It's getting to that time of year when we are starting to think about buying all of our Christmas dinner ingredients: sourcing our turkey (or goose, or beef...), and making lists to ensure that we don't forget any of the vital elements that go into the perfect Christmas day meal. A lot of us will also be looking to enjoy a decent tipple with our meal, and so here is West End Events mini guide to selecting the perfect wines to match your food to provide your Christmas parties with the perfect food and wine pairings.
There are many factors that need to be considered when selecting wines to accompany your Christmas feast. Think about how heavy the food and wine are, how intense are the flavours and how acidic is the mix. What you serve with each course will also affect the wine you choose.
If having the traditional turkey dinner, choose a either a full-bodied white or a medium red, but make sure you opt for a wine without too many tannins as turkey meat is quite lean. White fans may wish to choose a Chardonnay or a Sauvignon Blanc, those who prefer red wine would find that a Zinfandel, a Pinot Noir or an aged claret would pair well with both meat and accompaniments.
A red burgundy or a German Riesling would better suit a goose main course, but what if you are enjoying a roast beef main? The answer is that the best match for a roast beef dinner will always be a red. Fattier, larger cuts will need a wine with plenty of tannins, such as a red Bordeaux or a decent Cabernet Sauvignon, while leaner cuts such as fillet steaks pair well with wines with fewer tannins, such as a Beaujolais Cru.
You may also wish to go for a dessert wine - and again, there are different wines out there that will pair better with some puddings than with others. A rich, sweet wine like a sherry, for example, will overpower a Christmas pudding - you are better off with a lighter muscat - but not too light as it will get lost amongst all of the rich fruit of the pudding.
