Christmas Wine Pairings Made Easy

Take your festive table from good to extraordinary with our Christmas wine pairings guide. It’s designed to help dinner hosts find the ideal wine for every dish. From a menu featuring rich roasts, delicate poultry, or vibrant vegetarian dishes, the key is balance. We’ll help you find wine that enhances, not overwhelms, the flavours of your Christmas feast.

Get ready to discover the perfect still and sparkling English wines for every part of your dinner party. Start with a sparkling welcome, then impress with each course perfectly paired with a wine that brings out its best flavours.

Tip: Make your festive preparations even more enjoyable – join us on Fridays throughout December for mulled wine and festive foodie treats at our Festive Friday events. It’s the perfect chance to taste, explore, and discover wines that will elevate your Christmas dinner.

Starting Your Christmas Wine Selection

Begin by thinking about the flavours on your Christmas table. Rich roasts, delicate poultry, and vibrant vegetarian dishes each call for different wine styles. Focus on the main dish first, then choose wines that complement its flavours and enhance the overall meal.

1. Identify the Dominant Flavours: Is your main dish rich and savoury, or light and delicate? For instance, a roasted turkey might have subtle, earthy flavours, while a glazed ham could offer sweet and smoky notes.
2. Match the Wine’s Intensity with the Dish: A heavy dish pairs well with a wine that has enough body and character to stand up to it. Conversely, a lighter dish would be overwhelmed by a full-bodied wine and pair better with something lighter.
3. Consider the Preparation Method: The way the dish is cooked can also influence your wine choice. Grilled or smoked dishes can pair well with wines that have a bit more smokiness or oak, while steamed or poached dishes might be better with something more delicate and fresh.

Christmas Wine and Meat Pairings

Let’s walk through each type of Christmas main course and explore the wines that bring out the best in every dish.

Turkey

Turkey’s lean and delicate flavours are best enhanced by wines that balance their subtlety with their own character. Consider:

• Pinot Noir: Bolney’s Pinot Noir, with its delicate red fruit notes and subtle earthiness, complements the turkey’s subtle flavours without overwhelming them.
• Chardonnay: This white wine, with its aromatic profile and hints of green apple and orange blossom, pairs wonderfully with turkey, especially when accompanied by herb-rich stuffing.

Ham

Ham, often rich and salty, benefits from wines that offer a counterbalance:

• Lychgate Bacchus: The slight sweetness and refreshing acidity of Bolney’s Lychgate Bacchus cut through the ham’s saltiness, keeping the palate invigorated.
• Lychgate Red: For a fruity red option, Bolney’s Lychgate Red, with its soft tannins and red fruit character, complements the smoky, sweet notes of glazed ham.

Beef or Roast Lamb

Rich meats like beef or lamb need wines that can stand up to their robust flavours:

• Pinot Noir: A full-bodied option like Bolney’s Estate Pinot Noir, with its deeper fruit flavours and earthy undertones, is excellent for red meats.
• Lychgate Red: The complexity and fruitiness of this wine harmonise well with the subtle gaminess of lamb, making it a versatile choice for both meats.

Duck and Game Birds

Duck and game birds offer unique flavours that certain wines can wonderfully complement:

• Pinot Noir: This wine’s balance of fruit, acidity, and spice complements the richness of duck.
• Lychgate Red: For game birds, Lychgate Red’s medium body and aromatic profile enhance the birds’ pronounced flavours without overpowering them.

Pairing Wines With Christmas Snacks

Christmas is also about the joy of snacking. Sparkling wines and Champagne are excellent choices for aperitifs and cheese boards, offering a refreshing palate cleanser between different flavours.

Sparkling Wines for Aperitifs

Before the Christmas dinner and while opening gifts, start with a fun sparkling wine:

• Bolney Bubbly: The bright acidity and fine bubbles are perfect for starting the festivities, offering a delightful opener with floral and brioche notes combined with zesty citrus fruit.
• Bolney Classic Cuvée: Fresh and elegant with a good body and persistent mousse, it’s a crowd-pleasing sparkling wine.
• Cuvée Rosé: Another option is this sparkling rosé with fresh aromas of ripe red berries, toasted brioche and honeyed blossom.

Cheese Boards and Canapés

A well-curated cheese board or selection of light bites is a Christmas staple. Here are wine pairings to enhance these delights:

• Crisp White Wines (Pinot Gris): Its delicate blend of pear, apricot, and a hint of orange blossom complements creamy cheeses and light canapés beautifully.
• Fruity Red Wines (Lychgate Red): Rich and complex, with flavours of ripe stone fruits and spice, pairs beautifully with cheeses and cold cuts.

Savoury Appetisers

For savoury snacks like pigs in blankets or mini quiches:

• Rosé Wines: Bolney’s Lychgate Rosé, with expressive summer fruit flavours and notes of raspberries and pomegranate, complements the richness of savoury snacks.
• Aromatic Whites (Pinot Gris): Works well with spiced and herbed snacks, enhancing flavours without overpowering.

Vegetarian Christmas Food and Wine Pairings

For non-meat eaters, we have a range of wines that pair beautifully with vegetarian Christmas dishes.

Light and Fresh Dishes

• Bacchus: Bolney’s Bacchus, with zesty acidity and citrus notes, is perfect for enhancing the freshness of green vegetables.
• Bolney Rosé: A dry, crisp rosé pairs nicely with light vegetarian starters, adding a touch of elegance.

Hearty and Earthy Dishes

• Lychgate Red: Offers a balance of fruitiness and earthiness, ideal for mushroom-based dishes.
• Pinot Gris: Complements creamy sauces or rich cheese elements in vegetarian dishes.

Spiced and Flavourful Dishes

• Bolney Estate Pinot Gris: Complements spices in curries or spiced roast vegetables.
• Cuvée Noir: Sweet sparkling red wine with aromas of red fruits and a hint of sweet spice, pairs well with sweet-spiced dishes.

Nut Roasts and Grains

• Pinot Gris: Its structured profile complements the richness of nuts and grains.
• Lychgate Red: Its bright fruit and moderate acidity bring out the flavours in these dishes.

Christmas Desserts and Puddings

• Dessert Wines: Bolney’s Cuvée Noir, a sweet sparkling red, pairs beautifully with Christmas pudding or mince pies.
• Rich Reds: Cuvée Noir or Lychgate Red offers a warming pairing for chocolate-based treats or fruitcakes, with a unique English twist.

Discover the Ideal Wine for Festive Feasts at Bolney Wine Estate

And there you have it – a selection of classic Christmas wine pairings designed to delight every guest. Enjoy your Christmas hosting!

We invite you to explore the exquisite selection of wines at Bolney Wine Estate. Start with a light, crisp white to complement your starters, choose a rich, robust red to enhance the main course, and finish with a sparkling wine to toast the finale of your feast. Our collection offers a diverse range of English wines sure to make your Christmas dinner extra special.

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