Christmas Dinner is usually most people’s biggest meal of the year, with a lot of flavours jostling for position, and if you’re hosting, lots of different tastes at the table. Food might be the main focus, but don’t let the drinks get lost under all those different dishes!
Everyone has different opinions and the perfect wine for all simply doesn’t exist, so alongside Christmas dinner, it’s best to seek out crowd-pleasers that will let the food shine. We know every Christmas dinner is different, so we’ll highlight particularly delicious pairings in bold so you can find the ideal wine for you. Let the feast commence.
WHITE WINE
Riesling
We’ve got a few food pairing guides now, and there is a good reason why we pretty much always return to Riesling. It can deal with so many flavours and textures and is a fantastic all-rounder. Bringing sharp acidity, it’s perfect for cutting through the fatty goodness of goose, duck, ham and roasties – pretty much anything with a bit of grease. Dry Riesling bring a touch of residual sugar and be less alcohol intensive, and therefore food-friendly with sweet glazes or honeyed meats.
Size: 750ml
ABV: 12.5%
Find here: £13
Chardonnay
Whites need to big and bold, particularly with the crispy skin of turkey, but also something to relieve the richness on the table, so we’re looking at lightly oaked Chardonnay. Make sure it still has fruity flavours, and it will be a versatile pairing for salty ham and gammon too, as well as the increasingly popular vegetarian or vegan nut roast, that needs its richness offset.
Size: 750ml
ABV: 9.8%
Find here: £8.99
SPARKLING WINE
Champagne
Bubbles are always great with heavy feasts like the Christmas dinner, and sparkling wine is of course, a food-friendly option. Rich, salty flavours will likely be present, so avoid sweet or rosé champagnes, and instead look to brut. Particularly after the meal, the gentle fizz and fragrant fruitiness is beautifully soothing. It also helps that is screams celebration. Also, if you’re on of the few people embracing seafood on the big day, then the saline mineral character of bubbly is a famous pairing. Of course, there’s no need to splash out (although there are great value Champagnes like this one), and affordable alternatives like Crémant and Cava would work just as well.
Size: 750ml
ABV: 12%
Find here: £48.50
RED WINE
Merlot
A serial crowd-pleaser, find a merlot in the smooth and velvety style, because some others can be heavily oaked. Chilean merlot is a great source of value in this area. Particularly with turkey, it’s more about sauce and stuffing than the meat, and as cranberry sauce is nailed on, we want bright, fruity wines to match. And if the turkey has ended up a bit dry, then the juicy feel doesn’t hurt either. Chilean bottles in particular bring that vibrance, as well as acidity to cut through any fats and refresh the palate. It’s a good option for Christmas ham too.
Size: 750ml
ABV: 14%
Find here: £11.60
Barolo
If you’re serving goose or even duck and red is a must, then an Italian number like Barolo could be the answer. The foods are very indulgent and fatty, so you need something like a well-structured Barolo to slice through. If you’ve scrapped the turkey and gone for any darker, more savoury meats like the above or beef, then big, punchy Barolo is the answer.
Size: 750ml
ABV: 14.5%
Find here: £24.99 (less with Mix Six)
Pinot Noir
Light-bodied and brimming with soft red fruits, Pinot Noir will sing with those cranberry sauce helpings alongside the turkey. Central Otago New Zealand Pinot tends to fit the bright and fruity profile we’re looking for, and they’re also some of the richest and structured, so work particularly well with any sweet glazes (usually ham), or spices. Make sure you don’t go for something too tannic, because it will seem harsh without the fat to soften the tannins. The great thing about leftover Christmas day Pinot is that it’s perfect for the Boxing Day leftovers, ideally light for cold meats.
Size: 750ml
ABV: 13.5%
Find here: £19.99
This is just a guide for the big meal itself, but we know as well as you do that Christmas grazing is an all day and all night affair. What should you drink with Christmas pudding or mince pies? Or perhaps you’re after some wine and cheese pairings in the evening? We’ve got recommended bottles for every occasion on the site, as well as tonnes of handy gift guides and recipes.