If the traditional Christmas Dinner were searching the small ads for potential wine partners, hoping to find the one, this demanding paramour, might have to resign itself to a lifetime of love affairs rather than finding a soul mate.

From Bread Sauce to Brandy Butter and Sprouts to Stilton, the incredible diversity of flavours in festive fare seems designed to confound anyone looking for the one perfect wine to accompany each course.

So, for those of you hoping to keep everyone happy this Christmas (including the Turkey) here are some suggestions that might help: 

1. A White Might Be Right - Turkey has a slight ‘gamey’ character that works with Pinot Noir, but could be overpowered by a blockbuster wine such as a Rioja or young Claret.  White Burgundy or a full-bodied Chardonnay, on the other hand, are truly excellent matches with Turkey; complimenting the milky/buttery nature of some sauces and gravies without obscuring the subtle flavours of the meat.

2. Acidity is Good.  Acidity in wine is essential to lift flavours, cut through fat and oil and cleanse your palate. Fat rich food like Goose cries out for wine that has pronounced acidity, but gone are the days when Bob Crachitt can afford it, so Goose deserves the very best wine: a good Pinot Noir (e.g. a Red Burgundy such as Savigny les Beaune) has the necessary acidity to do the job.

3. Make Sauvignon Blanc and Beaujolais your house wines. Not everyone wants Turkey for Christmas, and those who do, don’t necessarily want it all the time. New World Sauvignon Blanc, or Pouilly Fume or Sancerre, are great all rounders and a good bet with a whole range of otherwise difficult to match vegetarian foods such as artichoke, asparagus, tomatoes and goat’s cheeses. The deeply unfashionable Beaujolais makes a superb red wine accompaniment to Pork and well done Beef or casseroles.  

4. Choose tawny rather than ruby port to accompany cheeses and puddings. Tawny port works fabulously with blue cheeses and is a great match with dried fruit-rich puddings. It’s also an acceptable match for chocolate, which can clash with many sweet wines. Those of you splashing out on a mature vintage port should savour it simply on its own, or perhaps with a handful of walnuts…

5. If all else fails, drink Champagne. It is one of the most versatile food wines in the world, so don’t worry if your aperitifs find their way to the dinner table.  Champagne is probably the only wine that is as at home accompanying Smoked Salmon Canapes as it is a Rack of Lamb.  If you don’t want to blow the budget, try a good alternative sparkly: Cremant de Bourgogne, from Burgundy or Franciacorta, from Lombardy in Italy.  A cheap but classy date!

IRENE RIZZA
FIVE REASONS WINE
www.fivereasonswine.co.uk