Every year, we find ourselves asking the same question: what is the perfect wine pairing for Christmas dinner? And the answer varies, based on what you’re cooking and indeed who you ask. For most people, Christmas is just not Christmas without turkey, and because it is not powerfully flavoured and has a low fat content, it generally pairs best with white wines, and if a light red is preferred, it should be low in tannin.

There are many things to consider, so we thought we thought we’d get an expert opinion and asked Ray Byrne, the owner of the aptly named Wineport Lodge in Glasson, County Westmeath, for the insider’s guide to selecting the best wine this Christmas.

“Everyone has their own taste, and I find that my taste has changed over the years,” says Ray. “I think a lot of us have moved away from the big reds which are high in alcohol and the big, oaky, New World styled whites to something a bit more elegant. You should definitely start off Christmas with some bubbly, preferably Champagne, and even better pink Champagne.”

When it comes to the meal, Ray opts for the classic old world wines. “The trick is to stay pretty light on the wine and go for the ones with a slightly lower alcohol level, and they tend to be the French, the Italians and the Spanish, as opposed to the Californians, the Australians and the South Africans.” He says. “Something like a Riesling or a Pinot Gris from Alsace is always really nice, or a Gruner Veltliner from Austria is a wonderful option for something a little bit different. For something more mainstream, a French Sauvignon Blanc is lovely; it doesn’t have to be as pricey as a Sancerre. If you have a richer meat like goose, you need something a bit sharper, something mineral and lean and in that case, it would make sense to go for a Sancerre. The cooking at Christmas is classic cooking, so it works well with French wine.”

As Christmas dinner is typically very rich, Ray suggests that the best approach when it comes to wine pairing is to look for a wine that is a bit more restrained. “If you are opting for a red wine, it shouldn’t be too potent,” he says. “Rioja Reserva is nice and subtle, or better still a French pinot noir; any sort of French Burgundy will work well. And for turkey, it would be worth considering a Beaujolais Nouveau as they are light and fruity.”

Whereas most of us focus on wine for Christmas day, Ray feels that the focus should primarily be on the dinner and having a relaxing time with friends and family. “Some people splash out and buy very expensive wines for Christmas day, but I think it would be better to keep these for something like New Year’s Day, where maybe you have a smaller gathering and the food isn’t so much the feature of the day. There is so much going on with Christmas dinner, you will overshadow a fine wine and won’t get to appreciate it properly,” he says.

 

Corinna Hardgrave

Food / Wine / Travel Writer

Member Irish Food Writer’s Guild

Corinnahardgrave.com