With all the cooking and hosting that goes on in December, making sure your guests enjoy wines that pair well with the dishes at the right temperature can be challenging. So, I put together some failproof suggestions so you, and your loved ones, will be set to enjoy your wine during the holidays.

A few simple steps taken ahead of time will help so much when the big day rolls around. So, you will want to stock up on service items like glasses, decanters and chillers ahead of time so sharing some of your favorite vintages should be easy.

The quality of the glass you buy really does matter in terms of how your wines taste in it. I am not a fan of the super-delicate glasses that break when you blow on them and unless you are serving very old, and rare, wines a solid universal glass will often do the trick. Who has room at the table, or a desire to wash, four different glasses per guest? The best wine glasses have large enough bowls to allow the wine's aromas to get to your nose and also work with a number of grape varietals.

Here is some insight on four of my favorite glases. Glasvin makes an elegant universal glass. It is reasonably priced at $59 a stem and is even dishwasher safe! It was created by David Kong, a 2021 Forbes 30 under 30 honoree. The brand's Nick and Nora Martini glasses are pretty cute too and could be used as Champagne flutes.

Another choice pick is wine writer Jancis Robinson's Collection, a two-glass set -- the Original and the Precision -- made for all types of wines and varieties. The glasses are made in tandem with British firm Richard Brendon. The height of the stems allows some lovely swirling to happen in your glass and releases a lot of the wine's vital aromas.

Duo glasses by Zwiesel Glas have an elegant look with a hand-made stem. As a bonus, they are also dishwasher safe and scratch proof.

If you really want to have a closer look at how different shapes of stemware can affect the flavor of your wine: buy a Reidel tasting set. The delicate, four-glass set features a Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay glass and if you pour the same wine in two different glasses you will see a marked difference. Riedel also makes a fairly wild lineup of snake-shaped decanters that allow you to see your wine slither and slide before it hits the glass, such as the Mamba, that are fun to use.

The Riedel family has been making stemware in Austria for almost 300 years. Georg and his son Maximillian Riedel really opened the discussion with consumers as to how important your choice of stemware is when you want to appreciate wine.

Some wines benefit from being decanted. Not young wines or very old, delicate ones or even those that are at the end of their lifestyle. However, big tannic wines that might be too young: such as a young Barolo or a tight Cabernet Sauvignon may benefit from a nice swirl for an hour or so before you drink it.

One of the most elegant decanters on the market is the Josphine Brilliant. Handblown, it has a minimalist look and the bottom section resembles a cone. It can also be easily poured with one hand, not something that can not really be said about many great decanters.

Is all this talk of wine getting you hungry? Then make yourself or your family a delicious runny egg or vegetable-filled frittata for breakfast while sorting out your stemware. One of my favorite pans is chef Gordon Ramsay's HexClad series: they are completely non-stick and dishwasher safe. They are also great for soups and stews that you can get on the range while chilling and choosing wine.

Last, but not least, as the host of a party you are never obliged to serve a wine that a guest has brought. You make your menu and decide on your pairings and any polite soul who is lucky enough to come to your feast should respect that.

However, if guests do bring a great bottle of bubbly -- or a white -- that you want to serve there are a couple of ways to chill it down. Most wines will benefit from about 15 minutes in your freezer, if there is room. Otherwise, the wine world has some other easy solutions.

Vinglace makes containers for a bottle of wine that will help it chill down quickly and keep your precious wine cool for hours. The company also makes wine glasses and all the items can be monogrammed.

For keeping wine by the glass cold, Vochill's individual wine glass saucers can chill wine down quickly and keep it cold for hours. That is great news for summer picnics, nights grilling out and guests who bring a good bottle to your celebration that is not cold enough to serve.