This is the only wine pairing guide you'll need this festive season

Holiday parties call for holiday meals, and drinks to pair alongside them. Which brings us to the classic adulting question: What type of wine goes with what type of food? Are you only supposed to drink red wines in winter? Can you do white wine with chicken? And so on, until you’re curled up in a stressed-out yuletide ball.

Well, we’re going to save you from that fate by bringing you the straight facts.

That’s why we’ve partnered with the experts at BC Liquor Stores to bring you a selection of excellent wines that will complement your classic Christmas recipes this holiday season.

Christmas Dinner/Shutterstock

For turkey: Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay

Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay/BC Liquor Stores

What is a holiday dinner without turkey? To match the multitude of flavours of a full turkey dinner with all the trimmings, select a full-bodied white wine that won’t overwhelm your palate. Try the Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay, a Californian Chardonnay offering ripe tropical fruit notes with a complexity and richness that will take your turkey dinner to a new level.

For prime rib: Los Vascos Colchagua Valley Grande Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Los Vascos Colchagua Valley Grande Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon/BC Liquor Stores

A fancy prime rib can be the ultimate show-stopper of holiday feasts — and should be paired with a serious Cabernet Sauvignon. The Chilean Los Vascos Colchagua Valley Grande Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is the perfect way for you to get acquainted without completely breaking the bank. This will be the perfect combination for an intimate dinner with your closest friends!

For ham: St. Urbans-Hof Mosel Old Vines Riesling

St. Urbans-Hof Mosel Old Vines Riesling/BC Liquor Stores

A classic honey-glazed ham calls for a white wine with a hint of sweetness to match the flavour. Pair it with the St. Urbans-Hof Mosel Old Vines Riesling which offers plenty of nectarine, mango, and honeysuckle notes with a food-friendly acidity. This wine also just won a spot on the prestigious Wine Spectator’s Top 100 list of 2018.

For lamb: Chapoutier Crozes-Hermitage Les Meysonniers

Chapoutier Crozes-Hermitage Les Meysonniers/BC Liquor Stores

If a full-bodied red meat is on the menu for your dinner party, opt for a bottle of red wine to stand up to the flavour. A bold red wine such as the Chapoutier Crozes-Hermitage Les Meysonniers is a serious Syrah from the northern Rhône that will pair beautifully with richer, heavier dishes such as braised lamb shanks or slow-roasted lamb shoulder.

For fish or seafood: Whitehaven Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

Whitehaven Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc/BC Liquor Stores

For seafood dishes, you can never go past a good Sauvignon Blanc. From New Zealand, the Whitehaven Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is a vibrant and refreshing choice with notes of grapefruit, passionfruit, and guava. Pair this wine with medium weight and firmer textured fish including salmon, steelhead trout, halibut, and sablefish for a stellar Christmas feast.

For vegetarian fare: Quails’ Gate Chasselas Pinot Blanc Pinot Gris

Quails’ Gate Chasselas Pinot Blanc Pinot Gris/BC Liquor Stores

Don’t worry vegetarians — you are not forgotten. For vegetarian dishes, select a light, aromatic, and refreshing white wine to allow the natural flavours of the dishes to shine. The top-selling BC white wine in the province, the Quails’ Gate Chasselas Pinot Blanc Pinot Gris offers plenty of ripe apple, pear, lemon, and spring blossom notes with a zippy acidity.

If you’d like more extensive holiday wine recommendations, drop by your local BC Liquor Store to have a friendly chat with any of their knowledgeable Product Consultants. For more holiday pairings and recipes, check out BC Liquor’s Taste magazine online, or get your free copy in store today.