How to choose Red Wines for Christmas

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Tags:Christmas,Red Wine,Wine,Wine and Food,

Image of people raising glasses of red wine around the Christmas dinner table

The festive season is well underway and, as the big day draws closer, many will still find time amid the frenzied preparations to consider the all-important vinous accompaniments. If the Christmas lunch is the centrepiece around which family and friends gather, then the wine is the adorning angel or star - lifting an otherwise familiar spread into one that dazzles long in the memory.

Although goose, salmon, beef, and nut roast pose competition for the Christmas centrepiece, turkey undoubtedly still rules the roost. As a white meat with little fat and a gentle flavour, its subtlety is important to consider when choosing red wines. With a plate often brimming with assertive flavours - ham, parsnips, stuffing, cranberry and the notoriously difficult Brussels sprout - it’s hardly surprising that pairing reds with this fabled meal can be more challenging than expected.

 

While personal preference is always key, here are a few points to keep in mind when pairing red wines with Christmas lunch:

  • Be wary of tannins – Low or mid-tannin wines tend to work best with turkey. With little fat to soften them, high-tannin wines can easily overpower the turkey and the dish as a whole.
 
  • Acidity is your friend – Medium or high acidity helps cleanse the palate amid the medley of flavours on the plate, much like cranberry sauce brings freshness to the meal.
 
  • If you choose full-bodied, choose mature – Full-bodied wines often have high tannins which, when young, can be austere. With bottle age these tannins soften, creating a more harmonious wine that competes less with the food.

With that in mind, here are some red wine suggestions we are confident will pair beautifully with your Christmas meal - and delight just as much in quieter moments with friends and family.

 

 

 

Domaine Justin Girardin Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2023, £24.99

Christmas and Burgundy are a natural pairing, though value is increasingly hard to find. This red Bourgogne from thirteenth generation vigneron Justin Girardin delivers real substance for the price, given its sourcing from old vines between Santenay and Maranges. Offering Morello cherry, rose petal, allspice and tilled earth, with all the lacy tannins and discerning elegance one could demand from the Cote d'Or. A consummate partner to turkey and overall festive failsafe. 

 

 

Neudorf ‘Tom's Block’ Pinot Noir 2019, £26.50

From Nelson in New Zealand - just around the coast from Marlborough - Neudorf craft distinctive, artisanal wines. “Proudly un-fined and unfiltered,” this sustainably made vegan Pinot shows intense brambly fruit, damson and hedgerow aromas, followed by vivid acidity and a sapid edge. Slightly fuller than the previous Pinot, it’s well suited to the more robust elements of the Christmas plate.

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Weingut Salwey Spätburgunder Kaiserstuhl 2023, £22.99

Germany, the world’s third-largest grower of Pinot Noir, is finally enjoying its deserved recognition. This Spätburgunder from the volcanic soils of the Kaiserstuhl, made by the revered Konrad Salwey in Baden, offers refinement and elegance at a level that rivals Burgundy at a much higher price. Hand-harvested, wild-yeast fermented and matured in old oak, it shows lifted forest floor, woodsmoke and wild berry notes. A superb choice if game meats feature on your festive menu.

 

 

Olga Raffault Chinon ‘Les Barnabés’ 2022, £19.99

Domaine Olga Raffault have produced wines of distinction in Véron, Touraine for five generations. Stirring interest among aficionados, this Chinon opens with red currant, bell pepper and cedar notes. Pure Cabernet Franc character follows with fine tannins, bright acidity and graphite-tinged minerality. Its herbaceous, savoury profile makes it a particularly adept partner for the trickier vegetables of Christmas lunch.

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Château de la Chaize Fleurie 2023, £18.95

Beaujolais is firmly back in fashion, prized for its value, progressive winemaking and expressive Gamay grape. Château de la Chaize - a recent addition to the JN portfolio - has been drawing increasing praise from critics. This Fleurie, from the most filigree and aromatic of the Beaujolais crus, delivers high-toned peony florals, vibrant raspberry fruit, powdery tannins and piquant vitality, all with the finesse that has made the estate’s wines such welcome newcomers to our shelves.

 

 

Boscarelli ‘Prugnolo’ Rosso di Montepulciano DOC 2024, £19.95

While Tuscan reds are perhaps more typically reserved for pairing with beef or game, this ‘Prugnolo’ (i.e., Sangiovese) from the revered Boscarelli of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is made in a deliberately youthful, caressing, and quaffable style. Fermented and aged in glass-lined concrete vats to preserve aroma, this lustrous ruby wine abounds with sprightly notes of Amarena cherry, orange zest, and pressed basil, all wrapped in deft tannins and juicy acidity. Perfect with poultry or an array of festive canapés.

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Viñedos y Bodegas Dominio de Tares ‘Baltos’ 2023, £17.50

Mencía, native to Bierzo in northwest Spain, has soared in popularity. Often compared to Pinot Noir but with more weight, darker fruit and a touch of crushed gravel and black pepper, it’s an excellent gastronomic partner thanks to medium body, lively mountain acidity and chalky tannins. Six months in French and American oak add liquorice and baking spice, making this a slightly left field but highly successful Christmas pairing.

 

 

Massaya ‘Le Colombier’ 2022, £18.95

For something with a festive flourish of the unexpected, this red blend from the Ghosn brothers - backed by Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe - offers remarkable character at outstanding value. Grown at high altitude in Lebanon’s ancient Beqaa Valley, this blend of Cinsault, Grenache and Tempranillo is fermented and aged in steel to preserve its spicy, sappy, dark-fruited charm. Aromatic, herbal and lightly earthy (think herbes de Provence and sun-baked terracotta), it shines both on its own and alongside roast meats, vegetables and cheeses. A dark horse!

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