How to Pair Wine With Olive Oil and Balsamic for Holiday Gatherings

Most of the people who come through our tasting room in November already have the wine figured out. The bottle is chilling and the guest list is set. The question we hear is what to set next to the glass. Here is how we pair wine with olive oil and balsamic, plus three pairings to pour this season.

Start with weight, then find one shared note

Two things do most of the work. First, match weight. A light, crisp wine likes a bright olive oil and a fruity white balsamic, while a full red can stand up to a dark balsamic and a savory, peppery olive oil. Second, find one note the glass and the plate share: fruit with fruit, oak with oak, butter with butter. One shared note is enough to make a pairing feel intentional.

One thing worth keeping in mind: keep the sweetness on the plate at or below the sweetness in the glass. A drizzle of sweet balsamic sits nicely next to a dry wine. A pool of it can make the same wine taste thin. A few drops go a long way.

Rosé with Honeyed Raspberry and Citrus Press

Rosé and a fruity white balsamic are an easy match. Honeyed Raspberry White Balsamic brings sweet raspberry and golden honey on a bright white balsamic base from Modena, which picks up the berry notes in most rosés. Spoon it over fresh goat cheese or a bowl of berries, then finish with a few drops of Citrus Press Extra Virgin Olive Oil, co-milled with fresh Sicilian-variety lemons on a single estate in Greece. The lemon keeps the plate fresh, so the rosé stays crisp from the first sip to the last.

For something a little more put together, our Whipped Feta: Two Ways belongs on this plate. The Citrus Press side and a glass of rosé were made for each other.

A bold red with dark chocolate, Old World Traditional and Rustic Ember

Dark chocolate and a bold red have been friends for a long time. Both carry deep, slightly bitter notes that soften each other. Add a few drops of Old World Traditional Dark Balsamic, made in Modena from just grape must and red wine vinegar, to a square of dark chocolate. Its gentle tartness echoes the dark fruit in the wine.

On the savory side of the board, pour Rustic Ember Extra Virgin Olive Oil for bread and an aged cheese. It is our blend of two co-milled olive oils from the same Greek estate, one pressed together with baklouti green peppers and one with Mani rosemary. That gentle green-pepper warmth and piney depth hold their own next to a red.

Chardonnay with Golden Butter and Barrel & Maple

A buttery, oaked chardonnay likes the same notes on the plate. Golden Butter Extra Virgin Olive Oil has the rich, silky taste of melted butter, with none of its flavor coming from dairy. Brush it over warm sourdough and set it right next to the glass.

Then reach for Barrel & Maple Dark Balsamic, a Modena dark balsamic with warm oak, bourbon and maple notes. Drizzle it over a wedge of brie or a tray of roasted squash. Oak meets oak, butter meets butter. For an estate olive oil on the same board, Tuscan Sun Extra Virgin Olive Oil, co-milled with garlic, rosemary, sage, oregano and basil, brings a savory, herby side to the brie and maple.

Serving a first course? Our Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with a Maple Balsamic Finish sits beautifully alongside a glass of chardonnay.

Set up a pairing board at home

Three glasses, three small plates and a basket of warm bread. Pour a little of each olive oil and balsamic into small dishes and let everyone taste the wine first, then the pairing, then the wine again. That second sip is when the conversation starts. Anyone skipping wine can join in with sparkling water and a splash of Honeyed Raspberry.

Headed to someone else's table this season? A bottle of wine with a 375ml olive oil or balsamic chosen to match it makes an easy host gift. The Lasting Table covers bread, cheese and fresh fruit in one navy gift box, ready to open that night.

Taste all three with us

If you would rather taste before you pour, our Holiday Wine Pairing Night on Thursday, November 19, from 6 to 8 pm in our Crown Point tasting room, walks through a rosé, a red and a chardonnay, each with its own olive oil and balsamic pairing on a single-serve charcuterie board. Everyone goes home with a pairing card for every wine from the night.

However you pour it this season, here is to the glass, the plate and the people gathered around both. Gather. Savor. Connect.