Wine to compliment your Hanukkah celebration. Photo: yashima, Flickr
Have you ever tried to pair wine with potato latkes? It is not easy. So for all your Hanukkah wine pairing needs, we consulted Laura Maniec, Director of Wine and Spirits for B.R. Guest restaurants, and at 29, the youngest active Master Sommelier in the world.
If your family opts for the traditional Hanukkah dinner of beef brisket, potato latkes, and other fried delights, Maniec suggests trying a bottle of Cotes du Rhone from the Rhone Valley in France. This mid-range bottle goes for around $20 or less at your local wine shop, and has a lot of complexity to match the various flavors and seasonings of the brisket.
"When pairing wines, it is not just about the ingredients, but the flavors and sauces," says Maniec. This bottle is a blend of four types of grapes, making it a crowd pleaser. Blended wines are often the way to go with groups, because what one grape lacks, often the other will make up for.
If your family opts for the traditional Hanukkah dinner of beef brisket, potato latkes, and other fried delights, Maniec suggests trying a bottle of Cotes du Rhone from the Rhone Valley in France. This mid-range bottle goes for around $20 or less at your local wine shop, and has a lot of complexity to match the various flavors and seasonings of the brisket.
"When pairing wines, it is not just about the ingredients, but the flavors and sauces," says Maniec. This bottle is a blend of four types of grapes, making it a crowd pleaser. Blended wines are often the way to go with groups, because what one grape lacks, often the other will make up for.
For a mid to high range bottle, Maniec suggests something from the Chateauneuf-Zu-Pape in the south of France, which will run you about $50 a bottle. Literally meaning "Pope's New Castle" you can impress your friends by telling them that they are drinking wine from what was the Pope's home in the 14th century.
When it comes time for dessert, a Ruby or Chocolate Port will pair well with out competing with the sweetness of the dessert. A Ruby Port has hints of blackberry and blueberry and it is both rich and sweet enough for sufganiyot, or jelly doughnuts.
wilma lakely,12-01-2010, 10:22AM
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