Wine and food harmonies for holiday feasts

Transform your feast from song to symphony with a well-chosen wine. Celebrating the soul of the vineyard and the passion of the winegrower, a well-chosen wine adds harmony and counterpoint and verve to any meal. Here are a few suggestions to enliven your holiday repast.

Turkey

The flavor of the stuffing is the key element to consider when choosing a wine to complement the traditional bird.

• Oyster stuffing: Sauvignon blanc, sémillon, Rueda, Blanquette de Limoux.
• Sausage stuffing: Chianti or other sangiovese-based Tuscan red, Sicilian reds, Rhône & Rhône-style reds, dolcetto.
• Chestnut stuffing: Gewurztraminer, pinot noir, riesling, verdicchio, Beaujolais.
• Traditional bread stuffing: Riesling, Beaujolais Primeur or Nouveau, chenin blanc, pinot noir.

Beef

Think about what spices you'll use as accents when picking a wine to go with beef.

• Cabernet sauvignon, barbera, "Super Tuscan" reds, Côtes du Rhône, syrah, Châteauneuf du Pâpe.

Ham

Ham is among the more difficult dishes to match with wine — but it can be done, and deliciously so!

• Riesling, Beaujolais Primeur (Nouveau), grenache or pinot noir-based rosé, grenache-based Rhône reds.

Salmon

Generous fruit, crisp acidity and soft tannins are the keys when choosing a wine to accompany salmon.

• New-world style pinot noir, pinot gris, grenache or pinot noir-based rosé, whites from Alsace, Rhône-style whites.

Duck

Choose a wine with firm acidity to counter the richness of this full-flavored foul.

• Dolcetto, Châteauneuf du Pâpe, Barbaresco, syrah.

Lasagna

Select a sun-kissed, earthy red to complement the spicy tomato flavors in the traditional lasagna.

• Chianti, sangiovese, zinfandel, barbera, dolcetto.