It is almost that time of the year, where most of us take a break from the routine pace of our lives. Dive into the sparkling, cheerful, festive Christmas. Even if it is not your religious celebration period, a great excuse to to congratulate to welcome the new year bringing new intentions, hopes to our lives. Some of us prefer to spend this festive season with larger groups of family members or friends, some of us prefer staying at home , taking it easy. Surely the common thing that most of us will do is ,to spend this festive period with variety of food, beverages of any sort and  relax, eat, drink and be Merry..

Christmas Dinner is a special one which needs a lot of prep and care. It can be pretty stressful if you don’t organize yourself and wine pairing can be a hard task too.

Whether if  you choose to go classic and roast your turkey, prep your colorful vegetables, or maybe a Beef Wellington this year and maybe more fish or seafood  options, there are many  choices to put on your dinner table. The exciting part for me is to think of wines that will pair well with them.

Wine is an expensive product so most of us prefer to stay in our comfort zone and use the wines that we know , that we like. But its an endless world, there are so many nice wines out there. So why not try something little different this year to pair with your Christmas dinner.

As we know there are no rules when it comes to wine and food pairing but still there are a few key points we should keep in mind so we will have better, enjoyable experience.

Such as; pairing a dish which has high acidity components for example tomato sauce or goats cheese with a high acidity wine. So that after you taste your food, the wine will seem even more fruiter and the acidity will soften.

I have no intention to bore you with technical details here but just want to suggest you some alternative wine pairings for this Christmas with wines easy to get and affordable.

I will show you some of the wines we have tasted in our last Wine & Yoga Tasting of 2024 at Roam Restaurant in Belfast. We mostly are eager to choose the wines that we know most of time. Rather than spending time or money to find a new alternative wine for the Christmas table , we stick to the same ones from the year before. So I thought to offer a few different wines which could be a good option this year.

To start the festive day, most of us would go for Champagne, Prosecco or Cava. Why not try this year a Crémant from Germany!! Weingut Julg Cremat Brut NV.

Yes, you heard it right it is a Cremant and produced in Germany. The Julg estate is right on the border between Pfalz in Germany and Alsace in France, and they have vineyards in both regions which goes into the blend. So this explains the Cremant name allowance. This wine is a blend of Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay with aromas of brioche, citrus, white peach and white nectarine with a great uplifting acidity and good length. Ideally you can have this as an aperitif on its own or definitely serve a few canapes with it. Especially crab, smoked salmon, goats cheese, mature cheddar, vegetable tarts will pair perfect.

https://www.thewinesociety.com/product/weingut-julg-cremant-brut-nv/

For starters a hearty vegetable soup will warm our bodies in the coldness of December . Also, soup is a stomach friendly, nutritious meal, easy to digest. It will prepare our mind and body for the rest of the festive dinner.

Jerusalem artichoke, parsnip, pumpkin, chestnut, mushroom can be ideal flavours especially partnered with different herbs, chorizo or truffle.

As a big sherry lover I would recommend a nice Oloroso or Amontillado or Palo Cortado straight away. The lower acidity profile, nutty notes of these wines will pair nutty & creamy flavors of these soups. But knowing that sherry is not the first choice of everyone why not try a white wine which is fruity, citrusy, not too complex and very affordable.

We have tried Meu Treixadura 2023 from Ribeiro region in North West of Spain . This not too well known variety Treixadura (or known as Trajadura in Portugal where it originally comes from ) is an aromatic variety where you surrounded with delicate floral notes in harmony with white fruits, stonefruit and citrus aromas. Easy to drink and pairs well with any starters from seafood to soups.

https://www.directwineshipments.com/shop/meu-treixadura-2023/

For the eagerly awaited main course I have chosen an Italian Grape from the  USA. We mostly prefer going for a classic Burgundy, Bordeaux, Chateauneuf Du Pape, maybe a Primitivo, a Red Zinfandel or a basic Merlot. All depends on the main dish, how much you want to spend, what sort of style you like.. but why not try a Nebbiolo this year from Clendenen Family Vineyards from Santa Maria. Clendenen Family “The Pip” Nebbiolo 2018.

A rich wine with an uplifling acidity, soft but structured tannins and aromas of red berries of all kind, roses, red cherries, black plums and a subtle oak integration. What else would you like to pair with your beef, turkey, cranberries, sprouts …the length is so good that you will still feel it until your Christmas pudding.

Saying that for the dessert part which can be your fruit based tarts, Christmas Pudding, Mince Pie or maybe you are a cheese lover and will go for savory right away. So, I have selected a sweet wine from Greece.

Samos Anthemis 2018, a sweet Vin doux Natural from Samos Island. Muscat is giving perfumy & floral notes which is balanced with oak ageing and result is aromatic, orange citrus, sweet wine with honeysuckle, fig, dates, vanilla aromas. This wine is beautiful and is a dessert on its own. Surely it will accompany any dessert or cheese board successfully.

https://www.thewinesociety.com/product/samos-anthemis-2018-50cl/

This year whether you are celebrating Christmas or welcoming 2025, wherever you are , whatever you are eating. I wish you  a good company and  fantastic wines on your table which will add more laughter, more aromas  and fun to your Festive Break.

Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!