Mutineer Magazine hosted a Holiday Comedy Festival at Jacuzzi Family Vineyards in Sonoma, CA with great wine, food and comedy rocking the night away.

The event featured special guest Jonathan Goldsmith (Dos Equis’ Most Interesting Man In the World) along with Natasha Leggero (NBC’s “Last Comic Standing”) ,Hal Sparks (VHI) and festival host Ben Morrison of “Punk’d,”.

Hundreds attended the event and proceeds gathered went to the charitable water relief through A Child’s Right.

Delicious food was brought in from some of California’s top food trucks, including Napa’s Dim Sum Charlie’s, BBQ offerings from Sonoma’s Cochon Volant, sliders from Napa’s Marks the Spot and Kara’s Cupcakes.

The food paired nicely with the Italian wine varietals of Jacuzzi Vineyards. One of my favorites of the night was their Primitivo, aka the father of Zinfandel. This was a jammy, juicy, nicely balanced red that would be perfect with the Marks the Spot sliders.

Watch WineChannelTV in Sonoma and learn more about this unique Sonoma Winery and fun event!

Cheers!

JustJess

Are you looking for a wine to test out with The Wine Clip that I reviewed the other day ? Look no further than Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel.

The eye-catching label of this Wal-Mart Zinfandel caught my eye, and at only $8.97 I thought I’d give it a try.

The robust licorice and plum aromas were complimented by spicy berry, vanilla, oak and chocolate flavors with a lingering finish.

The Gnarly Head site mentions this would be a great pairing with chili, bbq or pizza, and I agree! This is not a wine for that special steak or anniversary night…this is what you would expect for $8.97.

Take a look to see exactly what JustJess thought of this wine !

Cheers,

JustJess

Frank Sinatra music, Da Bears on TV , and Italian food to sooth the soul is what you’ll find in Old Town Scottsdale at the Italian Grotto!

Wine is aplenty to match any dish you decide on, I went with the 07′ Francis Coppola Zin which was bold, jammy and delish with my cioppino..and not to mention great for my budget at around 30 bucks for a bottle!

Take a look at the owner and I post meal ..and bears win..you can tell we were excited!
( can you see what’s in his hand by the way? yea he loved giving free shots all night to our table- the bartender stated in 40 yrs he never saw the owner do that haha

Cheers!

Who do you have helping you pick out the perfect wines for your Christmas Dinner? I’ve got special help as you can see here! So let me pass along some of my helpers hidden wine secrets.

JustJess and her Secret Wine Team

Pairing Wine with Christmas Dinner

The key to choosing the right wine for any holiday meal is to select a wine that complements the meal that you are serving, rather than contrasting it. The wine selections that you make should mesh well with the meal options that you have chosen. For this reason, planning your meal ahead of time is the best way to ensure that you make the right wine selections.

Christmas meals happen to be a well suited time for experimenting with new wine flavors, because different party guests will have unique tastes and preferences when it comes to whites, reds and other specialty wines. Here is a look at some of the more versatile white and red wine varieties that are well suited for a Christmas dinner party. This is not a strict guide to pairing wine with Christmas meals, but it should steer your own choices in the right direction.

When serving ham with Christmas dinner,
- Some examples of white wines that are worth sharing include Gewurztraminer and Riesling, as both are excellent choices.
- Some examples of red wines that are worth sharing include Beaujolais Nouveau, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir or Tempranillo.

When serving turkey with Christmas dinner,
- Some examples of white wines that are worth sharing include Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc or Viognier.
- Some examples of red wines that are worth sharing include Beaujolais Nouveau, Syrah or Shiraz, Zinfandel or Pinot Noir.

When serving goose with Christmas dinner,
- Some examples of white wines that are worth sharing include Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay.
- Some examples of red wines that are worth sharing include Tempranillo, Zinfandel or Red Burgundy.

For non-traditional meal choices such as serving prime rib with Christmas dinner,
- White wines tend to have difficulty holding up when it comes to the flavors found in red meat dishes.
- Do not be afraid to experiment with different red wine varietals.
- Some examples of red wines that are worth sharing include Tempranillo, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel.

If you are unsure about the type of wine to use when hosting a Christmas dinner party, it would benefit you to choose a couple of different selections. With several wines to choose from, your guests will be able to select what suits their tastes and your guests are much more likely to all be satisfied with the selection. Choosing a single bottle of wine that suits all tastes is not easy, after all. When you select several unique varietals and give your guests a choice, the dinner party will surely be enjoyed all around.

There’s no right or wrong way to pair wine with a Christmas meal as long as everyone enjoys themselves!

And remember Wine is Just a Conversation waiting to happen”. Join JustJess on “WineChannelTV.tv” each week!