Wondering what wines to serve with Christmas dinner? We’ve got it covered

Only on Christmas day are we encouraged to cheers a Bucks Fizz in our pyjamas at breakfast, savour a delicious full bodied bottle of red at the lunch table, and be back on the sofa with a cheese board and lashings of Port by mid afternoon. However, if it’s your turn to host Christmas, it can sometimes feel like a military operation to get everything ready – let alone pair the right bottle to match every element of your Christmas spread! Often, drinks are a last minute panic, pulling a forgotten bottle of wine from the larder, or dashing to the shops and grabbing whatever is left on the shelf. 

If you’re reading this and making a mental note to add ‘buy wine’ to your seemingly never ending to-do list, fear not because this year is going to be different! Here’s our complete guide on what drinks to serve during Christmas day. Whether you’re opting for traditional turkey, serving up a seafood feast, or going veggie this year, we’ve got you covered on the wine front. 

Fizz for starters

Like we said, Christmas is the one time of the year where it’s acceptable to have a glass of fizz in your hand by 11am, so make the most of it, even if you’re peeling potatoes! We think a glass of this Ceradello Prosecco Organic Brut NV is the only way to kick-start the festivities.

Its soft and delicate fruit and floral aromas are gorgeous with smoked salmon and even with a splash of freshly squeezed orange juice to make, you guessed it, bucks fizz!

Whether you’ll be including smoked salmon with an indulgent eggs royale breakfast, popping it on a blini as a pre-dinner canapé, or using it in a starter, what better way to savour the rich smoky goodness than with an elegant and sparkling glass of Prosecco?

Lunch with all trimmings

Christmas dinner is a difficult meal to try and pair a wine with. Often there are so many different flavours on your plate (not to mention the different tastes of family members around the table!) it’s near impossible to find the perfect wine pairing to match all the elements. With roasted meats, salty sprouts bejewelled with bacon, cauliflower and leeks smothered in creamy cheesy béchamel, sweet honey roasted carrots, crispy potatoes, and cranberry sauce, it’s no mean feat trying to find the right wine.  Your best bet is to go for a couple of crowd-pleasing styles that aren’t going to be at odds with the food.

White wine

Fat Bastard Sauvignon Blanc

The name of this one might give the grandparents a shock! For the white wine drinkers around the table, this Fat Bastard Sauvignon Blanc is a great accompaniment to oven roasted meats like turkey and chicken. It’s a brilliant lemon yellow colour with enticing grapefruit, lemongrass and floral aromas.

The crisp grassy freshness of this Sauvignon Blanc also pairs deliciously well with cheeses often found in vegetarian dishes like goat’s cheese and feta tarts so it’s a great one to have on the table right from the start.

Red wine

Chateau Moulin Favre Brouilly

You can’t go wrong with a medium to light bodied red that’s not too tannic. This 100% Gamay Brouilly is a winner for when you need an all-rounder to complement a range of flavours and suit all tastes. It’s a light bodied, smooth red wine, which is intense cherry red in colour and has fruit-forward flavours of blackcurrants, plums and bramble. The minimal tannin makes it a good match for white meat and salty vegetarian dishes.

Passofino Montepulciano d’Abruzzo

A bit of an all rounder, this hearty Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is a wonderful accompaniment to both red and white meats as well as vegan dishes. Deep ruby red in colour and with velvety tannins and hints of spices, it’s delicious enjoyed with turkey, beef, lamb, duck or game meats. It’s a great one to keep on the table once the cheeses arrive too – if you’ve got a glass of this in your hand, make a beeline for any aged cheese – it will go down a dream!

Cheese first or Christmas pud?

We’ll let you decide that one… meanwhile, we’ve got the wine sorted!

Chateau Hautes Graves d’Arthus Saint-Emillion Grand Cru 2014

This top quality Bordeaux red from Saint-Emillion is a hearty and indulgent complement for when the cheese makes its long-awaited appearance on the table. It’s a full-bodied, medium-dry red with generous plum and cherry fruit flavours which give way to hints of leather and tobacco.  If you’re looking for cheese board inspiration, try starting with a fresh Comté, a mature Cheddar and an aged Manchego. 

Softer creamy cheeses like brie also go well with the aforementioned sauvignon blanc and pinot noir, so do your best to save a little for the cheese!

Messia LBV Port

It’s time for pud! By this point, you’re probably feeling full enough to last until next year’s Christmas, but somehow there’s always a tiny space for pudding! This lightly textured, sweet port is a lovely way to finish off the meal – the red berry and spiced flavours are wonderful with the dried and baked fruit flavours of Christmas pudding. It is actually also delicious in the Christmas pudding itself! Soaking the dried fruit in the port before baking gives it an irresistibly rich flavour.

So there you have it! The complete guide to pairing wine with your Christmas dinner.