The best wines to drink with Christmas lunch
It’s the most important meal of the year, but what’s the perfect wine to accompany it? We have the answer.
It’s the most important meal of the year, but what’s the perfect wine to accompany it? We have the answer.
My top wine tip for Christmas lunch is this: match the wine to the accoutrements, not the bird, because the biggest flavours on your table aren’t the turkey. They’re the pigs in blankets, gravy, cranberry sauce, and peppery, herby stuffing.
A touch of oak is definitely needed to complement that stuffing, but also plenty of fruit for the richer, saltier, smokier flavours. And those are just the characteristics you get in The Black Pig The Prize Chardonnay 2024 (£12.99). At this price, it's an absolute steal – an award-winning wine that’s worth three times that amount with a beautiful balance of fresh, citrus fruit and light hazelnut richness.
When it comes to picking the perfect red, it’s tricky as everyone has different preferences. With a myriad of different palates at one table, you want something everyone will enjoy. My pick is Iona Elgin Pinot Noir 2022 (£24.99) from South Africa, a country that blends new world fruit with old world elegance. This wine is stylish, elegant and succulent, with hints of cranberry and subtle spice. A delicious Christmas wine I reckon everyone will love.
Now, if you can’t indulge yourself at Christmas, when can you? Which is why my Christmas will be featuring a bottle of Chambers Rosewood Rutherglen Muscat NV (£19.99 per half-bottle). It’s a wine that goes amazingly with Christmas pudding because it actually tastes of Christmas pudding, with flavours of raisins, treacle and nuts.
While we’re at it, let’s not forget the Christmas cheese board. Even better than a red wine to complement the savoury tang of Stilton is the sweetness of port. Especially the nuttier, complex flavours of Fonseca 10 Year Old Tawny – 50cl NV (£24.99). As a bonus, this is one of very few wines that goes fabulously with chocolate.
By Christmas evening, there’s a lot to digest, so it’s time for a digestif. I love a small glass of Green Chartreuse (£52.79) to remember my grandfather – this was the very last thing we drank together. It’s also fabulous with tonic if you need a reviver.
I’ll also have a bottle of Bepi Tosolini Amaretto Saliza (£29.49) on hand for those who love something sweet and enveloping.
And Cazcabel Coffee Tequila Liqueur (£27.49) is the perfect ingredient in an espresso martini – and who doesn’t love one of those?
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