By Alex and Priya, A Vine Romance
It really is the most wonderful time of the year and what else do we do on our evenings at home but re-watch our favorite holiday movies? We can’t wait to curl up and enjoy our picks, and we’ve paired some wines to make those cozy evenings a bit cozier!
Love Actually
Sigh. One of our all-time favorite romantic comedies and like any good rom-com, it’s bittersweet, making you laugh out loud one moment and tear up the next. 
For this we choose a classic Amarone, which is rich, full-bodied and attention grabbing like the warmth of a fireplace.
It can have aspects of both–sweetness and bitterness. Plus, the words ‘amarone’ and ‘amore’ (‘love’ in Italian) are so similar, it’s just meant to be paired with this movie.
Elf
This is such a silly, innocent and crowd-pleasing movie.
It makes us all recall the sheer joy we felt as kids for Christmas and “SANTA!!!”
For this we’ve selected a Beaujolais which emulates it’s happy jubilant, lightness. Beaujolais is an easy-drinking wine that embodies the spirit of fun and really won’t offend anyone or any palate.
A Christmas Story
Who can f
orget Ralphie and his fixation on a getting a Red Ryder BB gun? Or his father’s fixation on that odd leg-lamp?
And, of course, the turkey that went to the dogs (literally), and the Chinese dinner that saved Christmas?
We decided on Vouvray to pair with this film. A drier style would’ve gone well with the ill-fated turkey, while a sweeter style would be great with the Peking Duck that Ralphie’s family ultimately chowed down on.
Jingle All the Way
Arnold buil
t his brand as the ultimate tough guy and then jaunted over into comedic territory.
For his versatility we selected Merlot which, when made in a certain way can be a very masculine, woodsy and powerfully structured wine with big tannins and a leathery note, but in another style it is supple and soft, disarming and easy—a bit like Arnold as the father who tries valiantly to get his child’s dream gift.
Die Hard
Right.
Perhaps a bit of an atypical choice here but Die Hard does take place on Christmas Eve and sometimes you just need a Grinch-y break from all the sappy, feel-good juju flying around!
What better wine to pair with the carnage and bloodshed John McClane experiences as he saves NYC than a whopper of a Hermitage—a strong, bloody, super masculine sip? It’s a wine that’ll grab you by the, er, snowballs.
Those are our picks, what are some of your most memorable holiday films?
We hope we’ve hit some of your favourites or maybe given you a new title or two to add to your list this year.
Alex and Priya are not only wine lovers, but lovers in real life. No wine snobbery here — they’re all about bringing wine back to the masses.
Alex is a Certified Sommelier who lives, breathes, and of course, drinks wine. He is very passionate about wine and is currently the in-house sommelier for celebrity chef Susur Lee’s “Lee Restaurant”.
Alex was the only person in a class of over 200 students to earn a perfect score on his Wine Specialist Exam in Napa, California.
Priya, an actor and on-camera host with top Canadian film talent, is a casual drinker and an entertaining hostess. With her background as a comic performer and producer, Priya has also produced and hosted events for groups of 100 to more than 2,000 guests.
Together, they are the hosts of the upcoming television series, “The Drink” on Bell FIBE1. Visit www.avineromance.com for more info.
