6 Italian Wines for Christmas Dinner & a Holiday Recipe Guide with Wine Pairings, Too!

This week’s newsletter is all about helping you savor the moment this holiday season with incredible food and wine pairings.

When in doubt over what wines to serve in this celebratory season, turn to bella Italia. Out of all the wine producing countries in the world, Italy offers a level of diversity and quality unmatched by the rest. From structured Chianti to vivacious Prosecco or the mineral-driven wines of Mount Etna, plus countless others in between, Italian wines provide something enticing for every palate. With a remarkable number of styles, Italy delivers the best wines for Christmas and an impeccable selection of holiday wines to make the season merry. When choosing wines for Christmas dinner, you can’t go wrong with vino Italiano.

Italian Wines for Christmas Dinner

So, which Italian wines will bring a taste of la dolce vita to your holiday season? Read on for a delightful selection of six Italian wines for Christmas dinner, plus recommended pairings for each wine.

Prosecco

No celebration is complete without bubbly. If we’re talking Italian wines and bubbly, then we’re popping Prosecco. This Italian sparkling wine is both affordable and delicious. It’s the ideal wine to serve when guests arrive as the celebrations commence to whet the appetite. Yet not all Prosecco is created equal. To find high quality Prosecco, you must know where to look. Namely, Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG.

What Prosecco is Best?

First off, all Prosecco is made in the Veneto from the Glera grape. This variety is characterized by intense fruity flavors of pear, stone fruits like peach, and delicate floral aromas, such as honeysuckle. Prosecco is made in the Charmat method. Whereas sparkling wines like Champagne, Franciacorta, and Cava are made in the traditional method with a secondary fermentation in bottle. Prosecco’s secondary fermentation, which creates the bubbles in the finished wine, occurs in a pressurized tank. Learn more about the winemaking methods of Prosecco here.

When selecting holiday wines, you’ll likely want to level up from the basic Prosecco poured at the bottomless mimosa bar at Sunday brunch.  So, keep an eye out for this appellation on the label: Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG.

This is a step up in quality from the wider Prosecco DOC, which incorporates grapes grown in a larger area of the Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Grapes for the Conegliano Valdobbiadene Superiore designation are only grown on the steep hillsides between Valdobbiadene and Conegliano. The zone’s topography is a major influence yielding more concentrated Prosecco.

Other quality Prosecco appellations to seek out include the Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG, Prosecco Valdobbiadene Superiore Rive DOCG, and Valdobbiadene Superiore di Cartizze DOCG.

Prosecco Wine Pairings

A vibrant, buoyant Italian wine like Prosecco begs to be paired with lighter fare or dishes loaded with vibrant flavors. If serving as one of your wines for Christmas dinner, pair it with fresh cheeses like goat cheese or marinated feta, shrimp cocktail, or grilled scallops with herb infused butter. It’s the perfect bubbly to pair with appetizers, salads, rice pilaf with herbs and aromatics, fritto misto, or lighter seafood. Prosecco’s fruity flavors will pop alongside herbs, creamy textures, and buttery seafood.

For a traditional Italian food and wine pairing, we’ll rely on the age-old adage, what grows together goes together. Try Prosecco with Italian recipes from the Veneto like bigoli in salsa, risi e bisi alla veneta, or risotto alla trevigiana made with bitter radicchio and sparkling wine.

Timorasso

A selection of holiday wines would not be complete without at least one off-the-beaten-path wine. Introducing your guests to a new variety is always exciting. Plus, intriguing wines always make great conversation starters, especially when they have a backstory like Timorasso.

Hailing from the land of Barolo and Barbaresco, this Italian white variety is native to Piemonte. Specifically, Timorasso is indigenous to Tortona. Known as Derthona in the local dialect, this zone lies in southeastern Piemonte about 100 km east of Barolo. Timorasso has been cultivated here since the Middle Ages and was initially one of the most prominent white Piedmontese grape varieties. However, when phylloxera wiped out European vineyards in the late 1800s, growers were devastated. Their life’s work destroyed, many replanted grape varieties more aligned with current tastes and guaranteed to bring them income. The market favored reds, so that’s what growers planted, along with the more reliable white, Cortese.

Consequently, Timorasso fell to near extinction until the pioneering vision of Walter Massa helped revitalize the variety.

Vigneti Massa

In 1976, Walter Massa graduated from Alba’s school of enology and soon took the helm of his family’s winery in Colli Tortonesi.  Situated in the hilltop village of Monleale, production had long been focused on popular Barbera with some Cortese and Croatina. Massa recognized the soil, climate, and elevation of Colli Tortonesi as ideal for cultivating white grape varieties. The soils are a mixture of calcareous clay with ancient marine deposits and limestone, which help foster freshness and concentration. The Massa vineyards had always grown some plantings of Timorasso that typically ended up blended with Cortese.

Following his gut, Walter Massa produced his first single varietal Timorasso in 1987 with just 500 bottles. From that first bottling, he knew Timorasso was going to make big waves in the world of wine. Today, Massa is growing around 10 hectares of this native grape variety and other wineries in Piedmont, like Vietti, have adopted this rising star as well. 

This Italian white wine entices with ripe peach, pineapple, white almond, and honeysuckle aromas. Expect complex texture that keeps you coming back for one sip after the next with balanced acidity and full body. Timorasso is an exceptional wine for Chardonnay fans looking to branch out from their go-to white wine. Particularly for those Chardonnay lovers who enjoy a full-bodied white wine without the overpowering notes of butter or vanilla.

Shop Vigneti Massa wines here. 

Timorasso Wine Pairings

Timorasso’s complexities, concentrated fruit flavors, and vivid palate make an excellent match for full flavored, spicy, or rich dishes. As an Italian wine for Christmas dinner, savor Timorasso with shellfish or pasta dishes like spaghetti con vongole (spaghetti with clams). For Christmas in Sardinia, we like to add bottarga to spaghetti con vongole. Timorasso would be a delectable pairing for the sea salty flavors of bottarga and clams. Baked scallops, smoked fish pate, citrus roasted chicken, or roasted sea bass are also outstanding pairings for Timorasso. For a traditional Piedmontese pairing, try bagna cauda or agnolotti filled with ricotta and spinach.

Etna Rosso

Volcanic wines are all the rage lately and rightfully so. The vivacity, crisp acidity, and mineral characteristics imparted by volcanic soils are undeniably irresistible. What better place to start exploring volcanic wines than from the vineyards around Europe’s largest volcano – Mount Etna. The Etna DOC encompasses white, rosé, red, and sparkling wines. Though if you’re selecting Italian wines for Christmas dinner, I can’t recommend Etna Rosso enough.

Etna Rosso wines must be made from a minimum of 80% Nerello Mascalese with a maximum of 20% Nerello Cappuccio, or up to 10% of other native varieties. Nerello Mascalese brings an explosion of flavor with every sip. Expect a palate bursting with red fruit flavors like strawberry and red cherry with hints of cinnamon spice, dried orange peel, and wild herbs. Nerello Cappuccio has similar yet more lifted, perfumed aromas. Both have high acidity and balanced tannins, which make for a particularly meal-worthy wine when blended together for Etna Rosso.

Etna Rosso Wine Pairing

Etna Rosso truly is one of the ultimate Italian wines for Christmas dinner. This wine pairs with a range of dishes thanks to its underlying mineral notes, pop of red fruit flavors, and earthiness. Recipes with red sauces pair especially well with Etna Rosso, as does roasted chicken, herb laden risottos, and just about anything in a mushroom or truffle sauce.

For a traditional Sicilian food and wine pairing, opt for lobster and saffron arancini, linguine with mussels in a spicy red sauce, or eggplant caponata.

Chianti

Chianti is one of the most beloved Italian wines the world over. Made predominantly from Sangiovese grown amidst the foothills of the Apennines in Central Italy, Chianti has all the quintessential characteristics of the perfect Italian wine for Christmas dinner. Aromas and flavors of red cherry, plum, and dried herbs with supple tannins and notes of spice offer a festive palate for the season.

Yet holiday wines for celebratory occasions should be a step above the rest. If you’re reaching for Chianti, opt for one of the subzones known for superior quality, such as Chianti Rufina DOCG or Chianti Colli Senesi DOCG. Chianti Rufina is perhaps the most famous of the seven Chianti subzones. It’s the furthest from the coast and the highest of all the Chianti appellations. That high altitude means there’s a bigger diurnal temperature change. Therefore, as the Mediterranean sun ripens grapes and develops flavors during the day, the nighttime drop in temperature helps preserve acidity and freshness.

Chianti Wine Pairings

If serving Chianti as one of your holiday wines, try pairing this Italian red wine with classic Tuscan recipes. For appetizers, prepare a board of Tuscan charcuterie with Pecorino cheese and Crostini Neri (chicken liver crostini). Pair with ricotta ravioli, pasta with a rich meat ragu, or ravioli with butter and sage for the first course. For your main course, serve arista di maiale al forno, a popular Tuscan recipe for roasted pork loin simply seasoned with olive oil, salt, garlic, rosemary, and sage.

Primitivo

Fans of Zinfandel can turn to Primitivo when selecting Italian wines for Christmas dinner. These two red varieties are genetically similar and exhibit comparable flavor profiles and characteristics. Primitivo is widespread in Puglia, located in the hotter, more maritime south of Italy. Historically, vines in this Italian wine region were bush trained to provide enough leaf cover to protect the grapes from sunburn. Old bush-trained vines are still prominent here today. The intense heat from the sun develops robust, full-bodied wines with concentrated fruit flavors and high alcohol.

Primitivo wines are typically a deep, dark ruby color in the glass, bursting with intense aromas of dark cherries, blackberries, blood orange zest, and dried flowers. The palate delivers balanced acidity, round, supple tannins, and a luxurious mouthfeel.

Primitivo Wine Pairings

Primitivo is one of the best holiday wines for Christmas dinner because it’s deep and concentrated enough to pair with meat dishes, but elegant enough to pair with heartier seafood. It makes a beautiful match for a saffron tomato seafood paella or grilled swordfish with an herbaceous chimichurri. Other classic Christmas dinner pairings include roasted lamb chops, prime rib with a creamy horseradish sauce, or bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin. For a traditional Primitivo wine pairing from Puglia, try cavatelli in a hearty ragu sauce, orecchiette with turnip tops, or lampascioni, lamb baked with potatoes and onions.

Brachetto D’Acqui

Marenco Pineto is the best!

No Italian wines for Christmas dinner list would be complete without a sweet wine option to round out a festive evening. Personally, I enjoy dessert wines with freshness that aren’t overly cloying and sweet. Brachetto d’Acqui ticks all the right boxes for me. Plus, it’s native to perhaps my favorite Italian wine region – Piemonte.  

Brachetto is a highly aromatic red grape variety with aromas of wild strawberries and fresh rose petals. The Brachetto d’Acqui DOCG utilizes solely this grape variety to produce lightly sparkling (frizzante) or sparkling (spumante) red wines, a rosato, and a rare passito wine. Any sweetness comes from the natural sugars in the Brachetto grapes and these wines are bottled at low alcohol levels around 5% abv.

Brachetto D’Acqui Wine Pairings

Thanks to its fresh, fruity character, aromatic nature, and balanced sweetness, Brachetto D’Acqui makes a delicious pairing for most desserts. This Italian dessert wine is tasty alongside fruit pies and tarts, chocolate cake with hazelnuts, and other nutty treats. For an authentic Italian pairing, try Brachetto with torrone, an Italian nougat, or baci di dama, buttery hazelnut cookies sandwiched around chocolate.

The Ultimate Holiday Food & Wine Pairing Guide – Made in Collaboration with Top Food & Wine Influencers

The holidays are a time for savoring special moments, and what better way to do that than with this exclusive Holiday Food & Wine Guide? Curated in collaboration with top food and wine influencers from around the world, this guide is a treasure trove of delectable recipes and expertly paired wines.