When it comes to the holidays, there’s never a one-size-fits-all drinking plan. Plenty among us will mark the festive season with an electric green Grinch cocktail spiked with melon-flavored Midori. Others will gravitate toward the minty “It’s a Wonderful Life” cocktail doctored with Irish cream liqueur. More still will prefer spice-scented aquavit, or velvety hot buttered rum. But for those of us kitchen-oriented folk, who’ve been planning our Christmas menus since July? Wine—and specifically, the right wine to pair with food—is the name of the game. It's not always an easy equation. What’s the just-right bottling to accompany a glistening ham drizzled with a sauce of Port and sweet-tart cherry preserves? Or a wine that dazzles alongside a plateful of salty baccala, also known as salt-dried cod? Never fear, we’ve tapped the experts in Wine Enthusiast’s Tasting Department for bottlings that’ll make any of these fantastic Christmas-ready dishes sing. The Best Wine for Ham: Netzl 2019 Rubin Carnuntum Zweigelt (Carnuntum) The Best Wine for Turkey: Tablas Creek 2021 Patelin de Tablas Red (Paso Robles) The Best Wine for Rack of Lamb: Bodegas Muriel 2016 Fincas de la Villa Reserva (Rioja) The Best Wine for Salt Cod Stew: Alexakis 2020 Assyrtiko (Crete) The Best Wine for Roasted Whole Fish: Napa Cellars 2021 Chardonnay (Napa County) The Best Wine for Brussels Sprouts: The Eyrie Vineyards 2020 Estate Pinot Gris (Dundee Hills) The Best Wine for Pear and Parsnip Gratin: Domaine Laporte 2021 La Terre des Anges (Sancerre) The Best Wine for Barley and Butternut Squash Salad: Anselmo Mendes 2021 Muros Antigos Alvarinho Alvarinho (Vinho Verde) The Best Wine for Whiskey Pumpkin Pie: Seppeltsfield NV Para Grand Tawny Red (Australia) The Best Wine for Hazelnut Cookies: Volpaia 2015 Vin Santo del Chianti Classico Why You Should Trust Us All products featured here are independently selected by our team, which is comprised of experienced writers and wine tasters and overseen by editorial professionals at Wine Enthusiast headquarters. All ratings and reviews are performed blind in a controlled setting and reflect the parameters of our 100-point scale. Wine Enthusiast does not accept payment to conduct any product review, though we may earn a commission on purchases made through links on this site. Prices were accurate at the time of publication.