A great holiday movie and a great glass of wine share a quality: they make the moment feel more intentional. Light the fire, queue the film, and pour accordingly. Here are five pairings to get you through the season.
At a Glance
- Love Actually with Private Reserve Chardonnay
- Elf with Nightingale Dessert Wine
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas with Knights Valley Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
- A Christmas Story with Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
- The Polar Express with Knights Valley Reserve Red Blend
- Also: Spiced popcorn recipe below
1. Love Actually + Private Reserve Chardonnay
Love, drama, heartbreak, and redemption across an ensemble cast — this film puts you through it, which is exactly why you need something comforting in the glass. Private Reserve Chardonnay is that wine: creamy texture, lemon curd, rich citrus, and hints of brioche and crème brûlée. It carries the emotional weight of the film without adding to it.
2. Elf + Nightingale Dessert Wine
Buddy the Elf's four main food groups are candy, candy canes, candy corn, and syrup. The only appropriate wine pairing is Beringer's Nightingale Botrytised Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. This winery-exclusive dessert wine brings preserved Meyer lemon, burnt caramel, honey, apricot, and melon with touches of spice — sweet enough to keep pace with Buddy, complex enough for the adults in the room. Ask about availability at the Beringer tasting room or through wine club membership.
3. How the Grinch Stole Christmas + Knights Valley Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
When someone is actively trying to ruin Christmas, you need something that drinks easily and holds up under pressure. Knights Valley Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, with ripe black cherry and boysenberry and hints of cinnamon and vanilla bean, is exactly that. It's expressive, approachable, and — in Beringer's characterization — basically Christmas spirit in a glass.
4. A Christmas Story + Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
A classic film deserves a classic wine. A Christmas Story follows Ralphie Parker through his single-minded pursuit of a BB gun for Christmas, set in the 1940s with the warmth and humor that has made the film a perennial. It can only be paired with something of equal standing: Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Beringer's benchmark Napa red since 1977. Polished tannins, depth, and balance. The standard for remarkable Napa Cabernet.
5. The Polar Express + Knights Valley Reserve Red Blend
An adventure to the North Pole calls for something that surprises. The Knights Valley Reserve Red Blend delivers: cranberry, pomegranate, and rose hips with rich structure, bright acidity, and soft, silky tannins. Flavors that delight rather than settle. It is what Beringer imagines the Polar Express conductor sips after a long night on the rails.
Spiced Popcorn Recipe
The perfect accompaniment for any of the above.
Ingredients
- 6 to 8 cups cooked popcorn
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- 3 oz semi-sweet chocolate, melted (optional)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, salt, and cayenne.
- Drizzle melted butter over the popcorn and toss to coat.
- Add the spice mix and toss again until the popcorn is evenly covered.
- If using chocolate, melt in the microwave in 20-second bursts until smooth. Drizzle over the spiced popcorn with a fork.
- Serve warm, or chill for 15 minutes so the chocolate sets completely.
Quick Reference
| Movie | Wine | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Love Actually | Private Reserve Chardonnay | Creamy, comforting, and emotionally appropriate |
| Elf | Nightingale Dessert Wine | Sweet enough for Buddy; complex enough for adults |
| How the Grinch Stole Christmas | KV Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon | Easy-drinking holiday spirit in a glass |
| A Christmas Story | Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon | A classic that deserves a classic |
| The Polar Express | KV Reserve Red Blend | Adventurous, surprising, built for the ride |
