And how to approach classic holiday dishes with a Vegan heart.One of our favorite things about loving wine is the explicit exposure to other cultures. Language, geography, and best of all - culinary traditions! Regional cuisine is such a large part of how a wine region develops and, later, becomes iconic for its style. Here we discuss a few traditional holiday dishes from each of the wine regions we are proud to represent (France, Italy and Chile) and the local wines that make celebrations feel even more festive.
Joyeux Noël! Traditional dishes for holiday celebrations in France are veeeerrryyy hard to veganize, but one thing is certain. They opt to spend money on incredibly special foods rather than worrying to much about presents. The thing that makes it hard to veganize is that most of the dishes are main dishes of cheese, oysters, foie gras or a centerpiece meat. They focus on the highest quality of a single item and let it shine. We’ve found a delicious recipe for vegan French Onion Soup, which is rich enough to pair beautifully with either of our Bordeaux Rouge: Château Les Maubats, Bordeaux Supérior Rouge 2016: Classic Right Bank-style Merlot showing plump and juicy plum, blackberry, and blueberry that bursts with notes of baking spice, potting soil, and campfire Château Beauséjour La Petite Robe Poivreé: Aromas of black cherries, blueberries, pepper, and licorice. Full-bodied on the palate with silky yet firm tannin and medium acidity. Plenty of blackberries, black raspberry, and plum notes. French Onion Soup, or soupe à l'oignon is bone-warming and filling and takes enough time to prepare for it to feel like a special occasion, but if soup doesn’t hit the spot and you want to celebrate in a French holiday tradition, pick out some of your holiday favorites and get the absolute best and most decadent version of that and enjoy! Bonne Année! Vegan Champagne for the win! Crisp, elegant and worth every penny – Legret et Fils Corolle Rose
Buon Natale! Italy can feel almost as challenging as France to approach from a Vegan angle, but there are 2 big advantages – their love of incredible pasta dishes and their reverence for vegetables. They also have perfected the art of a charcuterie board. Vegan options for an abundant and delicious spread abound. For inspiration, check out this video from Plant X. We find that a versatile white wine can be the best thing to pair with the pre-dinner snacks. For the main, you can choose to pay homage to Italy’s pasta passion with a labor of love – handmade Spinach Ravioli with Mushrooms. Let the earthy mushrooms shine with a light-bodied Barbera and you’ll be in the holiday spirit for sure! Morra Gabriele Barbera d'Alba: Very red in the fruit profile, purple flowers dried dark fruits (blueberry, strawberry, fresh black plum (ripe and perfectly tart), and light musk. Buon Anno! New to our portfolio, but very quickly a dear favorite. Champagne method, Champagne grapes, Italian soil - Dante II Patriota Metodo Classico
Feliz Navidad! South American cuisine might actually be the most meat focused of the bunch, but like Italy and France, there are some lovely exceptions, like this Chilean Lentil Stew. Aromatics (including ginger) and tomatoes and pumpkin give a complex and delicious finished dish. To pull all of these glorious flavors and textures together, an herbaceous red is your best bet. Nerkihue Quiebre Malbec: deep, dark wine is a modern style of Malbec with a few surprises. There are distinct aromas, fresh and floral, with a dominance of rosemary, eucalyptus, and peppermint. Lots of big flavors too - leather, blackberry, black cherry, and blueberry pie. The wine dances from note to note as you make your way to the bottom of the bottle. Feliz Año Nuevo! A perpetual favorite for every bubble occasion, this sparkler is also made in the laborious Champagne method and absolutely kills it! Mujer Andina Ai! Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! A final note to say, we wanted to highlight traditional celebrations with their classic dishes, but we honor and cherish all ways to celebrate and love the people around you. No matter how you choose to bear witness to the changing year and the collective down time, we hope you have great wine!
