CHRISTMAS DINNER
FIRST COURSE FAVOURITE
IF YOU’RE planning to start with a bit of smoked salmon (thrown on a blini with a bit of sour cream in our house), you need fizz. Which, to be honest, will have been opened since the first spud was peeled.
Cremant de Jura, Aldi, £7.29 CREMANT i s the name given to sparkling wine in France that comes f rom anywhere but Champagne. This is 100 per c e nt chardonnay, tastes much more expensive than it is and comes in a beautifullooking bottle. Jackpot. The bubbles and freshness cut through the oiliness of smoked salmon l i ke a sharpened knife.
Tercius Alvarinho 2013, M&S, £11.99
PERFECTLY perky white made from the Alvarinho grape. If the name looks familiar, it’s the same grape as Albarino (its Spanish name) but this one’s from Portugal’s Vinho Verde region. Deep and crisp and even better with a plate of seafood.
WHAT TO DRINK WITH YOUR TURKEY/GOOSE
BOTH red and white wines can work with roast turkey or goose, but ideally the whites need a fair bit of body. And reds work better if not too heavy with tannins. Chablis and claret are often declared the perfect partners, but there are so many other combinations that work just as well — if not better.
BARGAINS UNDER £7
M Signature Gruner Veltliner 2013, Morrisons, £5.99 A SPICY, peachy number from Austria that struck gold at the recent International Wi n e Challenge. Delicious and decidedly fruity, and the fact that it comes from an up-and-coming wine country means it will impress even the trickiest wine snob. The Co-operative’s Truly Irresistible Barbera d’Asti 2012, Co-op, £6.99 MADE from the Barbera grape in Italy’s northern Piedmont region, the hallmark of this wine is fresh, bright red fruits and brilliant acidity. Which might not sound appealing but actually, it’s exactly what’s needed when you’ve got a plate of mixed flavours on your plate. This wine can take on turkey, pigs in blankets and cranberry sauce — and brings out the flavours of both food and wine with ease.
POSHER WINES OVER £7
Iona Chardonnay 2013, M&S, £14.99 MADE from the same grape as Chablis, but this is altogether more ripe and round than its French incarnation. Made in the cool (in terms of both climate and reputation) South African Elgin region, this is one smart wine. Aged in French oak barrels, it adds weight, texture and toasty flavour to this citrus-flavoured wine. Escarpment The Edge Pinot Noir 2013, Waitrose, £11.24 (save 25 per cent, normally £14.99) IT MIGHT be sauvignon blanc from Marlborough that gets all the love when it comes to New Zealand wine, but save some for this brilliant pinot noir. It comes from the cool, dry Martinborough region in the south of the north island, a climate that suits pinot perfectly. And even better when winemaker Larry McKenna gets his hands on it: full-bodied with black cherry and plum fruit flavours.