Opportunity in a bottle

Although the season of giving has passed, you can provide the perfect wine pairing for your meal. Show your thoughtful spirit and good taste by offering up a great bottle of wine as a gift to show your appreciation.

Wine, which makes a great gift, can be served with your own spread to make the feast extra special. The following pairing suggestions are perfect for any occasion:

Chardonnay: A fruity, rich and versatile white wine with a round mouthfeel, Chardonnay — such as O Wines’ 2011 Chardonnay, which is steel-tank fermented — is a great food wine that can be easily paired with seafood, chicken, pasta or cheese.

Riesling: Made dry or sweet, with intense fruit flavors of green apple, pear and lime, Riesling is a crisp, clean white wine that is lighter than Chardonnay and pairs nicely with spicy foods, poultry and pork.

Pinot Grigio: Simple, light-bodied, dry and crisp, Pinot Grigio, also known as Pinot Gris, is a white wine that most often accompanies seafood, pasta, vegetarian dishes or chicken.

Merlot: A soft, supple red wine with nice fruit flavors of plums and blackberries — and occasionally mint, chocolate and eucalyptus — Merlot goes well with meat dishes such as beef and lamb.

Cabernet Sauvignon: A more assertive red wine than merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon can have flavors of blackberries, plums, black currants and cassis, and also pairs well with hearty meat dishes.

Syrah: Sometimes known as Shiraz, Syrah is a very versatile, spicy, rich, darkly delicious red wine that pairs well with a wide variety of foods, including grilled meats.

Another popular wine trend is blends, which combine the best of several varietals for a unique and complex flavor. For example, O Wines’ 2010 Red Wine, which is aged for 22 months in oak barrels, is a rich, flavorful blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah that pairs well with hearty pastas, grilled burgers, pizza and meat skewers.

Not just a delicious accompaniment on your dinner table, some wines help invoke a sense of charity and spirit of giving a gift that gives back.