PERFECT PARTNERS
Helen McGinn suggests some delicious wines to pair with your Christmas food
Does matching food and wine really make a difference? The answer is yes. The reason for pairing what’s in your glass with what’s on your plate is to bring out the best in both. Get the combination right and the wine elevates the flavours of the dish (and vice versa). Get it wrong and it can, quite literally, leave a bad taste in the mouth. The flavours will get into a huge fight over your tastebuds, and no one wants that.
This week I’ve picked a selection of under-the-radar, great-value wines that will work with a range of classic dishes for the big festive feast, from canapés and seafood to turkey with all the trimmings. And, of course, there’s something to go with Christmas pudding and mince pies! Or rather, pour on top of them. No, I’m not kidding…
LOUIS POMMERY ENGLISH SPARKLING WINE £26 Sainsbury’s It has a famous champagne name on the label, but this is from Hampshire. French champagne house Pommery planted vineyards here in 2017 and now produces this fantastic English sparkling wine. Especially good with gougères, those lovely cheesy pastry puffs.
EH BOOTH & CO GRÜNER VELTLINER 2021 £10.50 Booths This gorgeous spicy grüner veltliner from Austria’s Wachau Valley is ripe and round, with plenty of stone fruit flavours and a touch of spice. It has enough weight to match all the flavours you might find on the plate, from turkey to pigs in blankets.
ARBOUSSET LIRAC 2020 £12 Tesco From a region not far from the more famous Châteauneuf-du-Pape in southern Rhône, this ripe, robust red is made from a similar blend of grapes including grenache, syrah, mourvèdre and cinsault. Aged in traditional oak barrels, it’s perfect with rib of beef but works with turkey or goose too.
THE BEST PEDRO XIMÉNEZ 37.5CL £6.50 Morrisons From Spain’s Jerez region, this is the most decadent take on sherry to be found. Made from sun-dried Pedro Ximénez grapes, it’s rich and treacle-like. Pour a small measure over Christmas pudding or mince pie(s) and thank me later!