Now that winter is almost upon us, you’re going to have a lot of holiday parties coming up. That means you’re going to be bringing wine, and you’ll need to make sure you’re bringing the right wine for the right occasion.

Consider who the wine is for. Who’s hosting the party? Your girlfriend’s parents? Your boss? Friends of a friend?

Once you know that, it’s easy to determine what price range and type of wine to bring. Do they prefer red or white? What food will be served? If you don’t know, it’s usually best to bring red. More people prefer red to white and it complements a greater variety of meals.

What Flavour of Wine To Bring?

Does your host eat a lot of spicy, robust foods? If so, they’ll enjoy a Syrah wine. Syrah (or Shiraz) wines are robust and flavourful, often containing hints of pepper, espresso, chocolate, truffle and oak.

Do your partner’s parents maintain a healthy lifestyle and eat a lot of lighter fare like salads or fish? If so, they might enjoy a Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc. These white wines are drier and have wide diversity in the food pairing spectrum. Chardonnay can work beautifully with roast chicken or smoked fish, while Sauvignon Blanc can pair with sushi or salads, thanks to its wide palate of flavours, from grass to tropical.

What’s The Occasion?

Is it a birthday? An office party, a dinner party, or simply a holiday get-together?

Depending on the level of pomp and circumstance surrounding the event, you can adjust the budget and type of wine. For your boss or close family friends, it’s ideal to spend a little more to get a higher quality bottle of wine. You can even find some reasonably priced vintage wines that add an extra touch of class and specialness. Ask at your local liquor store for suggestions if you feel uncertain, but researching and reading wine labels yourself can be a lot of fun.

If you’re attending a loose, casual holiday party, a fun alternative is to bring a bottle of bubbly.

Champagne comes from the Champagne region of France and refers to only that region’s sparkling wine; but you can find great sparkling wines that are just as flavourful and enticing as Champagne.

The carbonation and sweet dryness of sparkling wine makes it a fun holiday treat. If it’s that kind of party, it can also be mixed with a splash of fruit juice to create a sparkling wine cocktail (try pomegranate juice or orange juice).

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