Christmas Dinner Wine Pairings

No Rest from the Holidays

You've barely recovered from the big feast on Thanksgiving and just as you begin to catch your breath and tighten the belt up a notch, boom, Christmas rises up to knock you around with gift shopping, scores of parties and watching Ralphie in A Christmas Story get his eye shot out. By Christmas morning, online shopper's hands have curled into stiff claws from clicking their mice and retail salespeople are rubbing their aching feet and breathing a collective sigh of relief having survived another Christmas Eve's last minute shopping rampage. All the Christmas gifts have been opened and separated into the keep and the return piles and now it is time to rest and enjoy the day. Some might consider an hour of yoga to work out the kinks and purge a few built-up body toxins; others will go to the movies. But wait, the day's not done, there's one more custom to undertake, the Christmas dinner.

Break the Mold at Christmas Dinner

America is a melting pot of people from every country in the world. Christmas is really a multicultural occasion, with people celebrating the day in a multitude of different ways. Consequently, it's a challenging task to define a traditional Christmas dinner as it's different for everyone.

If one goes by Charles Dickens, it's turkey. In his A Christmas Carol Scrooge wakes up on Christmas morning an enlightened curmudgeon and calls down to a boy on the street to run down to the Poulterer's to fetch a turkey. His intention was to have the huge bird delivered to Bob Cratchit's home for their Christmas dinner. So we know, at least in 1843, that turkey was considered a likely choice for a December 25th dinner.

In the present, many people will just replicate their menu from Thanksgiving. Growing up, my family had long abandoned the turkey tradition and baked ham became the norm for a time. Then at some point, my mother tried making Beef Wellington. It was such a big success and everyone was so happy it wasn't turkey and it wasn't ham. Consequently the buttery puff-pastry-encased tenderloin became the standard main course for Christmas dinner.

The point of all this is that Christmas dinner doesn't really have a tightly defined menu; it could be anything. People might serve baked ham, roasted goose, standing rib roast, leg of lamb, poached salmon, oyster stew and there's nothing wrong with going veg and serving roasted vegetables and brown rice. Ultimately, the important thing about the meal is more than the menu, it's the people who share it with you.

No Coal in Your Stocking, No Plonk on the Christmas Dinner Table

Regardless of the menu, people usually bring out their best china, prepare their best and most extravagant specialties and not to be left out, pour their best wines. Now, if you were just planning to serve Thanksgiving Déjà Vu then I suggest Thanksgiving dinner wine pairings for some good wine serving ideas. If you will be exploring new culinary territory, then the following suggestions for Christmas dinner wine pairings can augment the Thanksgiving meal advice and hopefully steer you through the various courses without a map, compass or GPS.

Wine and Food Pairing Rules

Magic happens with the right match of wine to food but sometimes, no matter how hard you try, the shy rabbit just won't come out of the hat. So, the first rule to remember about matching food and wine is: "Don't go nuts trying to figure it out." There's nothing worse than a neurotic wine lover fretting over a bad marriage of a fruity and oaky chardonnay with a goat cheese salad. While a Sauvignon Blanc, with its bite of acidity and notes of chalkiness, might be a better balanced match, get over it and just wait for the next course.

• Be flexible – In general it is better to be flexible rather than rigid in pairing food and wine. The key is balance and the wise approach is to rely on contrasts and similarities. Examples? Salt contrasts to wines with acidity. That's why Champagne goes well as an apéritif with oysters or smoked salmon. Likewise, soy sauce-based Asian cuisine pairs well with Sauvignon Blanc or Rieslings with their fruit and acidity and a spicy Zinfandel matches harmoniously with Mexican and Indian curry dishes.

• Identify a dominant flavor in a dish – Once you have determined the dominant flavor, try to match that with a wine or the other way around. Match the weight of the wine to the food as well—delicate to delicate, bold to bold, simple to simple, great to great. A lowly turkey leg may not stand up to a powerful and tannic Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and it's also not in the same class. However that expensive Cab you've been saving for a special occasion may be just about perfect for that crown rib roast you splurged on for Christmas dinner.

More complications arise because Christmas dinner often includes many dishes unless your tradition is a pot of chili. So, in a multi-course dinner, the tradition is to build from a light to heavy progression and from dry to sweet. The sweet is the finale as a dessert wine or a postmortem commemoration after dinner. Let's not even consider the gentlemen retiring to the parlor for a brandy and a cigar, that's so old school and politically moribund.

Apéritif

Let's get started.

• Champagne

Nothing sets the tone better or launches a special meal than a glass of crisp and bubbly Champagne. Get some bubbly ideas for French Champagne, Champagne, sparkling wine, and Champagne buys. As stated above, Champagne matches well with salty foods such as smoked salmon, but don't stop there. I hate to proselytize about these bright, snappy, and bubble-popping wines but Champagne goes with almost anything (although I'd probably stop short of that leg of lamb or filet mignon). Don't hesitate to open a second or third bottle with dinner and bypass other wines.

• Sherry

Manzanilla or Fino chilled and served with roasted almonds, dry cheese such as an aged Manchego, shrimp, Jamón Serrano, and other nibbly foods will turn skeptics into believers. Some leading and easy to find producers are Emilio Lustau, Hidalgo, Sandeman, and Valdespino.

Fish and Shellfish

Oh, so many choices with seafood. Depending on the type of fish, if it's covered with a sauce, and whether it's grilled, sautéed, broiled, or steamed can help determine the wine. As stated before, Champagne, whether Brut, Blanc de Blancs, or Rosé, goes well with most animals from the sea. But also consider some of these other choices.

Wines from the Loire Valley

There are some extraordinary wines from this lazy and bucolic valley to the southwest of Paris that is full of château's and vineyards. Here the white wines are full of citric fruit zest and mineral notes that are exceptional complements to seafood.

• Muscadet Sur Lie

From the western region of the Loire, this is a dry white. The sur lie denotation refers to the practice of letting the wine stay in contact with the yeasty lees. This adds layers of flavor, yeast notes, mineral tones, and a snappy spritz. It's easy to match with any crustacean and white fish.

• Vouvray

Chenin Blanc wines from Vouvray can vary from dry to sweet. Stick with the Sec to Demi-Sec versions with their spikes of acidity and floral bouquet and fruit.

• Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé

Crisp, herbal, flinty and defiant--Sauvignon Blanc wines from these two eastern Loire Vally regions are some of the world's finest whites.

New Zealand

• Sauvignon Blanc

These bright and cheery wines from New Zealand's Marlborough region carry this island country's wine banner. See Best Sauvignon Blancs Under $15 for helpful information.

California, Oregon and France

• Pinot Noir or Burgundy

Red wine with fish? Go ahead, stick it to the man. A medium-bodied and low alcohol Pinot Noir wine from Oregon or California or a Burgundy would pair well with many seafood dishes. Often it depends on the food preparation, and if there is a red wine or balsamic vinegar sauce then red wine works exceptionally. Think about it, some of the best Pinot Noir wines come from Oregon where some of the best salmon comes from. Coincidence?

Poultry, Game, Pork, and Veal

A roasted chicken or pork loin can work with a variety of white, rosé, and medium-bodied red wines. However, try to avoid any full-bodied and beefy Cabs and those of that ilk or risk bullying the food around.

• Pinot Noir or Burgundy

A medium-bodied Pinot Noir is more flexible than Gumby. Its good acidity, fruit, and low tannin profile make a Pinot Noir/Burgundy wine a salubrious choice for most dishes. When in doubt, go Pinot. Read the articles Best Burgundy Under $15 and Best Pinot Noirs Under $25 for some suggestions.

• Beaujolais-Villages

Light and fruity with bright acidity, Beaujolais wines are low in tannins and drink easy with light and simple foods. Think comfort foods.

• Tempranillo y Garnacha

Wines from Spain, particularly from Rioja and Ribera del Duero are also versatile and high quality, with elegant airs and rustic flavors. Stick with Crianza or Reserva wines, which are medium-bodied and earth-toned reds.

• Syrah, Shiraz, and Southern Rhône

Medium-bodied Syrah wines from California, Australia, and France are extremely food-friendly. The wines have jammy fruit, good acidity, and heaps of personality. There are a lot of options from the Southern Rhône. Try Châteauneuf-du-Pape, with its rustic and gamey flavors and complexity. Check out the article Best Shiraz Under $25 for a few good ideas.

• Zinfandel

Avoid those big fruit Zin bombs that sometimes go off in a jammy fashion. Look for the other kind of Zinfandel, the one with lower alcohol, good acidity, light-medium body, and balance. See Best Zinfandels Under $25.

Lamb and Beef

Medium to full-bodied reds will make lamb and beef dishes happy. Most of the red wines indicated above are good choices, excluding the Beaujolais. However, it's better to choose the bigger Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Zinfandel varieties. In general, it's time to match the weight of the meat (and sauce) with the gravity of the wine.

• Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux

Rack of Lamb? Filet Mignon? Crown Rib Roast? An intense and opulent Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is standard. Bordeaux, particularly a first growth, would be unobjectionable and well received. Actually, any Cab-centric wine will work. You might consider Australian Shiraz-Cabernet blends or Super Tuscans blended with Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. Antinori's Solaia anyone?

• Malbec

Argentinean wine should not be left out of the mix. The country is one of the world's biggest beef producers and their dark Malbec clone grapes make big and toothy wines that go well with an Argentine asado or criminally delicious beef short ribs.

• Northern Rhône

Full-bodied Côte-Rotie and Hermitage wines are concentrated and strut sensual red wine flavors layered with variety.

• Barolo and Barbaresco

Made from the highly tannic Nebbiolo grape, Barolo and Barbaresco wines are dark, inky, powerful reds. They are substantial and require significant aging to soften their tannic natures. Try a Barolo from Ceretto or Gaja and you will be making a statement at the table.

Vegetarian

Celery doesn't go with anything. If applying oddball reverse logic, any wine works just fine. There are also the traditional vegetables such as asparagus or artichokes that are usually at odds with wine, often giving off a metallic taste. Best thing to do is match the dressing or sauce. If you are applying a lemony vinaigrette, go with an acidic wine such as a New Zealand or California Sauvignon Blanc or even an Italian Chianti or a Beaujolais. A creamy and buttery Chardonnay will cooperate nicely with any butter or cream sauce. Just trust your instincts.

Dessert

Be careful with dessert wines. A sweet dessert wine may be overwhelmed by a sweeter dessert. The best suggestion is to pair the Moscato D'Asti, Late Harvest Zinfandels, Tokays or Vin Santos with fruit and light fruity desserts. Some people also like to have dessert or red wines with chocolate. I like them both but personally, I don't appreciate them together. However, I admit a bittersweet, flourless chocolate cake with a Late Harvest Zinfandel does make me happy. One suggestion is to peel and slice a ripe pear, add a thick wedge of ripe Stilton cheese, toss on some toasted walnuts and alternate bites with sips of a good Tawny Port. That makes me happy, too.

Don't Hold Back

Remember, it's the Christmas dinner, so don't hold back. Well, with one proviso, New Year's Eve is only a handful of days off, perhaps you would be advised to keep back a couple of bottles of Champagne chilled and ready to pop.