Fizz
It’s one of those Christmas conundrums – we’re up for trying all sorts during the rest of the year, but come Christmas and we regress, buying the same old thing we quaffed (and ate) last year.
There’s nothing really wrong with that, of course, it’s tradition, but you could use this period as a time to play – to push the boat out, be adventurous, try new things. It’ll give your festive season an edge, and more importantly give you a Christmas to remember.
Let’s start with the bubbles. Fizz and Christmas go hand in hand and, yes, champagne will dazzle, but there are plenty of other fizzy options that will work beautifully, from Loire crémant, to Aussie sparklers, to Italian prosecco and Spanish cava. Try Crémant Du Jura, £7.29.
Don’t forget, some are even food friendly enough to be quaffed throughout the entire Christmas lunch.
Mulled port
And here’s a new trick for two old dogs – Grandma’s favourite cream sherry served over ice, with a big slice of orange, it’s delicious – and festive. Try Caversham Cream Sherry, £4.99. Or how about mulling the port? Add thin strips of lemon and orange zest to a saucepan with a bottle of ruby port, a star anise, four cloves, two cinnamon sticks and simmer for 20 minutes. Leave to cool, then serve over ice and a slice and top with lemonade. Try Maynards Vintage 1989 Port, £19.99.
For those who haven’t got such a sweet tooth, think about the drier styles of sherry out there. It’s a wine waiters’ drink de jour for a reason, but still offering that trademark yuletide nuttiness, such as amontillado – great, incidentally, for stimulating the appetite.
Red wine
And now the bird. Anyone inclined to show off with a special bottle of red on Christmas day should heed a warning – very mature, oaky, tannic wines may be impressive but they don’t do the turkey any favours.
Think ripe, but not heavy, warm climate wines that are juicy and rounded with just a touch of oak. So head south to the Rhône – a good Côtes-du-Rhone Villages is hard to beat, or, trading up a bit, something like a Gigondas.
Other alternatives would be a gutsy modern red from the Languedoc – remember it’s not just the turkey you’re matching but the cranberry sauce and all those flavourful trimmings.
Or head west to California, and its plummy zinfandels. Turkey is a strongly flavoured meat at the best of times so you can be bold – Spanish rioja is always a winner, or push the boat out with a top Burgundy, or try a new world pinot. Aussie shiraz has a place too, even coping with the famously tricky brussels sprout. Try The Exquisite Collection South Australian Shiraz, £5.79.
Portugal, too, deserves consideration for the bird. There’s the Douro, of course, with its starry reds, but also look at Dão, where granite rules (some of Portugal’s finest red wines come from granite soils), made from the likes of grape varieties such as Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Alfrocheiro and Encruzado – sometimes known as Borrado das Mosca, which translates as “fly droppings”, which will get them talking.
White wine
Next, the starter. Seafood, smoked salmon, rich pate and cold cuts are all popular options to kick-off the Christmas feast. Look to Austria and Germany – Austria’s richer style of grüner veltliner comes with a lovely peppery freshness that works well in many situations, or try a German riesling like Preussens Gloria Auslese Riesling 2003, £9.99.
Also look at Mouvray from the Loire, both sec, which is dry, and Moelleux, which is sweeter; they are still hugely underrated and incredibly versatile. And Australian Viognier is a worthy contender, with its peachy, blousy fruit.
Sweet wines, sherry and madeira
Finally pud. We should all be drinking more Madeira, Sauternes and the like – and if you can’t enjoy a sweet wine at Christmas, when can you? Pedro Ximenz, or “PX” sherry, is liquid Christmas pudding, though a less intense but equally delicious option is Passito di Pantelleria from Italy, or Hungarian Tokaji. And bubbles at this point might sound a bit strange but low alcohol, honeyed Italian sparklers will cut through all that richness. Try Valdobbiadene Prosecco Spumante DOCG, £7.49. Cheers!
