How to Drink Wine in Winter: Food Pairings and Party Must-Haves

Festive Red

Reds, of course, are popular in wintertime. Their fuller, bolder flavors hold up against the season’s heavier dishes and colder weather. “People like a bigger wine this time of year, with their fruits and spices and bigger bodies,” Diamond-Ferdinandi says, “This can be syrah, or a tempranillo from Spain.”

Sommelier_Francine_Diamond_Ferdinandi
Sommelier Francine Diamond-Ferdinandi, of The Factory Kitchen in downtown Los Angeles.

Pinot noir, too, is common come winter. The variety pairs with ham, turkey or foie gras. The Factory Kitchen carries Ponzi “Tavola” 2014 ($60/$15) from Willamette Valley, Oregon, and Angel Camp 2011 ($90 per bottle) from Anderson Valley, California.

The latter is fuller, Diamond-Ferdinandi says, with more spice from oak aging. That allows Angel Camp to cut through the fat of dishes like duck, pork belly, lamb and turkey.

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For Dessert

Why stop wine with dinner? Orders for dessert bottle rise this time of year at The Factory Kitchen.

This includes the Asti Saracco Moscato 2013 ($25 per bottle), which tastes of orange and apricot. Diamond-Ferdinandi says this wine from Piedmont, Italy, pairs with anything creamy, like cannolis.

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Also on the menu is Braida Brachetto d’Acqui 2012 ($36) from Piedmont, Italy. This sparkling red wine is a natural partner for anything chocolate.

Diamond-Ferdinandi is about to add a tawny port to her lineup, which compliments caramel and toffee desserts.

Kyle Swartz is the Associate Editor for Beverage Dynamics Magazine. Reach him at kswartz@epgmediallc.com

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