2019 Suveg Cellars Holiday Wine Pairing List

As we come together to celebrate with our families this winter, many of us will find ourselves spending a fair amount of time in the kitchen. A rich holiday meal with family is central to many of our holiday experiences, and during this season there is no more frequently asked question than “What wine do I pair with…"?” Effective wine pairing can take your holiday meal up a notch, and surely impress those relatives who know you haven’t trained as a sommelier. To give you a leg up this winter, we’ve created an in-depth holiday food and wine pairing list for all the wines Suveg Cellars will be offering for the holidays. Not only do we let you know what type of dishes our wines will pair best within this list, but also do our best to explain why certain wine pairings are effective and the general principles for wine and food pairing. We hope you enjoy, and please send us pictures of your pairing creations this holiday season at info@suvegcellars.com!

2017 Viognier

Thanks to its vibrant acidity and stonefruit notes, the 2017 Viognier is quite the versatile wine for pairing this season. Grilled fruit dishes, where peach or pear play a central role as salad toppings or deserts match perfectly with the stonefruit notes of the 2017 Viognier. Peach or pear cobbler with the Viognier is also a delight, as the acidity of the wine helps temper the rich notes of any pie. Also, if seafood is on your holiday menu, Viognier is a natural choice. Whether it be shrimp scampi or a nice fillet of sea bass, Viognier is delicate enough to complement seafood dishes without overpowering them and drowning out nuanced notes within the seafood itself.

2016 Objection Sustained Montepulciano

Objections Sustained might be one of the all-around best holiday wines we’ve ever made. Clocking in at 10.6% abv, the light sipping wine is a great antidote to the heavy food of the holidays. Our Montepulciano pairs very well with lean, white meat, which does not quite have the fat content to require a heavy tannin, heavy body wine. The notes of smoked fig and dried cherries on the wine pair wonderfully with fruit-based sauces like glazes, and the earthier notes of the wine would complement mushroom-based dishes as well as richer fish like salmon.

2017 Liquid Assets Barbera

Our best selling Barbera. Liquid Assets is one enjoyable wine to pair with food. The Barbera has a heavy palette weight, spice notes, and has dampness in its flavor profile, all of which combine to do one thing: pair with spicy food. The dampness takes down the sensation of palette heat, while the spicy notes in the Barbera pair up with spicy food. In addition to spicy dishes, Liquid Assets has a lively acidity that can pair with most meats, cheeses, tomato-based sauces, and richer vegetables like root or spiced squash.

2016 Capital Requirements Malbec

Our Malbec, Capital Requirements, has a fascinating range of food pairings that will complement its flavor and structure. Thanks to its rich tannin and salty notes, any steak or beef cut paired with Capital Requirements is a match made in heaven, especially with the addition of an acid-based sauce like chimichurri. Our malbec also has pronounced caramel and chocolate notes, which make cheesecake or richer desserts a natural partner that will match up well to the Malbec’s tannic backbone.

2016 Size Matters Petite Sirah/Petit Verdot

Size Matters, our blend of Petit Sirah and Petite Verdot, is arguably the heaviest wine on our menu. The thick tannin, palette weight, and spice of this wine make it the best candidate to stand up to your richest holiday dishes. Melted brie cheese and Size Matters is a wonderful match, as is our blend with a varietal of stews, ranging from lentil to beef. The rich smoky notes of Size Matters also make it the natural partner of BBQ, where the rich tannins will meld with the fatty notes of brisket or ribs.

2016 Lacking Diplomacy Dolcetto

Lacking Diplomacy, with its vibrant acidity and rich tannin, is a joy to pair food with, during any season. However, our Dolcetto has one element that is absent in our other wines - elements of game. These gamy notes open up a wide variety of holiday fare for wine pairings, such as rabbit stew, whole pork shoulder known as “porchetta,'“ wild boar, blood sausage, pheasant, duck, and much more. For vegetarians and vegans, consider the richest plant-based dishes, such as onion or mushrooms soups, pestos, and potato-based dishes.

2016 Greetings and Salutations Fortified Barbera

Our first fortified wine, Greetings and Salutations, is unlike anything we have ever produced. Aged 36 months in a 30-gallon barrel, this 19.6% abv wine has rich fruit notes, mustiness, and nuttiness. The best pairing for this wine? Undoubtedly aged cheese. 1000 day aged gouda, basque cheese, or manchego would all work well as complements to the fortified wine. Each has enough fat to stand up to the richness of the wine, nutty notes that come from the aging of the cheese, as well as a similar earthy palette that matches up with the damp notes of the wine.

We hope you enjoy our wine pairings for this holiday season! Please send up photos of your pairings, as we’re curious to see what creations you come up with this winter season. Happy holidays!