This holiday season, everyone and everything is decorated with red and green. While there are no green wines (except for some slight greenish tints around the edges of glasses of like pinot grigio or perhaps sauvignon) there are lots and lots of red wines to complement your holiday gatherings. And cold weather is traditionally the time to enjoy our best ‘warm winter reds.’ Here are some ideas for your holiday gatherings.
Chambourcin: is the French-American hybrid which was one of first widely planted “new generation” of red wine grapes introduced to the region in the early 1980s. Its European heritage dates to the prior century, when French researchers were working to combat the devastating phylloxera infestation that was destroying that nation’s vines. It is still widely planted in France and served in bistros across the country as a vin ordinaire. Here in the US, dozens of winemakers east of the Mississippi produce a lovely, light and pleasant red that matches nearly any food offering. Several Ohio wineries have won “gold” for their work with Chambourcin.
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DONNIELLA WINCHELL is executive director of the Ohio Wine Producers Association. She can be reached at dwinchell@ohiowines.org.
Dining and Cooking