12 Merry Christmas Wines to Choose from on the Big Day

I suppose the silly season is already upon us. At this time, I am reminded of past years helping customers to plan their Merry Christmas Wines well in advance but also the ‘panickers’ who leave it until the last minute.

Whichever category you fall into, to help you avoid your choices falling flat (pun intended) we have put together a list of 12 Christmas Wines for you to choose from, to use over the coming weeks or on the big day.

The difficulty for most people is matching the endless variations of food tastes that will be encountered over the holidays, with specific wines.  The first caveat of our recommendations below is to go with what you know you and your guests will like and only thereafter do a little bit of experimenting. Hopefully, my guide will assist you in this regard and you’ll enjoy your food experience even more.

Whether you purchase the following from us as part of a gift hamper, as stand-alone gifts or as your own list of Christmas wines, contact us early to avoid disappointment. So let’s have a look at what wines I’m recommending you add to your table this year.

 


The difficulty for most people is matching the endless variations of food tastes that will be encountered over the holidays, with specific wines #greenacresirl #discoverwines
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I’m going to break the wines into three segments – refreshing and celebratory for starters; reds for the main course and something special for desserts. It is not my intention to delve into the food element of Christmas as many people have their own ‘special’ recipes.

3 Refreshing and Celebratory Starters

There really is something celebratory about being handed a glass of bubbly when opening pressies, arriving at family/friend’s house or sitting down for starters. I recommend 2 and one red for starters.

       

Champagne: Lenoble Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs 2008 (€80).

Prosecco: Sant Ambroeus (€22.50)

Benjamin Leroux Auxey Duresses 2016 (€45)

5 Reds for the Main Course (or 4 whites to mix’n’match)

If you are pairing reds with poultry, it’s really best to pair the more fruity and brown spice flavours with the seasonal sauces and roasted vegetables. For instance:

        

    

Primitivo from the Manduria, – Dunico 2013, Italy (€40)

Miguel Merino Gran Reserva 2009, Spain (€42.50)

Chateau la Grave, Pomerol 2011, France (€55)

Domaine St. Gayan INP Gigondas, 2011, France (€50)

Speri Amarone, Italy,  2012 (€59)

and 4 Whites

         

Chateauneuf du Pape – Clos des Papes 2013, France (€85)

Henri Boillot Bourgogne Blanc 2013, France (€40)

Marc Morey Chassange Montrachet 2014, France (€60)

Lugana Fabio Contato Reserva 2011, Italy (€35)

4 Something Specials for Desserts

         

Oremus Tokaji Aszu ‘11 3 Puttonyos, Hungary (€45)

Pedro Ximinez 1987, GR Albala 1/2 Bottle, Spain (€35)

Chateau du Fargues 2003, Sauternes, France (€90)

Cognac VSOP no. 7 (€55)

The above wines were chosen as a general guide. Needless to say some of the suggestions would change if, for instance, you were cooking roast beef. Then many Cabernet Sauvignons would be in play. Of course, there is also the lovely old Aunt who only drinks Chardonnay!

We have over 1,500 bottles of wine here in the shop. We promise to find you one that will suit your taste, your budget and your food (and the Aunt). We have put together a selection of wines that we call Special Christmas Wines’ at special prices in the run-up to Christmas. They will be sold on a first come first served basis.

Whatever food and beverage you choose this year, we know that Christmas is all about coming together with family and friends. If you are hosting a party it is probably best to select wines that have a broad appeal – the main challenge will be not to run short! Let choosing your Christmas wines to be the least of your worries this year – if you don’t want to shop online, we’re here in the shop to help you every day until the 24th.

We hope you have a jolly, cork-pulling, fantastic Festive Season over the coming weeks.

As usual, you can contact me if you would like to discuss anything about individual wines or those in our hampers. Also, if you’d like to receive future blog posts from us, directly to your email, just ‘click’ here.

We look forward to engaging with you again soon – Cheers, James.

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