You’ve got your menu planned. What about the wine pairings? It can be tough to pick a wine when you haven’t tasted everything on the shelves, so we asked folks who have what wines they’d drink with different holiday main courses. Here are their choices, all available at local wine shops. —Kristen Wile

Ham
Natalie Stewart, Fin & Fino

“Baked ham, with its sweet-and-salty richness, pairs best with wines that have a touch of sweetness, plenty of acidity and bold fruit,” Natalie says.
On a budget: “Selbach-Oster Riesling Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Spatlese 2016. On the palate, this wine is loaded with fresh, juicy apple, lemongrass and notes of flint. The mouthfeel is lovely, creamy, and lingering to pair perfectly with the thick-cut honey ham. This riesling can be found at Common Market Plaza Midwood for $15.”

Splurge: “If you’re more of a red wine fan, I would go with a light fruity pinot noir, specifically from California’s Russian River Valley. Gary Farrell 2015 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir is a great choice, as it is loaded with lush cherry and cranberry fruit, combined with enough acid to cut the fat in the ham. You can find this vintage at Total Wine for $42.”

Turkey
Briana Cohen, Aria

Briana’s selections are Italian, she says, “which is not the common go-to for turkey wine, but I will definitely be drinking them over the holidays.”
On a budget: “For great off-the-radar white, try Massican, Dan Petroski’s (owner, winemaker, SF Chronicle Winemaker of the Year), cool one-off project. He has one he makes in Italy, Massican Gaspare 2016 from Friuli, it’s a Friulano blend and it’s lovely, bright round fruit, great minerality, crisp acidity, really a perfect turkey wine. Makes you want to keep eating and keep drinking. Massican wines are available at The Wine Vault, Petit Philippe, or Bond Street Wines for $28 to $30. For Pinot Noir lovers that want to try something Italian, the F.lli Cigliuti Vigna Serraboella Barbera d’Alba 2016 from the Piemonte (retail $26, available at The Wine Vault) is a great choice. A really fresh wine, bright acidity, with raspberry, violets, great terroir and richness to the wine, round on the palate. When I think of all the flavors of Christmas, roasted chestnuts, mushrooms, roasted meats, this is a really easy drinking wine that everyone will enjoy and will really enhance the flavors of the turkey.”

Splurge: “For a more elegant, powerful bottle, try a beautiful Chianti Classico Riserva like the Monteraponi Il Campitello Chianti Classico Riserva 2014 from Tuscany. Big acid, big tannins, this rich, earthy wine has beautiful dark fruit, savory herbs, and toasty notes on the finish. One of my favorite things about Italians is they make wine for food, so even a wine as powerful as this will still make your turkey shine!” Find this bottle, which retails around $95, at Bond Street Wines.

Duck
Josh Villapando, Assorted Table Wine Shoppe

Wines available at the 7th Street Public Market shop

On a budget: For a red, try Cuvée Del Maule, a red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, País, Carmenère, Cinsault, and Merlot. $20.99. The 2017 Anton Bauer GMIRK Grüner Veltliner ($19.99) will also work well. “With duck you need high acid but no grapefruit. That is where this lemon-lime grüner comes in, with a hint of white pepper on the finish,” Josh says.

Splurge: 2015 Pax North Coast Syrah ($79.99) Unfiltered and unfined, this wine is for someone that prefers a full-bodied pairing for duck.

Beef tenderloin
William Farquharson, Angeline’s

On a budget: The 2014 Chateau de Mercues, a Malbec from Cahors, France. “I love this grape from this specific region,” William says. “It is not as harsh on the nose and palate of the black pepper spice that you get from most Malbec’s from Argentina. You get more rustic earth tones and dirt on the nose and some on the palate as well. It is full bodied and would go well with the beef tenderloin by allowing the tannins to cut through the steak and cleanse the palate.” The red runs $22.99 a bottle and is available at Total Wine.

Splurge: For something on the higher price range, pick up the 2013 Ridge Geyserville, a Zinfandel from Sonoma, available for $39.99 at Total Wine. “I picked this Zinfandel because it goes well with almost every type of red meat,” William says. “Layers of jammy fruit, like black cherries and plums, some earth tones on this wine with great complexity through the finish. A full bodied wine that allows to cut through the beef tenderloin and make each bite even more savory.”

Chinese food
Mark Meissner, Petit Philippe

Wines available at the Selwyn Avenue shop

“For Chinese food, especially Cantonese cuisine where some heat is usually paramount to their cooking, I’d suggest an Alsatian white or slightly-off dry Riesling from the Mosel Valley,” Mark says.

On a budget: “An Alsatian white can also be a great Domestic example, like the Banyan Monterey County Gewurtztraminer 2017. At $16 retail, it offers all the white flowery bouquet and blossom aromas which pair beautifully with spicy cuisine.”

Splurge: “If Gewurtztraminer is not your preferred white, try a nice Riesling from Germany’s Mosel Valley. Riesling doesn’t have to be cloyingly sweet, and with just a hint of fruity freshness (which we interpret sometimes as residual sugar) all the spicy heat in the dish will tame a bit, and truly come alive. Try the small production producers like Immich-Batterieberg Escheburg Riesling 2016. It comes in at $35/bottle and is worth the added premium to make your Chinese repast during the holidays that much more memorable.”

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