Is a dry Champagne the only tipple that works with smoked salmon? How about binning the Burgundy for a Barbera with your turkey? A dry white wine with cheese? You must be joking.
Alas, no. I challenge you to consider these alternative pairings with your Christmas dinner, not only to impress your guests, but to discover truly sensational wines that deserve their spot on the table.
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Q. I want something different to drink at Christmas this year. What do you recommend?
A. So what to drink with your festive fare this Christmas... well, in my household we would typically start with a lovely side of smoked salmon, ideally one that has been sent down from our good friends’ smokehouse on the Isle of Lewis. Traditionally you would pair that with a really bone-dry, extra brut Champagne, or possibly a similarly dry still white wine like Chablis or Sancerre. However, if you fancied a bit of a change this year, why not try a still Xarel·lo from Penedes… basically a non-sparkling Cava, if you will. It will surprise you – it’s rich, nutty and really rather exciting.
Moving on, typically we would have turkey or possibly capon, and more often than not, this is paired traditionally with Pinot Noir – a nice red Burgundy for example or possibly something from Oregon, or even South Africa! However, if you wanted to mix things up a little bit this season, why not try a Barbera from Piedmont. Utterly delicious, with similar red fruits, though perhaps a touch more spiky, and a little bit more savoury at the same time.
Then we have Christmas pudding. This is a tough one because it’s so sweet, and it’s spent months being doused with all sorts of alcohol that you can find around the house in preparation for the big day, so it’s already pretty alcoholic. Therefore one could just have water, although it’s also delicious with a Pedro Ximenez, or PX Sherry, which itself tastes like (very delicious) liquified raisins. As an alternative, and to pep up the palate after such rich fodder, why not try a Rosé Champagne? Lively and energetic on the palate, a great rosé fizz will get you ready for the cheese course.
Port and stilton… it’s about as traditional as it gets at Christmas time. And yet, this time I’m going to suggest – wait for it – a dry white wine, specifically from the Jura region from France. They’re nutty, rich and they pick up the flavours and textures of the cheese really impressively, ending the meal on a suitably festive high.
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Got a question for the wine gurus? Send it to hannah.twiggs1@independent.co.uk or tweet @hannah_twiggs.
