Holiday Wines to Help Your Party Sparkle

Perfect Pairings

by Bill and Karen Garlough

The holidays are a wonderful time to renew ties with family and friends.  This year may be particularly important to strengthen these bonds, as the economy weighs heavily on most of us.  We offer ideas on casual entertaining with items that you can keep on hand in your pantry and refrigerator.  Karen provides two quick and easy appetizer recipes that will make your guests feel special.  Bill suggests two wines that work well with these and most other holiday dishes. 

Wine Facts

The first suggested holiday wine is sparkling, known as champagne if the bubbly is from the Champagne region of France or “sparklers” if it is made outside the Champagne region.  Italian Proseccos, Spanish Cavas and American sparklers are all quality options that are more reasonably priced.  Sparklers are the quintessential beverage when people come together to celebrate or share a special moment.  This time of year is when approximately 80% of all champagne/sparklers are consumed. 

The second wine is Riesling.  Rieslings are to Germany what Champagne is to France.  German Rieslings range from bone dry to super sweet.  German Riesling is divided into 6 different designations, based on sweetness levels.  Germany harvests their Riesling grapes at different times in the Fall and Winter.  The longer the grapes are left on the vine, the more concentrated the sugars become.  Kabinett is the driest wine of these six designations and Eiswein is typically the sweetest.  Other regions producing quality Rieslings include the Wachau Region of Austria, the Alsace Region of France and the Pacific Northwestern Region of the United States. 

These two wines have several attributes in common.  Both are white wines (easier on your carpets when entertaining), are grown in cooler climates and both offer good acidity levels.  Good acidity is important as it cleanses the palate, pairs well with many dishes and has you salivating for the next bite of food.  Rieslings have an added bonus for the holidays, as they tend to have low alcohol levels. 

Holiday Recipes

At a recent gathering with “foodie friends,” we brought both a Riesling and Prosecco to try with the two recipes in this column.  The group was split.  The majority liked the Riesling with the smoked trout pâté and liked the Italian sparkler with the shrimp canapé.  These wines give you the flexibility of offering your guests either a sparkler and a still wine (or both!) at your holiday gathering.  These wines are both versatile and go with a broad variety of food, making them a good choice for the holidays. 

Smoked Trout Pâté

Don’t shy away from smoked trout, which, when mixed with a few simple ingredients, is a unique and special treat.  You can find smoked trout with the refrigerated packages of smoked salmon in most large or specialty grocery stores.  Unopened, it will keep for several weeks. 

Ingredients

2 Tbsp  Shallot – finely chopped

2 Tbsp Lemon Juice – fresh

¼ tsp Salt

8 oz Cream Cheese – room temperature 

½ tsp Pepper

8  oz Smoked Trout – skin removed and chopped

3 Tbsp  Fresh Chives – finely chopped 

Mix together shallot, lemon juice, salt and cream cheese.  Add the trout, pepper and mix well.  Stir in the chives.  Place in a crock or serving dish and garnish with fresh chives.  Serve with plain water crackers and a chilled Riesling.  Makes about 1 ½ cups. 

Shrimp Remoulade on Molasses-Buttered Toast

This recipe is especially simple if you purchase ready-made Remoulade.  Whole Foods makes a fresh Remoulade; look for it by the seafood case.   

Molasses Butter Toast

6 Tbsp Butter – room temperature

2 tsp Light (Original, not Dark) Molasses

¼ tsp Chili Powder

24 slices Cocktail Pumpernickel  

Preheat oven to 425°.  Mix butter, molasses and chili powder – set aside.  Take 24 slices of cocktail pumpernickel and trim off sides for a uniform look.  Spread molasses butter on the bread and place single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until bread begins to firm up, about 10 minutes.  Cool.  

Shrimp Remoulade

½ lb Shrimp – cooked, peeled – cut in chunks

6-8  oz Remoulade – ready-made

2 Tbsp Fresh Chives – chopped 

Toss shrimp with Remoulade, enough to thoroughly coat the shrimp.  Refrigerate until ready to use.  

Just before servings, top molasses toast with shrimp mixture; garnish with fresh chives.  Serve with a chilled Prosecco.

Bill’s Wine Picks (with suggested retails) 

Ress Kabinett Riesling                                    $15

Dr. L (Loosen) Kabinett Riesling                    $12

Zardetto Italian Sparkler                                  $14

Nino Franco Rustico Italian Sparkler              $15

De Marques Gelida Spanish Sparkler              $13 

As published in The Beacon News, The Herald News, The Courier News and Naperville Sun – December 19, 2008