Four must have wines for Christmas

Four must have wines for Christmas

Turkey ordered, vegetables decided and cake sitting in the cupboard. All Christmas Day essentials. When it comes to the drinks for the big day many stock up on the supermarket offers which I am sure will be plentiful this year.

Look out for these to add to your wonderful day.

Champagne is cool but Cava is cheap.

In the battle of the fizz, champagne has the kudos but also the price tag and rightly so. However, if you want bubbles on a budget Cava is a great choice. Although this Spanish fizz uses different grapes from champagne it is made the same labour intensive way and bottle fermented. The result is a deliciously dry (or med dry) sparkler with a touch of class. My tip would be to go for one around £10 mark. At this price point you will be getting something a bit more special.

Prawns and Rose Marie sauce is still one of my favourite traditional Christmas Day starters. Pairing wine with this dish is more about the sauce than the prawns as this is the stronger flavour.

Treat yourself to a Sauvignon Blanc. It is grown in many countries around the world but my tip would be a Poully Fume from Loire, France. In this region the wines are more powerful with a smoky edge to the wine which would compliment the tangy sauce. Expect to pay £10-15.

And now for the main event.

Turkey is a relatively mild tasting and lean meat. Matching a wine to a dish is more about taking the strongest flavours present in a dish and complimenting it or contrasting it. The chances are the biggest flavours on the plate will be the cranberry sauce. So to compliment the red fruit jelly go with a lovely fruity Beaujolais. Look for one with one of the Cru villages such as Fleurie or Brouilly village.

Cheeseboard?

I always go with contrasting corners. A Stilton, farmhouse cheddar, Brie de Meaux and something different for the fourth, possibly a goats cheese or a blended cheese. Pair this with A LBV (Late Bottle Vintage) Port. With some of the qualities of a vintage port it always impresses me with its quality for a very reasonable price, usually £10-20.

If you have a Christmas food and drink conundrum feel free to email me and I'll try and answer your questions.

Food & Wine by Paul Sheerin
Pshearse@gmail.com