Holiday Gatherings with CK Mondavi Wine

Samples provided, all opinions are my own. 

As soon as Halloween is over, it’s the cue that Thanksgiving and Christmas are on their way.

It doesn’t matter if you live in a climate where there is no snow, or whether you’re a Thanksgiving Purist and can’t put the tree up until the fourth Friday in November.  When November 1 turns over on the calendar you start thinking of all the gatherings, entertaining and food that will be served over the next two months.

There might not be anything better on Thanksgiving than turkey and stuffing or ham and sweet potatoes for Christmas dinner, unless of course you’re serving wine with those meals!  In which case THAT might be the star attraction for some 😉

We recently had the opportunity to sample some CK Mondavi wines and let you know how we would pair them for the holidays.

Since we won’t be hosting Thanksgiving dinner in our home this year, I did a ‘mini’ dinner the other evening.  I made a turkey breast in the slow cooker, boiled up some potatoes, fixed up the gravy and creamed some corn.  It was a great way to start the food coma of the holiday season!

What a good wine should do is enhance the flavor of your favorite seasonal foods.

So that’s why I poured some CK Mondavi Chardonnay to serve along with that turkey dinner.  Their Chardonnay is a medium-bodied wine with a hint of oak.  Aromas of lemon and citrus combined with flavors of apple and pear lead to a delightfully crisp finish.  It was the perfect accompaniment to the turkey and the creamed corn especially.

The Scarlet Five is CK Mondavi’s winemaker’s signature cuvee, an expression of five red varieties capturing the best of each vintage.  It has the backbone of Cabernet, the finesse of Merlot, the structure of Petit Verdot, the floral essence of Cabernet Franc and the boldness of Malbec.  This full-bodied wine offers flavors of black cherries and plums and ends in a soft, balanced finish.

Here’s what I think…you can’t go wrong with the Scarlet Five.  Whether you’re hosting a cocktail party or a full on five course meal, this will pair well with just about anything you serve.  The versatility of this wine makes it a great choice to have on hand for when you have unexpected guests or when you want to bring a bottle along to someone else’s party.

If your family is a prime rib for Christmas dinner type, the CK Mondavi Merlot would be a great choice to pair with it.  It’s a medium-bodied wine with a hint of oak and flavors of cherry and plum.  It is rich in the mouth and ends in a soft fruit filled finish.  It’s also a good pairing with fondue so think New Year’s Eve!

No matter which CK Mondavi wine you choose, they are the perfect wines for your holiday entertaining and for gifting during this holiday season.  At a suggested retail price of just $6.99 for a 750ml bottle, the price for the quality cannot be beat.  Saving you money for other things during the holidays, but not sacrificing on flavor at your dinner table.

What better way to ‘Give Thanks’ than to serve an American-made wine this holiday season? As a fourth-generation, American, family-owned company, CK Mondavi is proud of their American tradition.

CK Mondavi’s is a family winery, established in 1943.  They are committed to creating fine wines for four generations.  They harvest grapes at the peak of their ripeness from prime California vineyards, creating wines with fully developed flavors.  All CK Mondavi wines are produced in the Napa Valley by the Peter Mondavi, Sr. family. The wines are the first-ever to to be Made in USA Certified and the family is extremely proud of that honor.

 Visit CK Mondavi online to learn more about the wines in their portfolio.

What is your favorite varietal of wine to serve when entertaining during the holidays?  Do you serve white, red or both?