Holiday Wine Pairings
Yule Celebration
The Winter Solstice marks the shortest day of the year, but also the start of the waxing sun. Called by many names around the world, a Winter Solstice or Yule celebration is the perfect way to honor new beginnings and reconnect with family, friends, and the earth.
Host’s Note: We love a good Yule potluck. Invite your guests to bring their favorite winter-inspired dish or something that evokes nostalgia. It’ll take the burden off your shoulders and make for good dinnertime storytelling. For your part, we’ve created two menus with easy-to-prepare dishes that can be doubled or tripled to feed a crowd. The wines are extremely versatile, and will please a range of palates and dishes. No need to worry whether they’ll go with the smorgasbord on the table. They will indeed!
Featured wines
Fifth Moon Chenin Blanc
Fifth Moon Red Blend
Yule Menu
Herbivore
Herb Roasted Tri-Color Carrots
Roasted Mushrooms with Burrata
–or–
Omnivore
Roasted Root Vegetables with Miso Glaze
Vietnamese Roasted Chicken
Herb Roasted Tri-Color Carrots
This is a legit 35-minute dish that over delivers in terms of presentation and taste. Fresh rosemary and parsley add complexity and color to an already very satisfying combination of ingredients.
Try it with Chenin Blanc
Roasted carrots are so tender and sweet. This dish is beautifully enhanced by the Chenin’s perfect touch of acidity and exotic layers of pear and apple.
Roasted Mushrooms with Burrata
We love the rustic, foraged look of this dish. And the flavors and textures are so pleasing and dreamy– creaminess from the burrata, crunch from the panko, earthiness from the mushrooms, acidity from the lemon, and the freshness from the herbs. It’s the type of dish that impresses with every bite, but is insanely easy to make.
Try it with our Red Blend*
Mushrooms are pretty wine-friendly fare, but we especially love them alongside our Red Blend. Made from Merlot, Zinfandel, and Syrah this food and wine pairing may just slip into your weekly dinner rotation.
*Only available in the Winter Solstice Duo set
Roasted Root Vegetables with Miso Glaze
Aw, the power of a sheet pan recipe. Once you get your carrots and beets chopped, the rest of the recipe is pretty hands off. A long slow roast caramelizes the vegetables and brings out their sweetness. Adding the buttery glaze near the end is the icing on the cake… er the glaze on the veggies.
Try it with Chenin Blanc
The Chenin’s acidity is just brilliant alongside the buttery saltiness in this dish. And there’s a subtle sweetness that is delicately lifted up by the wine.
Vietnamese Roasted Chicken
If you’ve been intimidated by Vietnamese cuisine in the past, this recipe will shepherd you right past that hesitation. The instructions are super approachable, and there are just 10 ingredients, most of which you probably have on hand. The exception may be Chinese Five Spice, which you can make with ingredients from your spice drawer. For the best flavor, start the marinade the night before. The day of your dinner, all you have to do is roast!
Try it with Red Blend
There’s something about red wine and roasted chicken that is so warming and satisfying this time of year. With a tag team effort, the notes of baking spices in the wine further enhance the Chinese Five Spice in the recipe.
