My dear friend Pam recently told me about a rule she has for celebratory meals. Pam is a gracious host and an exquisite cook, and her rule was forged in the crucible of many a large gathering. The rule is: the dirty dishes wait until the following day. This decidedly wasn’t the case at the buttoned-up occasions of my childhood, but the more I think about this approach, the more I like it. Why, after preparing and enjoying a once-a-year feast, would you then willingly go stand at the sink for an hour? Wouldn’t it be better to remain fully present with friends and family and let the day flow uninterrupted into the postprandial afterglow? I think so, and if you pick up this sampler, you’ll have everything you need to carry you through from start to finish. Kick things off with a bottle of Prosecco as your guests arrive, then settle into your repast with crisp, mineral whites like Muscadet and Chablis—whose zinginess cuts through the richness of heavy fare—and reds like Guido Porro’s deeply fruited Barbera and Abbatucci’s brambly and spicy Faustine rouge, with body and heft perfectly suited to the season’s traditional main courses. There’s even a bottle of Sauternes to pair with dessert. And then, when all is said and done, and you’ve emptied that last glass, I encourage you to just set it on the counter and leave it for tomorrow.