A Guide to Christmas Wine Pairing

Apéritif

Christmas would not be the same without some fizz. And what’s better than a delicious all-rounder Champagne with a creamy texture, some fruit and biscuity flavours and a mineral finish.

A Blanc de Blancs or a classic Champagne blend will work perfectly. We recommend sticking with Brut, Extra Brut or Brut Zero for a dry style that will pair with pretty much any apéritif!

If you’re looking for an alternative to Champagne, try English Sparkling wine. It’s made using the same methods and grapes as Champagne, so it could become your new favourite!

Or to indulge without breaking the bank, we recommend a Crémant, also made in the same way as Champagne but from all over France. Try a Crémant de Bourgogne or a Crémant de Bordeaux rather than a lower-budget Champagne for a much better value wine.

Starters

Smoked Salmon

Sauvignon Blanc with smoked salmon is the classic match and you cannot go wrong with this one. A Loire Valley Sauvignon such as a Pouilly-Fumé or a Sancerre are ideal.

But for a more off-the-beaten track option, grab a bottle of Grüner Veltliner for a super crisp white with a hint of white pepper that will complement the salmon to perfection.

Oysters

For oysters, you need a very mineral wine like a Chablis or a Muscadet from France. A fresh Albariño from Galicia would also work great.

Foie gras

Foie gras needs some sweetness to enhance its flavours but good acidity to cut through the fattiness on the palate.

The classic choices would be Sauternes, Loupiac or Barsac – sweet Bordeaux white wines, a Monbazillac from the Loire Valley or an off-dry or sweet Pinot Gris from Alsace.

Mains

Turkey

The classic of the classics – roast turkey! The first thought would be to go for a red, but there are also amazing options in the white aisle.

Starting with reds, you need enough fruit and acidity to cut through the sauce and stuffing. A Californian Pinot Noir, a Brunello di Montalcino, a mature Rioja or a Grenache from the Rhône, especially Châteauneuf-du-Pape, would all be great options.

When it comes to whites, you need a rich, concentrated and complex wine but with enough freshness. Something buttery with delicate oak like a Meursault, a Chassagne-Montrachet or just a white Burgundy is a stellar choice. In a similar way, a Californian Chardonnay would work wonders as well.

Beef

For beef lovers, you will want a medium to full-bodied red with enough power and intensity.

To pair with roast beef, you need soft tannins and a bit of age with a Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot like a Bordeaux or Super Tuscan, a Barolo or a Malbec.

If you go for a Beef Wellington, choose a Pinot Noir, Chianti, Syrah or a Bordeaux to complement all the different flavours from the mushrooms, herbs and puff pastry.

Venison

For venison, you can select the same type of wines you would for beef – a mature Bordeaux or Barolo for example.

You can also pick a Rhône red from Saint Joseph or Hermitage or just a Bordeaux blend – Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot dominant, from another part of the world like South Africa or Australia.

Ham

Because of its sweetness, Christmas ham needs wines that are either sweet as well or very fruity with a nice acidity.

For a sweet option, choose White Port, Moscato, off-dry German Riesling or even a Vin Santo.

If you want a red, you have several options from a Cru Beaujolais like a Moulin-à-Vent or a Morgon – don’t forget to chill it a bit, a juicy medium-bodied Shiraz, a New Zealand Pinot Noir or a Blaufränkisch from Austria.

If you prefer whites, you can pick dry versions of Chenin Blanc from South Africa or German Riesling.

Fish & Shellfish

If you are serving something from the sea like a baked salmon or sea bass, a Lobster Thermidor or pan-fried scallops, get yourself an unoaked Chardonnay from Chablis – always a great choice, or a lightly oaked one like a white Burgundy if there is butter in the sauce.

Vegetarian or Vegan

For vegetarian or vegan Christmas options, it will all depend on the main flavour(s) of your dish.

A dish with mushrooms as the key ingredient needs an umami element in the wine. So if you have a Vegetarian Wellington with mushrooms, a Pinot Noir from Burgundy or California, with earthiness and red fruits, will be ideal. A brilliant match but quite under the radar would be a Vin Jaune from Jura, with its savoury, nutty aromas.

A shallot tarte tatin would be great with a Californian Chardonnay, a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc or even an off-dry Alsatian Pinot Gris.

For a dish with root vegetables like butternut or sweet potato, or this pumpkin, chestnut and Stilton tart, choose a full-bodied, rich Chardonnay. A lighter red like a young Pinot Noir, a juicy Syrah or a Zweigelt from Austria, could also be great options.

Desserts

Yule log

For a classic chocolate Yule log or bûche de Noël, try a natural sweet red wine like a Banyuls, Black Muscat or a Rivesaltes. If you have never tasted a sweet red before, expect yummy sweetness with cooked black fruit, prunes and some caramel aromas. The perfect match for chocolate!

You could also try an ice wine or eiswein as it matches well with most desserts, especially chocolate ones.

Christmas Pudding

For wines to pair with Christmas pudding, you need to complement the rich fruit and nut flavours so a Tawny or Ruby Port would usually be preferred, although Muscat – either a Beaumes-de-Venise or a Moscatel de Valencia, is also a great option.

Christmas cake

The fruits from Christmas cakes require luscious wines or rich fortified wines. The nutty, prune and caramel flavours from a Tawny Port will pair amazingly.

Mince pies

Mince pies could also be paired with Tawny Port and match well. But try them with a sweet Madeira, or a sweet Sherry like an Oloroso or Cream, and they will take your dessert to the next level.

Panettone

Panettone is a staple during the festive season, with all the confit fruits, you want something fun, fruity, with enough sweetness and acidity – pick a Prosecco or a Moscato d’Asti.

Boxing Day

As for Boxing Day wines, after the previous day’s feast, we want refreshing and lighter wines.

If your lunch includes some fish, a Muscadet, a dry German or Alsatian Riesling or an Albariño from Galicia or Vinho Verde will be perfect.

If it includes cold cuts from Christmas dinner – turkey, ham or beef, pick a juicy Chinon, Beaujolais, a young red Burgundy or a Mencía from Bierzo.