by Jan Lutz

Food tastes better with wine, and wine tastes better with food! This time of year when food is everywhere, why not enjoy it by pairing it with the great wines produced in North Central Washington?

Many people enjoy ham for theirChristmas dinner. According to Wine Folly, ham pairs best with wines that havea touch of sweetness, plenty acidity and bold fruit. Wine Folly suggestsRiesling, Moscato, Chenin Blanc, Rosé, Lambrusco, Grenache, and Zinfandel. TheChamber Tasting Room has a long list of Rosés for your ham dinner, includingHoran Estates, Crayelle Cellars, Malaga Springs, Errant Cellars, KeystoneCellars, Silvara Vineyards, Karma Vineyards and Water from Wine. The Chamberalso carries wonderful Chenin Blancs from Fielding Hills and Malaga Springs. Wehave Rieslings from Viento Ridge and Stemilt Creek Winery.

If Prime Rib is your entreechoice, it is delicious served with a Cabernet -based wine, or a more robustMerlot, Bordeaux, or Bordeaux-style blend. Pan seared filet is great pairedwith  a moderately tannic red likeMerlot, or a medium-weight Syrah or Zinfandel. The Chamber Tasting Room has beautiful Merlots from 37 Cellars, FieldingHills, and Viento Ridge. We also have Syrahs from Errant Cellars, BellaTerrazza Vineyards, Bianchi Vineyards, and Chateau Faire le Pont Winery, andMilbrandt Vineyards. Cabernet Sauvignons that we currently have in stockinclude Dead Crow, Malaga Springs, Water from Wine, Keystone Cellars, and RyanPatrick Vineyards. We also carry a wonderful Zinfandel from Malaga Springs.

Serious Eats has great suggestionsfor pairings for a pork roast: Nebbiolo, Chenin Blanc, Rose, Pinot Noir,Riesling, and Sparkling Cider. We love the Nebbiolo from Beaumont Cellars. TheChamber has a Pinot Noir from Keystone Cellars, and a delightful SparklingCider from Bad Granny. You can see the list of Rosés, Chenin Blancs, andRieslings in the pairings for ham, above.

Let’s not forget Turkey!Lighter-bodied red wines like Pinot Noir and Gamay Beaujolais work well withturkey, as well as white wines with a little sparkle and sharpness of fruit,such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Zinfandel, and dry Rosés. Welove the Chamber Tasting Room’s selection of Sauvignon Blancs from BianchiVineyards and Hard Hat Winery. Our selection of Chardonnays include: 37Cellars, Horan Estates Winery, Bella Terrazza Vineyards, Chris Daniel Cellars,Hard Hat Winery, Keystone Cellars, Milbrandt Vineyards, and Ryan PatrickVineyards.

Cheers to our local award-winningwineries! Happy Holidays and Happy New Year from all of us at the ChamberTasting Room!