()Holiday entertaining can be stressful. What should you cook? What wines go well with what? With a little planning and a few tools, you can make the holidays a breeze.

Janice Mondavi is well-aware of this. Janice Mondavi, a mother to four daughters and a member the illustrious C. Mondavi wine group, hosts large extended families throughout the holidays. She keeps some of her favorite recipes on hand, and shares some tips for pairing the perfect wine with it.

Janice loves easy wine pairings and her favourite roast recipes. She loves that steaks and roasts can be easily prepared for her large family. She loves the family’s holiday dinner. “Steak Sliced Thin”Rosa Mondavi, Rosa Mondavi’s wife and the matriarch of the Mondavi wine family in Napa Valley, created the New York Strip Steak recipe.

Janice believes that wine pairing is all about matching similar flavors. Janice, for example, pairs sweet wines with spicy food, light wines with simple dishes, and bold flavors with each other. She also mentioned that wine rules can be broken.

“Wine is simply a matter of personal preference and sometimes it’s fun to mix things up, especially during the holidays,”She adds. Some people like to combine opposite flavors. They will pair dry, acidic wines with rich, creamy sauces.

Janice is a big fan of a good cheat sheet when pairing wines. This is why Janice and her team from CK Mondavi and Family wine created this handy wine-pairing guide. “The CK Mondavi and Family Wine Pairing Made Simple,”You can download it here: www.ckmondavi.com/ckm-pairings.

Janice will make the Steak Sliced Thin recipe for her family at Christmas. “It is one of my husband Marc’s favorite dishes, is easy to make and everyone enjoys it,”She said. Janice will pair this dish with CK Mondavi or Family Cabernet Sauvignon or Scarlet Five (their Red Blend).

Grandma Rosa’s Mondavi steak Sliced Thin Recipe

Ingredients:

– 1 – 2 lb New York Strip sliced by your butcher into 1/2” or thinner

– 6-8 Garlic Cloves

– 1/4 cup CK Mondavi and Family Sauvignon Blanc

– 2 tbsp. Olive Oil

– Steak seasoning (The Mondavis prefer a simple seasoning of oregano, salt and pepper)

Directions:

Pound both sides of the steak slices until they are somewhat thin. Season each slice with oregano, salt and pepper (or your steak seasoning of choice). Set aside. Slice the cloves of garlic. Heat 2 tbsp. of the olive oil in a frying pan on very low heat. Add the garlic and sauté for a minute or so. Be sure not to burn the garlic slices. Add the wine and cook until the wine has evaporated. Turn up the heat to medium and begin to sauté the steak slices for about 2 minutes on each side for medium rare, a bit longer if you like your meat well done. Place on a serving platter and pour the excess sauce on top. Serve hot with any of your favorite side dishes.

Meet the Mondavis: Click hereView video