FORMAL, MULTI-COURSE MEAL. BUT THERE’S A NEW TREND MAKING THE SPIRITS A LITTLE MORE CASUAL. SO LET’S HEAD ON OVER TO TAMARA NOW TO SHOW US SOME OF THE PAIRING OPTIONS AS YOU PREPARE TO HOST YOUR NEXT HOLIDAY GATHERING. YEAH, I BET YOU GUYS HAVEN’T HEARD OF THIS WORD YET. SNACK, MISS. YEAH, YOU KNOW WHAT’S BETTER THAN HAVING, YOU KNOW, JUST A DISPLAY OF FOOD THAT YOU CAN JUST KIND OF THE FINGER FOODS, CLASSICS THAT YOU CAN GET INTO AND THEN YOU’RE PROBABLY WONDERING, LIKE, I DO, WHAT KIND OF WINE AM I OPENING TO GO WITH IT? SO FOR MORE ON THAT, I’VE GOT AMANDA MCCROSSIN. SHE IS WITH THE CALIFORNIA WINES AND YOU HAVE SOME GREAT IDEAS AND ONE OF THEM I WAS SHOCKED TO HEAR. OH WELL, I’M VERY EXCITED TO SHARE THEM WITH YOU. IT’S ALWAYS A GREAT MORNING TO HAVE A LITTLE CALIFORNIA WINE WITH YOU, ESPECIALLY AFTER A GREAT HARVEST THIS YEAR. WONDERFUL, AMAZING 2024 HARVEST. AND YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS COMING UP IN THE WINE WORLD, I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT YOU HAD TO DO THESE BIG FANCY MULTI-COURSE WINE. AN ELABORATE. YEAH, BUT I HAVE LEARNED IN MY MATURITY THAT YOU DO NOT NEED TO GO ALL OUT AND SNACKING WITH WINE IS ACTUALLY ONE OF MY FAVORITE WAYS TO ENJOY SOME OF THE WINES THAT WE HAVE TODAY. SO WE’RE GOING TO DO JUST FOR ME HERE. I POURED YOU A LITTLE SPARKLING WINE. THIS IS FROM CALIFORNIA. THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL SPARKLING WINE. AND WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT SPARKLING WINE IS OF THE WINE SPECTRUM. THESE ARE THE HIGHEST ACID WINES YOU CAN FIND, WHICH IS GREAT FOR WINE PAIRING FOR FOOD. YES. SO WE WANT OUR ACIDS TO BE AS HIGH OR HIGHER THAN THE FOODS THAT THEY’RE PAIRING WITH, WHICH IS EVERYTHING ON THIS TABLE, WHICH MEANS THE SURPRISING WINE PAIRING THAT YOU’RE EXCITED ABOUT IS RIGHT HERE. THIS IS THE MIDDLE. HAVE YOU EVER HAD FRIED CHICKEN AND SPARKLING WINE? I DON’T THINK SO. I THINK I’D HAVE, LIKE, A SODA WITH FRIED CHICKEN OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. OKAY, SO THIS WILL BLOW YOUR MIND. SO BECAUSE YOU’VE GOT THIS, LIKE, VERY RICH FRIED CHICKEN. AND BY THE WAY, THIS IS A BASQUE STYLE FRIED CHICKEN. IT’S ACTUALLY GOT SOME ROOTS IN IN BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA, WHICH IS REALLY. YEAH, THAT’S VERY COOL BECAUSE THIS IS RICH AND KIND OF DECADENT. THE ACIDITY FROM THE SPARKLING WINE HERE REALLY KIND OF BRIGHTENS IT UP AND KEEPS IT NICE AND FRESH. AND SO WHEN YOU TRY THESE TWO TOGETHER, YOU’RE GOING TO FIND THAT THE FRIED CHICKEN REALLY KIND OF I THINK I MIGHT JUST PULL A LITTLE SLIVER OFF OF HERE BECAUSE I DON’T KNOW, I DON’T THINK IT’S GOING TO LOOK GREAT ON CAMERA TO ACTUALLY RIP INTO A PIECE OF CHICKEN. BUT YEAH, YOU JUST TRY A LITTLE SLIVER HERE. YEAH. SO THIS IS NICE. I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY WE ALL HAVE, YOU KNOW, FRIED CHICKEN IN SOME CAPACITY WHEN WE’RE AT HOME. AND YOU FEEL THAT RICHNESS THAT’S COMING DOWN AS YOU TAKE A SIP OF THIS SPARKLING, SALTY AND OF COURSE, CALIFORNIA KISSED FRUIT. RIGHT? SO YOU GET A LITTLE BIT OF THAT RIPENESS, BUT IT KIND OF JUST CLEANS AND FRESHENS IT RIGHT UP. YOU DON’T JUST HAVE TO USE FRIED CHICKEN. BY THE WAY. POTATO CHIPS ARE GREAT AS WELL FOR FRENCH FRIES, ANY SORT OF FRIED FOOD AND SPARKLING WINE IS A GAME CHANGER. OKAY, BUT I WANT TO SHOW YOU WHAT ELSE DO YOU HAVE AS WELL? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE ALL LOVE TO. I LOVE TO SNACK WITH CHEESE. I LOVE CHEESE. YOU CAN DO A FULL CHEESE BOARD. YOU DON’T HAVE TO. YOU CAN GO INTO YOUR FRIDGE AND GET WHATEVER YOU WANT. BUT HERE’S THE THING ABOUT CHEESE. CHEESE IS INCREDIBLY HIGH IN ACIDITY. AND REMEMBER I TOLD YOU YOUR SPARKLING WINE OR YOUR WINE HAS TO BE AS HIGH OR HIGHER THAN THE FOOD THAT YOU’RE PAIRING WITH. SO WHEN YOU’VE GOT HIGH ACID CHEESE, YOU REALLY WANT SOMETHING LIKE SPARKLING WINE OR EVEN WHITE WINE TO PAIR WITH IT. NOT RED. INTERESTING, BECAUSE TRADITIONALLY I WOULD DEFAULT TO A RED WINE. CORRECT? SO IF YOU’RE GOING TO DO CHEESE AND WINE, STICK WITH WHITE. WE LOVE A SAUVIGNON BLANC OR EVEN A CHARDONNAY. SAUVIGNON BLANC IS GREAT WITH GOAT CHEESE. CHARDONNAY IS GREAT WITH YOUR CREAMIER CHEESES. IF YOU WANT A RED WINE, YOU CAN DO SOMETHING LIKE A PINOT NOIR, WHICH IS A LITTLE LIGHTER AND WORKS REALLY WELL WITH A CHARCUTERIE BOARD LIKE WE HAVE HERE, RIGHT? OR I LOVE A LITTLE HAM AND CHEESE ROLL UP OUT OF YOUR FRIDGE. THIS IS WONDERFUL AS WELL. YES, I DO WANT TO MENTION ALL OF THIS PAIRING. YES. WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU CAN FIND ALL OF THIS. THERE’S A FREE PAIRING AND BOOK PAIRING E-BOOK ON DISCOVER CALIFORNIA WINES.COM. IT’S AMAZING. SO IF YOU NEED A LITTLE INSPIRATION, IF YOU’RE FEELING A LITTLE LIKE YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON, HEAD TO THE BOOK AND THEY’LL GUIDE YOU THROUGH EVERYTHING. AND IT’S THE HOLIDAYS SO YOU CAN FEEL A LITTLE BIT FLUSTERED. AND WHAT I LOVE ABOUT DISCOVER CALIFORNIA WINES.COM IS THAT YOU GO IN THERE IF YOU KNOW YOU’RE GOING TO SERVE, LET’S SAY A PINOT NOIR. YES, YOU COULD DO THE DROP DOWN AND IT WILL SUGGEST THE RECIPES TO GO ALONG WITH IT. YES, IT MAKES LIFE EASY SO YOU CAN ALL COME TOGETHER, HAVE A BOTTLE OF WINE, HAVE SOME SNACKS AND FEEL LIKE YOU CAN ENJOY THE HOLIDAYS. PERFECT. WELL, CHEERS TO THAT. CHEERS. ALWAYS A PLEASURE. HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND HAP