If you have been trying to pair wine to go with your holiday parties Clint Strohl, Deer Valley’s Resort Restaurant Operations Manager has some tips!

“Keep it Simple” The holidays are at times stressful, do not let a wine choice become stressful as well.

What you like to drink is just as important as what others say you should or should not be drinking with holiday meals. Do not worry about the perfect food match

Reason to not worry about the perfect food match:  Sweetness and complexity. Holiday meals often involve “Glazed” foods. Think glazed ham. This sweetness will not compliment any dry wine in fact quite the opposite. The sweetness will wash-out all the wine’s attributes. Holiday meals are made up of simple foods, but we tend to serve a lot simple foods together which introduces just too many flavors for any one wine to be complimentary to all foods.

My Holiday Utility Pair: Dry Riesling from Germany and California Pinot Noir. While not perfect this pair will do well enough to provide pleasant drinking with most holiday meals.

Happy Holidays!