn.It's more than a food — it's a lifestyle. So when you're spending time with bae, consider pairing it with Merlot; the medium-bodied red also pairs well with pasta and pork chops.If you're eating sushi, the obvious choice is to pair it with sake — but there are grape wine options that can work pretty well, too. Forbes recommends pairing sushi with a light German or Alsace Riesling, one that isn't too dry or too sweet.

There isn't a one-wine-fits all when it comes to Chinese food, so I'll cover a few good options based on your menu item of choice. lowest price built in wine coolerForbes came through in the clutch again with some recommendations. box of wine amountTry a smooth Argentinian Malbec to complement something with sweet BBQ sauce, like BBQ Pork. buy chocolate shop wineCooking Light recommends something with low acidity, like Sauvignon Blanc or a sparkling wine, to go with lo mein. best wine that goes with seafoodIf your go-to is Szechuan Chicken, consider an off-dry Riesling, one whose acidity offsets its sweetness.best wine country wineries

French fries and ketchup: It's a tale as old as time. Consume this classic combo with Champagne — not just so I can continue my alliteration, but because the bright acidity can cut through the fat, and certain Champs have biscuity toast notes. buying wedding wine franceHappy National Drink Wine Day, everybody. Another very common question asked by those new to a Zero Carb diet is: Can I Drink Alcohol on a Zero Carb Diet? There have been many posts about this subject in the Facebook group Zeroing in on Health. I have selected some of the best comments from these discussions and posted them here for easy reference. While occasional or even moderate consumption of dry, non-sweet alcohol might be okay for some people. Those who are new to a Zero Carb diet are strongly encouraged to abstain from it during their initial 30-Day trial. Once you have a clear baseline of how you feel on just meat and water, then you can easily test out other things like dairy or alcohol and get a much better idea of how your body is personally affected by them.

I’m a retired MD with years of low carb ketogenic blogging experience. I’m day 6 on this new and from all my research intuitively beautiful way of eating. There have been some questions about alcohol so I wanted to post this short answer on the basic science of alcohol in layman’s terms which apply equally to low carb and zero carb: Moderate alcohol can be accommodated on the diet. Alcohol is metabolized exclusively in the liver and does not stimulate the release of Insulin which is the big enemy of people like me who suffer from the metabolic syndrome. Things to know if you’re going to drink alcohol is that many forms contain carbs that can torpedo any weight loss. The worst offenders are beers, even lite ones, sweet wines though all wines contain carbs the dry ones contain the least and some drinks like hard cider and lemonade are as bad as drinking Coke. You will have to count carbs if you consume these. Drinks like Rum, Scotch, Whiskey and Vodka have zero carbs if you drink them with water.

However, Scotch and Whiskey are made from plants in the wheat family which is associated with autoimmune conditions, so I would recommend avoiding these. Of course excess consumption of alcohol overwhelms the livers ability to metabolize alcohol and use it for energy, the liver responds by converting it to fat but in that pathway the liver is unable to get it out of the liver cells quickly so high consumption leads to a fatty buildup in liver cells, and eventually cirrhosis (a term for a very swollen fatty liver with significant scar tissue). In time this will lead to liver failure. In addition, alcohol significantly increases the risk of several forms of cancer. So, as you can see, there are good reasons to moderate alcohol use no matter what diet you are following. But moderate use of dry alcoholic drinks should not affect weight loss unless consumed in a carbohydrate rich vehicle. Dr. Mabry is correct about how alcohol affects the liver, but I would also add that alcohol only really damages the liver in this way when high omega 6 polyunsaturated seed oils are also present in the diet, along with other sources of fructose. 

Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is a very modern problem, and more people suffer from this than from alcoholic fatty liver disease. Furthermore, saturated fat PROTECTS against alcohol’s supposed evil effects. Just like cholesterol and sugar and salt and everything else that’s ever been vilified by the “experts” over the years, it’s the DOSE and – more importantly – THE CONTEXT that makes the poison. In a personal note, wine and low carb beer drops my ketones from just under 2.0  down to 0.4, but “calories” in general will do that too. Blood sugar stays relatively stable That is all true but you also have to take into consideration the lowering of inhibitions and the (for some) face first fall into a dish of nachos. I still stand by my advise to avoid it at all costs. Many, including me have reported a lower alcohol tolerance. I get a buzz off of one glass of wine or 1 oz of gin. Double that and I become an idiot. I personally need to stay away. Even after 7 years of ZC.

My personal experience is to steer clear of all alcohol. I’ve been ZC for 7ish years and I have never attained my ideal weight. Yes, I have controlled my BS’s and I’ve lost quite a bit of weight but I’m telling you that alcohol always leads to weight issues for me. I never drank at all for my first 2 years of ZC and that is when I lost most of my weight. About 5 years ago I started to date my current boyfriend and he drinks wine daily. I started to drink wine on date night which was twice a week. I managed to maintain my weight loss during those 2 years. Well let me tell you, he moved in 3 years ago and that was the beginning of my weight troubles. Wine daily led to a weight gain of almost 30 lbs which I lost about a year ago on cleanish ZC and have since regained with a return to wine and occasional Gin and diet tonic. I’ve been trying really hard to give it up since January and been mostly successful. I really hate my job and having a couple of drinks on a Friday night feels really good.

I haven ‘t had wine in more than a month but I have had a few G & diet T’s. I’ve lost 10 lbs since January but would love to eat clean and lose the rest (40 to go). For full disclosure I have to admit that I’m not 100% sure that the wine is the culprit, but I know for a fact that it lowers my inhibitions and I have found myself face first in either Low Carb treats or chocolate or even chips. Some folks can have alcohol and/or wine with no issues but that is definitely not the case for me. I really advise to stay away from it for optimal health. since ZC, my love-hate relationship with wine is so transformed … i used to drink a bottle of red myself when dining out, even more at parties, now, 5 weeks into ZC, i can barely sip through one glass, like last nite at a restaurant. my date got 2 flutes of bubbles, i askd for 1 red, left 1/3 in the glass at the end, and was a good wine! not forcing myself at all to limit it, i just don’t like anymore the buzz generated by it, because the ZC buzz is SO MUCH more potent!!

i would’ve never tought in my wildest ZC expectations that something like that could happen to me.I had a very small glass of vodka & water and had a very good buzz on could not believe it. In the past it would take 1 very large strong drink to get me started lol they are now few and far between. I thought ZC was making me gain weight. It wasn’t enough to worry about, but as soon as I gave myself 4 or 5 days without WINE, the extra pounds went away. I tested this week after week, and it was always the same. Wine = 2 lbs UP. No wine = 2 lbs DOWN. Whether or not wine has very many carbs, I don’t know. But I can’t dispute the alcohol, which affects my fat burning organ (liver). If anyone can maintain (or keep losing) while drinking wine, I’m jealous. The carb content in liquor is not the problem. The problem is that fat burning takes place in the liver, and alcohol competes with fat burning (and WINS). So, when you drink alcohol, you burn less fat. If that doesn’t bother you (and it shouldn’t, if you have no excess fat on your body), then you can drink.

If you want to lose fat, and don’t mind losing it at a slower pace, you can drink. If you’re alcoholic, you should never drink. If your liver is compromised from years of a SAD diet, you may want to skip the alcohol until you have reached your goal. I’ve had the opposite effect from Laura‘s. I can’t say that it is the alcohol that makes me lose weight but my scale goes down a couple of pounds on it and up when off the booze. Doesn’t take much wine on ZC to be enough, either. I’d prefer a good single malt scotch but I have to drive over the county line to get that…so wine it is 95% of the time. And for the record, I haven’t managed to drink enough that I forget what I will and won’t eat. That’s never been a problem for me. My brief foray into ZC (day #29) has included moderate amounts of red wine. I like a bit with Steak. On occasion I’ll mix 2 oz with 4-6 oz sparkling water and ice cubes, a teeny slice of lemon. Very light, and this, especially, causes me no probs.

I can’t drink wine daily though. It’s always been a treat. And my tolerance continues to degrade. I’m not going to force myself to cut it, but if I gradually taper off to nil, I’m cool with that too. I’m not personally experienced with wine. But I convinced a former coworker of mine with a big belly to try ZC. Didn’t lose much fat until he dropped his nightly wine drinking habit. Then, he lost a ton of weight, and that was the only change he made. There was a period when I was testing my blood sugar for insulin responses to everything I put in my mouth, wine never spiked my blood sugar. Diet sodas did though. To my dismay I can’t drink my mates under the table anymore. I don’t know why, but I can handle very little alcohol these days. One vodka and club soda gets me loopy, and two is a serious red flag condition. I’m not kidding when I say two drinks is a red-flag condition. I mean, on two drinks, I’m as drunk as I ever got at camp-outs drinking all damn night.