Perfect Wines for Your Christmas Dinner

Holiday dinner parties can be such varied affairs. You may start out with hors d'oeuvres and an aperitif, or not. You may wish to end the meal with a desert, or not. Regardless of your Christmas dinner's number or type of courses, the following wine suggestions will cover any combination. Each step in progression for the following Christmas dinner wine pairings includes a red and white option. Simply pick and chose the wines that fit your holiday dinner plans the best and enjoy!

As guests arrive in advance of Christmas dinner, you'll want to serve a wine that is fairly light, sweet and crisp to tantalize the palate. Served alone or paired with light appetizers, something effervescent goes a long way in the right direction. The tasty Seaview white and the flashy Rosa Regale that follow are two sparkling wines that fit the bill nicely.

Brut Australian Sparkling Wine by Seaview Winery, 2000 Vintage - From the southeastern coast of Australia, this inexpensive white sparkling wine starts with a light nose of fresh pear that turns to a more complex fruit and yeast on the tongue, ending in a soft, crisp and dry finish. I've taken a case of this sparkling wine to compete with much more expensive varieties at various New Year's parties and I'm proud to say that my Seaview has always received nods of approval. Average price: $11

Rosa Regale by Banfi Vinters, NV - Out of Acqui Terme, in the Piedmont region of Italy, this red sparkling wine made with Brachetto grapes makes my wine adviser, Lezlie Lanza, from The Wine Cellar in Huntsville, Alabama, gush with excitement. Rosa Regale starts with the aroma of raspberries, strawberries and rose. The palate is fresh and crisp raspberries, rounding out to a full bodied finish. While Rosa Regale makes a perfect aperitif, this is one of the few wine pairings recommended for chocolate, so you may also wish to consider it for desert! Average price: $21

If you serve a course of anti-pasta or salad prior to your main Christmas dinner, it will benefit from a medium-bodied selection, such as the following medium-bodied Riesling (some Rieslings are light-bodied) and Merlot selections.

2007 Eroica Riesling by Chateau Ste Michelle-Dr. Loosen, grown in Washington State's Columbia Valley and made in collaboration with the Dr. Loosen estate in Germany's Mosel region, this Riesling opens with bright fruit aromas that carry through the palate and finish. Its crisp, slightly dry end leaves a whisper of pineapple. Average price: $21

2006 Napa Merlot by Duckhorn Vineyards - Grown in Napa Valley, California, this wine starts with an aroma of currant, black cherry and chocolaty oak. On the palate, the currant, cherry and chocolate mixes with a bit of cinnamon and it ends with a balanced finish of creamy fruit. Average price: $46

With Christmas dinner proper, usually a rich affair with ham or duck and plenty of buttery and creamed vegetables, a full-bodied wine is required to stand up to and accentuate the bounty. Oaked Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays (red and white versions, respectively, of French Burgundy wines) will meet the challenge with ease.

2006 Pinot Noir by the Louis Jadot Winery in Gevrey-Chambertin in the Burgundy region of France. This deeply colored wine begins with aromas of bitter cherry, roast beef and black tea. Its powerful palate is full of cherry, meat and spice, ending with a long, mellow tannin finish. Louis Jadot is well known for their consistency. Any vintage more than a couple of years old would be more than acceptable. Average price for the 2006: $46.

2007 Carneros Chardonnay from Rombauer Vineyards in Napa Valley, California. Full fruit aroma leads to an intense pear, apple and melon palate that is balanced with spicy oak and buttery vanilla. This elegant Chardonnay melds to creamy hints of oak and apple that linger on the long finish. Average price: $33

Christmas dinner is a time for celebrating and sharing life's blessings and good will with family and friends. Good food, good wine and good company make for glowing Christmas memories. May these Christmas wine pairings add to your enjoyment of this holiday season.

Sources: personal experience, interview of The Wine Cellar wine consultant Lezlie Lanza, and for prices: wine-searcher.com