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Which wines suit Christmas food?

Here's a basic guide to which wines will be best suited to some popular Christmas foods. Of course, this isn’t definitive, but if you have trouble choosing, it may help to make up your mind.

Here are some rules to help you make the best choice:

1. Balance the flavour intensity between the wine and the dish. Don’t forget to look at the flavours of the sauce too.

2. When serving more than one wine at a meal, start with a light wine and work your way through the meal to the fuller-bodied wines, ending with a sweet wine, (except of course when serving foie gras as a starter because the best match for this dish is the deliciously sweet wines such as Botrytised Rieslings and Sauternes)!

3. Match ‘like for like’ for example spicy food with spicy wine, subtly flavoured dishes with delicate light wines, sweet wine with sweet dishes etc.

4. Look at how the dish is prepared. Delicate flavoured foods, poached or steamed, are best paired with delicate wines, whereas roasted dishes are often better with full-bodied heavier wines.

5. Match regional food and wine. They work because they have developed together over time and so have a natural affinity for each other.

6. Balance the sweetness, but importantly never serve a wine that is drier than the food or you will end with a flat, dull tasting wine.

7. It is untrue to say that red wine should be paired with red meat and white wine with fish. In fact, a delicate light red or rose wine is superb with Turkey, Ham or Tuna Steak.

8. Don’t forget, not all red wines compliment all cheeses. Blue cheese/Stilton certainly works very well with port, bit it could work equally well with a sweet enough white wine. Goat’s cheese works much better with Sauvignon Blanc or dry white wine than with reds for example. Soft cheeses like Camembert and Brie should be served with either full flavoured Chardonnays or soft ripe Merlots.
 

Wines to Serve with Turkey or Duck

Duck, Goose, Quail, Guinea Fowl and Turkey are all quite flavoursome and can cope with more powerfully flavoured wines than those chosen to complement chicken.
 

Wines to Serve with Ham

Ham's relatively strong and salty flavours make it an iffy match for many table wines, but it can be done. Whether you want a red or white (or even a rosé), look for a wine that's fruity and tart.

Wines to Serve with Goose 

Roast Goose is a real luxury that deserves a top quality Wine. Nothing does the trick quite like a Champagne such as Bollinger RD. Rich and deep with spice round the edges!

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Wines to Serve with Christmas Pudding

Wines that work well with Christmas Pud need well defined flavours, medium sweetness and firm acidity.

Wines to Serve with Mince Pies

What to serve with the Mince Pies? Mulled Wine off course!!! Or a really nice glass of sherry.

Wines to serve with Sauces

Chardonnay or better still an off-dry Vouvray. The slight sweetness will balance the fattiness of the duck. Cherry Sauce will match both Red and White wines.

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