It is the time of year that gathers great anticipation. One of the highlights is pulling out of the cellar and uncorking the wines that have been laid aside for the Christmas meal. My selection classically comprises champagne for starters and red Bordeaux for the main course. What I am especially looking forward to is the wine to go with the Christmas pudding. Champagne and claret can be served very easily and do not need the prompt of a celebratory meal. Port, on the other hand, tends to bear the image of a specialty wine, a wine that needs a stage setting. And that is precisely what Christmas pudding will be providing and in a grand manner too. With lights turned low and flames. So hurray for Christmas pudding.

My Christmas Menu

Smoked Salmon

Delamotte Blanc de Blanc Brut champagne

Roast Turkey with chestnut stuffing
Served with bread sauce, apple sauce, cranberry sauce and gravy

Blason d’Issan, Margaux, 2017, Bordeaux

Roast potatoes and sprouts
With pigs in blankets

Château de Pressac, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, 2017

Christmas pudding
With brandy butter and crème fraîche

Graham’s, Tawny port, 20 year old

There are quite a few options for pairing wine with turkey. It is white meat which means that it can be paired with either white wine or red wine. An oak-aged Chardonnay with some body works well, such as a Burgundy, a South African or Californian Chardonnay. In terms of red, Pinot Noir, Gamay and Nebbiolo are suitable grapes. Turkey is quite delicate in terms of flavour, abeit some parts with darker meat are stronger tasting, so lighter fruity wines or older wines with integrated and smoother tannins are a good match. A Beaujolais Cru, an aged Burgundy, Bordeaux, Barbaresco or Barolo are perfect choices for the meal. If one follows the pairing recommendations of Lenoir, who suggests that the better the meal the better the quality of the wine, then a 1er Cru or Grand Cru for Burgundy and a Grand Cru Classé for Bordeaux is the way to go.

As for port, aged tawnies with their complex flavours and aromas of dried fruit and nuts are the perfect accompaniments to Christmas pudding. Madeiras, which share similar aromatics to tawnies, are a delicious alternative. For my part, I will serve Madeira with mince pies and reserve the tawny port for the Christmas pudding.

Merry Christmas all!