The festive season is well and truly underway and as the ‘big day’ draws closer there’ll be some that will, in the midst of frenzied preparations, nevertheless still find time to consider the all-important vinous accompaniments to the occasion with utmost seriousness and scrutiny.
If the Christmas lunch is to serve a purposeful simulacrum to the humble spruce, pine, or fir around which family and friends gather at this time of year then it is the wine that acts as the adorning angel or star; propelling an otherwise uniform, Groundhog Day-esque spread into one that dazzles and sparkles long in the memory.
Although goose, salmon, steak and more recently nut roast pose threat in the tussle for the top spot of the Christmas lunch centrepiece, it is undoubtedly turkey that still rules the roost.
Being a white meat with little fat and meeker in flavour than most, it becomes important to take this subtlety into consideration when choosing red wines to pair alongside.
Given too that the plate will likely be brimming with other flavours and textures vying for dominance; namely ham, parsnips, stuffing, cranberry and the notoriously difficult-to-pair Brussel sprout, it is of no wonder why many find the task of pairing reds to this fabled repast more taxing than it would initially seem.