What to eat and
drink this Christmas

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FOUR-MINUTE READ

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The festive season is all about indulgence: sharing delicious food and exquisite wines with friends and family. Whether you’re opting for a classic turkey, a light salmon or a hearty vegetarian main, we’ve brought together some of our favourite bottles to match each course beautifully.

 

Christmas and turkey: is there any match more synonymous?

A traditional favourite, turkey is a medium-weight meat with a mild flavour and a low fat content. When thinking about wines to pair with it, you should think about matching its weight – perhaps with a full-bodied white or a medium-bodied red wine; nothing with too much tannin.

The most powerful flavours on the Christmas plate are usually found in the accompaniments: gravy, bread sauce, cranberry and redcurrant sauces, chutneys. These flavours should also be considered when you’re thinking about the best wine. For instance, cranberry and redcurrant sauces are fruity and sweet, so you’d want something fruity and low in tannin to match that, such as a Californian Zinfandel or a Beaujolais Cru.

If you prefer your turkey with traditional English accompaniments (bread sauce and chipolata sausages) then a full-bodied Chardonnay or a white Côtes du Rhône would pair beautifully. Their rounded texture will match the smooth sauce and the weight of the turkey.

 

 

Fish makes a beautiful centrepiece for the festive table – perfect for those who prefer a lighter Christmas meal. A fish such as turbot deserves an elegant white to match its weight and subtle flavours – a Chablis Grand Cru or White Burgundy from the Côte d’Or are classic choices. Salmon has more depth of flavour and weight to it, so you might choose to serve a lighter red, like a New Zealand Pinot Noir, alongside it.

Prawns and lobster have a rich, chewy character, so a white wine with more weight would work very nicely. Viognier is an excellent choice, with its rich, oily texture and stone-fruit flavours. A buttery white Burgundy would also work well, especially if you’re dressing the meat in a creamy sauce.

Oysters will add a special touch to any festive feast. Champagne and Chablis are classic choices, but a beautiful Sauternes will also pair deliciously for a sweet-and-salty pairing. Alternatively, a Manzanilla Sherry, with its salty flavour, will also bring out the oyster’s briny flavours.

 

 

While Christmas is a traditionally meaty affair, there are so many delicious vegetarian options to explore too. A mushroom wellington, with a crisp pastry and flavoured with rosemary, would make a hearty main course. Mushrooms have a distinctively earthy, savoury and umami character, as well as a meaty texture. They absorb flavour very well too. So you’ll want something that matches it in depth of flavour, such as an aged red Burgundy, a beautifully mature Rioja, or a spicy Northern Rhône red.

If autumnal root vegetables are the star of your dish – such as squash, sweet potato or pumpkin – these can have quite a soft, rich character that would pair very nicely with fuller bodied white wines. A bold white from the Southern Rhône or a buttery Chardonnay from California would work well.

For a hearty leftovers feast such as bubble and squeak, Chablis is a delicious match, with a crisp acidity and slightly saline note that will complement the saltiness of the vegetables very nicely.

 

 

There are so many cheese and wine combinations to play with, making this a delicious way to spend an evening with loved ones. Rich, soft cheeses such as Brie or Délice de Bourgogne work very nicely with full-bodied whites such as those from Burgundy or California. But equally, if you are dealing with a very rich and mouth-coating cheese (such as a Brillat Savarin, perhaps), a Champagne or English sparkling wine can cut through them beautifully.

Blue cheeses often have a salty and slightly bitter character, making them a wonderful match for sweet and fortified wines. Try them with Sauternes, Tawny Port or Tokaji. You could also try pairing a Tawny Port with very mature cheeses such as an aged Gouda or very old Parmesan; the sweetness complements the salt, with the oxidative flavour of the Port pairing beautifully with the nutty characters in the cheese.

 

 

Christmas pudding is the classic festive dessert, with its gooey richness and dried fruits. You’ll want something equally rich and concentrated, such as that most luscious of styles: a Pedro Ximénez Sherry. Those dried-fruit flavours and high sugars will complement the pudding perfectly.

Tawny Port will also make a fine match. The wine has been oxidatively aged, giving it a delicious weave of nutty, almost chocolatey notes. It’s perfect with dense fruit puddings, making it a real festive treat.

A glass of Foursquare’s deliciously rich rum would also fit the bill very nicely. If you’re after a lighter pudding, try it with a mince pie or two.