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They are the world's most challenging food and wine matching exercise. Holiday dinners have everything from a diverse guest list (your mother-in-law who just loves White Zinfandel to your brother who sneers at anything under $30) to a diverse set of flavours on the table. So here are my top five tips for glorious success at the holiday dinner table.

Tip One: Match the stuffing, not the bird. Or the sausages, sauces, gravies... it doesn't matter. Just look for the most powerfully flavoured thing on the table and match your wine with that. Keep in mind that the turkey is probably the least powerfully flavoured thing on the table. My favourites at Christmas are wines from Rioja in Spain - names like CVNE, Artadi, Contino, Marques de Riscal and Telmo Rodriguez are all worth digging out.

Tip Two: Everyone loves Raymond... sorry, Pinot Noir. Pinot Noir may be a devil to grow, but it's a soft, juicy, elegant wine to drink and it goes with just about everything from salmon (seriously - slightly chill a light-bodied one) to beef. Try Avila Pinot Noir 2003 ($12.99, see www.avilawine.com for local stockists) for a truly wonderful example at a frankly astonishing price.

Tip Three: Big wines - big mistake. I know you love them - you've told me, but put those big ole California Cabernets away until the New Year. They're much better with simpler dishes (like plain roasts and steaks) and the tannins will overwhelm everything. This is the time to dig out something a little lighter. As a rule these will come from cooler climates - Oregon, Washington, maybe Australia's Yarra Valley. Or go to Limari and Elqui in Chile for some very exciting wines.

Tip Four: No Champagne, no problem. Now being a proper European I mean 'Champagne' as in Champagne, France. Surprisingly large numbers of people find the high-acid, French style too taut and puckering. But you should still have some fizz - it's the Holidays after all. Maybe the slightly French-style J Vineyards & Winery, Brut 2000 or try Domaine Carneros Brut 2000 for something more opulent.

Tip Five: Pedro Ximenez is like 'drinking Christmas'. It's hard to find a bad one but something like Alvear Pedro Ximenez de Anada is worth a go (Total Wine and others - $13.50 + sales tax per half bottle). It's a rare style of sherry made from very raisined grapes in Southern Spain and pours out of the bottle like engine oil. But one chilled taste of this unctuous, silky, seductive wine and you can taste the Christmas spirit just flowing into your veins.

Joe Fattorini Image Happy Holidays/Merry Christmas

Joe

Joe Fattorini is the TPC's very own 'Wine Guy' and the wine writer for Scotland's The Herald newspaper and many wine magazines.

A player can have multiple thoughts and still play good golf as long as the thought process stays consistent. This holds especially true when working through changes to improve play.

First, thoughts should be organized in a logical and sequential order:
A (ex-See Two Knuckles On Left Hand)
B (ex-Flare Front Foot)
C (ex- Feel 3/4 Back Swing).

If you find yourself thrown off by a shot resist the temptation to alter your thought sequence. Most players become preoccupied by what went wrong on their last attempt and alter their sequence in an effort to 'damage control.' It's more effective to return your sequential and habitual A-B-C and leave the bad shot behind.

Ultimately, to find consistency in scoring we need to find consistency in thinking. In order to do the same thing twice, think the same thing twice. Take a page out of the book of a TOUR Player: consistent thoughts yield better results.