Great Wines to Enjoy this Chanukah
These wines are terrific accompaniments to the “I’ll start my diet tomorrow” fried foods of Chanukah.
At Chanukah we traditionally eat fried foods to commemorate the miracle of oil. Pairing the resulting fried delicacies with wine has proven to be a bit of a challenge for wine lovers. But wines with sweet, bubbly or even minerally characteristics have demonstrated an ability to stand up to the challenge fried foods present.
Bartenura Asti or Prosecco are two Italian sparkling wines. The lively texture the bubbles impart to these wines help to cut through the oily feel of fried foods and make them a natural pairing.
From New Zealand, Goose Bay’s Sauvignon Blanc has another vivacious feature to save one’s palate – acidity. The crisp acidity of this New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc that received a score of 90 from Wine Spectator acts as a palate refresher and keeps our taste buds alive amidst a sea of heavy fried foods.
Bartenura’s Moscato, more commonly referred to as the “blue bottle”, has a sweet and bubbly character that has made this treat a guilty pleasure for years. A semi-sweet white with refreshing bubbles, Bartenura Moscato is the perfect pairing to latkes dipped in applesauce
While big red wines might clash with Chanukah cuisine, a light Pinot Noir, such as the Herzog Special Reserve Pinot Noir, will go quite nicely. With its strawberry character and refreshing acidity this wine will complement both a salty latke and a sweet jelly donut.
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The Herzog Reserve Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon was recently awarded 90 points from Wine Enthusiast. Lauded for its elegance and complexity, this wine made in Herzog’s world class Oxnard, California winery has the structure to stand up to the main dish at your Chanukah gathering – anything from meat or chicken to pasta and fish.
Gary Landsman, AKA the “Wine Tasting Guy”, makes, sells, writes about and of course tastes wine. You can read more of his writings in his blog at www.winetastingguy.com or contact him with any wine related questions at gary@winetastingguy.com
