5 Reasons To Mangia With Italian Wines For Christmas

The focus for Wine Wednesday this month has been getting ready for Christmas dinner. We've talked about versatile white wines, red blends and more. Southwest Florida is home to lots of people claiming Italian heritage. I am one of them so I couldn't wait to share these ideas as the final instalation. Here are 5 reasons to mangia with Italian wines for Christmas.

For Christmas dinner, my family always serves lasagne and manicotti. It is a ritual to make the delicate crepe manicotti shells Christmas morning, after opening presents. We also open lots of wine, including Italian selections. You do not have to serve Italian food to enjoy wine from the country with your holiday fare.

Wines from this country run the gamut but are often acidic and sometimes rustic. In addition, they are not always ideal for sipping but for enjoying with the food produced in the respective regions. If you are serving fatty, robust meats, a wine with some acid is a great companion. I don't have a barbera listed below. However, it is versatile and a favorite food wine.

** Keep in mind, prices may vary from those listed here.

Do you still have more holiday parties to attend this week? Are you hosting people for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day and need to fill in some blanks when it comes to the menu? Maybe some of these ideas can help. Here are 5 fantastic appetizers for your festive Florida Christmas gatherings and for TikTok Tuesday.

I have been seeing lots of videos on social media where cheese balls are shaped into all kinds of things and decorated. It seemed like Christmas trees were trending so I tried one. First, I took two disks of Boursin Garlic and Herb Cheese and molded it into the shape of a tree. Next, I took olive and stuck them in the cheese with toothpicks. You can't break the toothpick in half. You have to use the entire thing since the cheese is so soft.

Finally, I took sprigs of rosemary and stuck those around the olives. It looked a like a Christmas Tree and it was fun to dig into. Here is a video of the finished product. It is a little sparse in areas, like my real Christmas Tree. However, I think it was a good first effort as guests were arriving.

Here is a another easy idea I used at one of my holiday parties. Arrange traditional caprese salad in the shape of a candy cane. The colors are also perfect for Christmas. And if you buy quality ingredients, it tastes darn good too.

You don't have to have a TikTok account to view these videos. We can use mine. Just scroll down and hit play from here. The videos are all office friendly. Finally, check out these 5 fantastic appetizers for your festive Florida Christmas gatherings and for TikTok Tuesday.

Bruschetta is always a crowd pleaser. It's easy to eat and not hard to make. This one has a little twist with the ricotta. I like it because it can be made in advance and easily assembled before guests arrive.

This one looks so cute when it's finished. It appears to be fairly easy to execute. Again, who doesn't like pastry bites full of melted cheese.

A friend brought something similar to my tree trimming party this year and it was a big hit. You can fill it full of other items too. My friend added some nuts and it really was good.

This one also used brie but is less of a mess on the plate. Quick little bites that you can also customize to your liking. You could even different kinds of cheeses and toppings.

Gluten free or have a guest who is? These are great substitutes for dough. It's another one that you can choose to stuff with whatever ingredients you like. Just use the salami as a base instead of pastry.