The 20 Best Christmas Wines for Your Holiday Table

How do you deal with family on Christmas? Wine... and more wine. It's an old joke, but wine truly is a staple at many Christmas parties and celebrations.

"A popular choice for the big Christmas meal is a rich, full-bodied red—usually a cabernet sauvignon to pair with a beautiful rib roast on the table," says Ian Cauble, master sommelier and founder of SommSelect. Look for a bottle that’s well balanced and not overly oaky, so you can taste all the nuances in the various dishes on the table, he says. "For white wines, a richly textured chardonnay from Burgundy, France will be a perfect fit." These wines are often similar to full-bodied California chardonnays, but typically have more acidity and minerality to pair well with various holiday foods like ham, turkey, and even fish, he explains.

But don't feel beholden to these selections—especially if that's not how your palate guides you. Unlike Thanksgiving where the vast majority serve turkey, Christmas foods and holiday traditions vary greatly by region—and that tends to dictate Christmas wine selection, says Jonathan Teague, director of food and beverage at The Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale. "Here in South Florida, a traditional entrée is roasted pork, which pairs well with a Côtes du Rhône. And in Charleston, South Carolina where I am from, we traditionally serve oysters, which pairs well with a chablis." Of course, you can always go the safe route, which Teague says is a pinot noir, since it pairs well with a variety of traditional Christmas entrees such as turkey, duck, and ham.

Don't forget the bubbly either, says Nicole Haarklau, director of food and beverage for Hotel Vin. "It's extremely versatile and pairs well with any food, or even as an aperitif." Finally, no Christmas dinner should be held without a couple of bottles of sweet wines for the end of night, says Jean-Frédéric Hugel, owner of Famille Hugel.

No matter where your taste buds lead you, these are the best affordable wines—traditional and more modern—for your Christmas celebration.