Wines for Christmas Day

Making sure you're prepared for the whole gang this Christmas

By Angela Mount

The Big Day is rapidly approaching, and, in the seasonal rush to complete the endless shopping list for food and presents, choosing the wines for the holiday period, often ends up as a last minute rush.  However, it needn’t be. You also don’t need different wines for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. If you pick carefully, you can glide through the festive season with some delicious wines that will fit the bill for each of these occasions.  Here are my top choices and a few tips…

THE FIZZ

There’s no better way to start Christmas Day , than with a glass of Bucks Fizz – but why waste good Champagne, by diluting the flavours with orange juice, when Prosecco will do just the job.  At a fraction of the price, it keeps the alcohol levels low at the start of a long and busy day.   For classic Bucks Fizz, I’d opt for the very reasonably-priced Le Stelle d’Italia, a fresh, lively, crisp Prosecco, which is clean and bright.

To impress guests for a festive Christmas Eve, or Boxing Day party, without breaking the bank, why not try a top quality Cava, whose label is a conversation starter and party ice-breaker all on its own…with its funky, retro packaging and rich, creamy flavours, Cava Torello Brut Reserva is an altogether warmer, riper style of fizz.

However, to celebrate in style on Christmas Day, look no further than the stylishly elegant Gobillard Brut Grande Reserve Premier Cru Champagne NV, a smooth, ripe, yet delicate style, produced by a small family grower – knocks spots off many of the bigger brands.

THE WHITE

My top tip for white is to keep it relatively fresh and lively. Christmas Day isn’t the one to bring out your carefully cherished treasures, especially if you have a large gathering. These special bottles deserve to be the stars of the show in their own right, but on Christmas Day, the wine is the supporting act to the richness and indulgence of the feast, so let them slumber a little longer!

The lime-fresh, aromatic, scented yet bone dry Howard Park Great Southern Riesling 2013 is a great choice as a white for the rich flavour of turkey or goose with all the trimmings.  It’s also a cracking match for a Boxing Day turkey curry.

THE RED

The first rule with reds is to avoid stringy, over tannic reds. Christmas Day is one of indulgence and festive rich food – the red wines need to be soft, ripe and fruit-packed. Turkey and goose are both very wine-friendly birds, but it’s the medley of flavours in all the trimmings that poses the challenge, especially if you’re using dried fruit in the stuffing.

Bring out soft, silky reds, that can cope with this barrage of tastes – Pinot Noir is always a firm favourite on Christmas Day, but to ring the changes a little, a great red would be Heartland Dolcetto Lagrein 2012, a rich, yet velvety soft, gently spiced red made from two Italian grape varieties in Southern Australia by Ben Glaetzer, one of the country’s finest winemakers. This is also a great red for a warming glass of cheer on Christmas Eve, and a delight with Boxing Day roast gammon.

For traditionalists, La Chapelle d’Escurac, Medoc 2011, ticks all the boxes, with its glorious, textured style – sink into its classic, yet beautifully soft, blackcurrant and allspice character. Smart, elegant, classic.

THE SWEET STUFF

And so to the finale… Christmas pudding, mince pies, Yule log, or maybe cheese.  For stalwarts, the celebratory pud follows straight on from the festive bird, but in other households there may be a more leisurely slice of cake or platter of cheese later in the evening. For sweet things, you need sweet wine, that’s the only rule. Port is a classic, and a glass of the duskily rich Crasto Late Bottled Vintage Port 2008 is just the ticket with a slab of sweet, yet salty Stilton, or an indulgent dark chocolate truffle.

I’m personally a great fan of a lighter, refreshing style of sweet wine, to revitalize the palate and cut through the dense richness of mincemeat, plum pudding and chocolate, so I’ll opt for a deliciously sweet, yet grapily fresh sparkler, such as Fontanafredda’s Moscato D’Asti Moncucco – bright, lively, and providing a burst of freshness to jaded palates.

However, for wrapping presents in front of the fire on Christmas Eve, or for an indulgent and relaxing treat, when the cooking is done and the guests have gone, a mince pie and a glass of sumptuously rich, honeyed, yet fragrantly fresh Peller Vidal Ice Wine, would be my tipple of choice- worthy winner of a coveted Decanter gold medal, and simply sublime.