Holiday hosting should feel luminous, not laborious. So skip the Chardonnay-with-cheese, Cabernet-and-charcuterie autopilot this year and play a smarter game. Here are five stylish wine-and-bite pairings that are less yawn, more “wait, what is this?”—so your spread reads intentional, not inevitable. Consider it your way of bringing joy to the world.
Verdejo and Spanish tapas
Here’s your chance to wow with Verdejo, that white that gets a lot of respect in wine circles. Like Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc — the obvious styles we all know — Verdejo tastes crisp and vivid, dry and fresh. But it has a certain Spanish intensity and a pleasant bitter undertow that rivets the attention and helps it stand up to food.
So grab a bottle, chill it down and splash it into glasses — and be prepared to keep topping up. What glasses, you ask? While anything will do, this might be just the occasion to pull out vintage green stems or thick, textured tumblers to build on the Spanish vibe. Pair the wine with platters of tapas, such as bowls of plump olives, pans of sizzling garlic shrimp and little baskets of mini empanadas.
The one to pour
A label to count on is the 2024 Bodegas Lan Verdejo D.O. Rueda, Spain (Score 93, LCBO 44524 $14.40). This wine slips in and lights up everything in its wake. It’s crisp, taut and mouth-watering with that quiet bitter-almond finish that seasons the palate. (13.5% alc., 2g/L sugar)
The glass
One World Bazaar wine glasses, $15, oneworldbazaar.ca Shop now
Baco Noir and barbecued brisket bites
While it’s not exactly barbecue season, you can make marvellous barbecued brisket in the oven with liquid smoke, a good spice rub and long, slow heat — Google it. Serve it shredded on little slices of baguette with a dab of sour cream and sprinkle of parsley for colour. Next, pass around the Baco Noir in your favourite red wine stems.
Baco Noir thrives in Ontario, delivering a smooth, rich hit of black-fruited goodness. While ripe and round tasting, a bright centre keeps it refreshing, too. And with barbecued brisket, magic. Just make sure you have enough because the wine and the brisket bites will vanish.
The glass
Riedel wine glass, $45 (set of 2), riedel.com Shop now
The one to pour
A bottle to trust is the 2024 Henry of Pelham Baco Noir, VQA Ontario (Score 94, LCBO 270926, $16.95). It’s deeply coloured, opens with black cherry jam aromas and floods in with a satiny rush of crushed berries before tapering to a long blueberry pie finish. (13% alc., 15 g/L sugar)
Lambrusco and tourtière tartlets
Fruit-forward, fun and fizzy, Lambrusco is the red wine from Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region that ranges from dry to sweet. It’s a classic picnic wine, but it’s also inherently festive because it sparkles, shines Rudolph red and is usually priced for parties at less than $15 a pop. Flavour-wise, you can expect oodles of red fruit scored with a touch of earthiness. Best of all, it appeals to cocktail drinkers and wine enthusiasts alike. And it tends to be low in alcohol — often less than 10 per cent alcohol.
Pour chilled Lambrusco into goblets. Then, pass around a plate of pretty little mushroom tarts — or tourtière tartlets, if you’d like. These pairings are perfect. The earthy undertones of the wine mirror the savoury fillings, while the sweet-tart, fizzy fruit lends just the right kind of contrast for a prime yin-yang moment.
The one to pour
The NV Chiarli Grasparossa di Castelvetro Lambrusco DOC (Score 90, LCBO 604 $12.95) is a reliable choice with its blackberry, dusty cherry flavours laced with sweet orange. Each sip is sweet but well-balanced by bracing acidity. (8% alc., 49 g/L sugar)
The glass
Crate&Barrel wine glass, $14 (on sale from $20), crateandbarrel.ca Shop now
Chenin Blanc and oysters
A good, dry Chenin Blanc appeals to connoisseurs and newbies alike. High acidity keeps it vertical and lively while an inherent poise quietly elevates everything you serve with it. This is not a showy wine. Rather, the flavours are understated but layered, so even inexpensive bottles can drink like more premium ones. In short, pouring dry Chenin Blanc is a stylish move without being an obvious flex.
Make the wine shine by serving it in fine, hand-blown crystal stemware if you can. The thin rim will make the wine taste even more elegant. Then, take everything up a notch by serving it with simply prepared fish and seafood — oysters on the half shell, smoked fish on toast points and pan-seared scallops — maybe wrapped with prosciutto — all work well.
The one to pour
The 2024 Boschendal The Pavillion Chenin Blanc, Western Cape, South Africa (Score 92, LCBO 281311 $12.65) is an easy choice with its sheer, cascading notes of flint, lanolin, pear and beeswax. Silky, lifted and long — and priced for a party. (13% alc., 2g/L sugar)
The glass
Waterford wine glasses, $109 (set of 2), waterford.com Shop now
Amaro and cookies
This recommendation is not actually a wine — but wine adjacent. Amaro is a bittersweet liqueur from Italy usually enjoyed after dinner as a digestif, but it also works well sipped as a cocktail. It’s a spirited, sweetened infusion of herbs, citrus peel and other botanicals. Just the style to know about this time of year for one reason: holiday cookies.
No other beverage is better for a cookie party. So if you throw such an affair and want to elevate the experience, pour 1.5 oz. (45 ml) servings of Amaro over ice in small rocks glasses and pass them around. Offer traditional, Italian-style cookies with quality ingredients. Think crunchy biscotti, pizzelles and almond cookies — and include at least one type dipped in chocolate. The bittersweet, umami-rich savouriness of Amaro balances the sweetness of biscuits, and chocolate is a natural pairing, too.
The one to pour
Amara Amaro di Arancia Rossa di Sicilia IGP, Sicily (Score 95, LCBO 10752 $50.05/750 ml) is an excellent selection. Made from the peels of blood oranges infused in alcohol with wild herbs from Mount Etna, the flavours call to mind bittersweet orange, milk chocolate and licorice root. (30% alc., 230 g/L sugar)
The glass
Duralex glasses, $23, mustsociete.com Shop now
