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Holiday Wine Pairings

The holidays are quickly approaching, and we all know what that means — delicious meals and annual traditions enjoyed with family and friends. The holidays are also a fantastic opportunity to try new wines with old favorite recipes, and 2020 is the perfect year to add some new touches to old traditions by exploring different varieties of wine to pair with each course.

Holiday meals include a variety of different appetizers, entrees, and side dishes — all which can be enjoyed with deliciously bold Byrd Vineyard wines. Finding the perfect wine for your holiday dinner doesn’t have to be complicated. With Byrd Vineyard’s low tannin wines that are powerful enough to compete with the intense flavors of Christmas dinner and acidic enough to cut through the creamy and rich dishes that we dream about all year long, you have everything you need to enjoy a perfect holiday wine pairing.

2012 Byrd Vineyard Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Mendocino

Fruity and bold, our Double Gold Medal-winning Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is the perfect wine to enjoy with a hearty meal and roaring fireplace on a chilly winter night. Subtly sweet and intensely succulent, this wine makes a perfect pair for any holiday dinner. 

When pairing a Cabernet Sauvignon, you can never go wrong with any red meat. Whether celebrating Christmas with a beef tenderloin, roast beef, or braised short ribs or enjoying a traditional brisket on Hanukkah, the balanced and powerful Cabernet Sauvignon is the ideal way to offset fatty red meat and bring out the best flavors in each dish. 

Cabernet Sauvignon also pairs beautifully with seasonings such as rosemary, garlic, and mint — so herb-roasted vegetables would bring out flavor intensity and depth.

2012 Byrd Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Mendocino

With notes of warm spice and sweet vanilla, our 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon makes a perfect pairing with any appetizer, side dish, or hearty entree that your holiday dinner has in store. Bold, fruit-forward, and slightly herbaceous, our Cabernet Sauvignon pairs well with heavier dishes and herby, smoky flavors. For example, the sweet glaze of a honey-baked ham would deliciously complement the wine’s notes of red and black fruits. Another great option, roasted lamb with rosemary would pair perfectly with the herbaceous notes found in the wine.

As for side dishes, heavy and creamy dishes paired with a powerful Cabernet Sauvignon result in a match made in heaven. Rich and delectable mashed potatoes — or even macaroni and cheese if your holiday dinner guests are so inclined — pair well with an acidic and intensely flavored wine that can easily cut through their creamy intensity. 

2012 Byrd Vineyard Red Wine Mendocino

Our smooth and complex Red Wine Mendocino would pair wonderfully with any holiday spread. Fruit-forward with earthy and mineral elements, this wine would deliciously complement any hearty main dish. Fatty beef dishes such as a tender prime rib or filet mignon perfectly soften the wine’s tannins, creating mellow and delicious flavors. 

Red wine would be remiss if not paired with an array of bold and creamy cheeses. Hard cheeses like aged cheddar or smoky gouda would work perfectly, as the fattiness of the cheese works to tame the bold wine. Soft cheeses such as blue cheese and gorgonzola also pair wonderfully with such a powerful red wine. Lastly, you’d regret it if you didn’t add some herbed cheese to your pre-dinner cheese board. Rosemary goat cheese or even truffled brie would make wonderful additions to a delicious wine and cheese pairing. 

Cheers to you & yours!

There’s nothing like a glass of red wine to warm you up on a cold winter night, especially while surrounded by friends and family during special times like the holidays. Byrd Vineyard’s red wines make an incredible addition to any holiday meal and are best enjoyed with loved ones!

Categories
About our wine

Byrd Vineyard and
The Arhoolie Foundation

Now through January, Byrd Vineyard will donate 10% of all wine sales to the Arhoolie Foundation.

What is the Arhoolie Foundation? 

Founded by Chris Strachwitz, the Arhoolie Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to the documentation, preservation, and celebration of regional roots music and it’s makers. Roots music can take many forms including blues, Cajun, gospel, jazz, Zydeco, Tejano/Norteno, old-time and more.

From the Arhoolie website, you can browse photos galleries, listen to musician interviews, watch videos, and stream audio from rare collections. 

The name “Arhoolie” stems from the word “hoolie” thought to reference field hollers, or songs sung by laborers to accompany their work. Byrd Wineries is proud to support the Arhoolie Foundation in preserving this work for generations to come.

hoolie

/ (ˈhuːlɪ

noun

slang a song sung to accompany laborers in their work.

Why we support the Arhoolie Foundation? 

Byrd Vineyard owner Bruce Byrd has always had a fondness for regional music and the history it holds. He believes that a glass of wine tastes so much sweeter when listening to amazing, soulful music; music that needs to be protected and preserved. Music that took passion, commitment against all odds and talent. As a mountain pioneer, Bruce is no stranger to the hard work it takes to pursue your passion and produce something of quality and purpose.

He began climbing and exploring the peaks of the Mayacamas Range in California over a decade ago. Driven by his interest in high-quality wine, coupled with his desire to create a family business and a way to give back to the community, he began to farm the land by hand. What resulted is an award-winning vineyard that is still dedicated to the traditional winemaking way; by hand and hard work – the “hoolie” way.

Now Byrd Vineyard is dedicated to helping the Arhoolie Foundation in the important mission of preserving this culturally important music and history.

Which wines pair best with Regional Roots Music?

2009 Byrd Cabernet Sauvignon

A dark ruby red with notes of tart fruits, warm spices, and graphite. Not too sweet with a full body and beautifully subtle fruit flavors, our bold 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon is well-balanced and smooth. Aromas of red and black fruits, cocoa, and violet come together with fine tannins and a medium-length finish

2010 Byrd Cabernet Sauvignon

Subtly sweet aromas of berry and cocoa swirl in the glass before you take a sip layered with notes of baking spices, black fruits, and graphite. This large-boned and intensely succulent wine taunts your palate with sinful flavors of blackberry, vanilla, and dark chocolate and leaves you with a smooth, long finish framed in French oak.

2010 Byrdeaux Red Wine

Lush, concentrated flavors of rich berry, cassis, and sweet tobacco leaf combined with beautiful aromatics of nutmeg and lavender create a smooth and velvety finish. Dense in color and luxuriously layered with deep notes of blueberry and black currant, this sophisticated wine with well-integrated tannins leaves you wanting more.

2010 Byrd Merlot

Sophisticated flavors combine for a unique experience. Rich berries, herbaceous notes, and beautiful sweet aromatics of vanilla and cedar come together with smooth tannins and a long finish

2012 Byrd Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Mendocino

Fruity aromas open slowly in perfect sync with a fine meal and riveting conversation. Layers of red and black currants reveal flavors of warm spice and sweet vanilla. This bold, full-bodied wine leaves you with a lingering, lengthy

2012 Byrd Vineyard Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Mendocino

This unique wine is a Double Gold Medal winner for a reason! With beautifully integrated aromas of cassis and dark chocolate lifting from the glass, just one smooth and silky sip will have you coming back for more. Bold flavors of racy black cherry, fresh-from-the-oven wild blackberry pie, and sweet French oak combined with silky yet powerful tannins make for a one-of-a-kind wine you’ve never experienced before.

2012 Byrd Vineyard Red Wine Mendocino

This smooth deep-red wine perfectly reflects the rich soil and careful hand-farming that went into the growing of its fruit. Light and energetic, layers of crisp and bold fruit move seamlessly from aroma to finish. This wine is beautifully paired with marbled beef or sharp cheeses.

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