When we conjure up a vision of the holidays, we think of Thanksgiving dinner, football, shopping, Santa and Christmas, not to mention the holiday parties. And then there’s the problem of what to get Uncle Bob the wine snob for Christmas and what to bring to the family dinner. But it isn’t as stressful as it sounds if you keep in mind a simple rule for matching wine with food. Drink your favorite with what you are eating. However, if you are interested in getting a good food/wine match, here is a guideline.

Think about weight. No, not the weight you might gain after eating dinner but the weight of the food. For example, turkey would be considered a light food, duck and goose are medium, and venison is heavy. The idea here is to match the weight of the food with the weight of the wine. Pinot Noir (red), Chenin Blanc (white), and Beaujolais (red) are light wines; Cotes du Rhone (white and red) is a medium wine; and Zinfandel (red), Chateneuf du Pape, (white and red), and Bordeaux (red) are heavy wines. So in this instance, we can match up our dinner choice with a wine that will go with it.

As for Christmas dinner, the same rules apply. The entrees for some families might change from turkey to roast beef, lasagna, or ham. We’ll start with the easy one—lasagna. A good Chianti Classico would be the perfect match for this course. Roast beef is best paired with a good Cabernet or a Spanish red, while the ham would go great along side a Chenin Blanc, Viognier, Cotes du Rhone (white and red) and Riesling just to name a few. Again, we’re looking to match the weight of the food with the weight of the wine.

There are many sites online that can help with food/wine pairing. Aboutwine.com, the 30-Second Wine Advisor (Robin Garr), Natdecants.com (Natalie MacLean), and the wine magazines all have sites with links to help you.

The rule for gift-giving is to buy what you can afford. Get the best bottle you can for what you have to spend. If Uncle Bob likes Cabernet and you have $15 allotted for him, there are some good Cabs out there for around $15 - $20, especially from Australia. Why not do something different this year? Greek, Austrian, or Portuguese reds would be a great alternative and might give Uncle Bob something he hasn’t had before. Go to your local wine shop and ask them what their best bottles are for under $15; then make your decision.

Another good gift-giving idea is a membership to a wine club. The Internet offers them from all over the country, including here in Virginia. When shopping for an out-of-state club, make sure they can ship to the state where you want it to go. Restrictions apply in some states so make sure to check their Web site closely and ask questions if you’re not sure.

Also, some local wine shops have wine clubs so make sure to check them out. One advantage here is that you’ll most likely get different wines from all over the world versus just one state or country. Wine accessories make great stocking stuffers as do gift certificates to local wine shops and grocery stores. Whatever you decide, your wine lover will be appreciative.

Have a great holiday season and shop locally if you can.

Chuck Hussey is a local wine geek, wine writer and a member of the Society of Wine Educators. He also needs $60 million to run for President.

What To Drink

• Turkey:
  Traditional whites: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Pinot Grigio, Riesling
  Something different: white Cotes du Rhone, Albarino, Gewurtztraminer, Vouvray, dry rose
  Traditional reds: Beaujolais, Pinot Noir, Cotes du Rhone red, Cabernet Franc, southern Rhone reds
  Something different: Chianti, Greek reds, Portuguese dry reds, Rioja, Zinfandel, Cabernet/Merlot blends, Dolcetto d’Alba

• Ham:
  Traditional whites: sweet Riesling, Gewurtztraminer, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay
  Something different: Albarino, Chenin Blanc, Viognier, Portuguese dry whites
  Traditional reds: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chianti, Pinot Noir
  Something different: Australian Shiraz, Tempranillo and Grenache wines from Spain, Dolcetto, Portuguese reds

• Roast Beef: Try a good Cabernet, Bordeaux, or red blend

• Lasagna: I like to stay with Tuscan wines but any red from Italy will go well as will some of the bigger Spanish reds