Wine Matching for Christmas Feasting
So it’s Saturday 23rd and you’ve been nominated to host the main Christmas shindig. You bust a gut preparing the most impressive menu you can, yet experience has it that the guests will arrive bearing less than average wine that’d be more at home in the chilli bin at your niece Shenaenae’s 21st than on your exquisitely decorated, yuletide table. Solving this episode of social awkwardness is easy. Beer drinkers can look after themselves of course, but you could mention to your wine-loving guests in advance, that you’d like to have the right wine styles to go with the food. Give them the task of bringing one of them and ask that they spend at least $20 on the bottle. Or contribute a couple of dollars to a booze fund and then you’re in control and here’s how it can roll.
There’s nothing like the birth of Christ to signify a special occasion and that means dishing out a good flute of fizz when your guests arrive. Champagne is perfect, but then a good Cremant or local methode traditionnelle is just as tasty. Steer clear of sparkling sauvignon or sparkling pinot gris or other dubious concoctions – stick to the classic chardonnay/pinot noir sparkles and you’ll have an impressive start.
There’s always someone who only drinks sauvignon blanc and sav is fantastic if you’re serving seafood of any description – so it’s good to have a quality bottle or two handy. Pinot gris seems to be the tipple of choice for cheese platters, so pop a couple of fruity numbers in the fridge.
If roast chicken is on the menu, then you’ll want a wine that works with all that rich, white flesh, buttery new potatoes, baby peas, green beans and fatty gravy. I’d go chardonnay all the way – a big, ripe, fruit-laden, oaky, creamy one.
Tradition has it there’ll be ham, and it will be glazed with all sorts of cellulite-inducing sweeties like marmalade, brown sugar and brandy. Choosing an appropriate wine for salty meat with a candied/savoury element to it is easy. Viognier. Pronounced Vee-On-Yay, it’s the perfect wine for yuletide swine.
Planning roast lamb or turkey stuffed with berries and nuts and all sorts of niceness? Then make sure you’ve got great pinot noir aplenty. The spicy, cherry-driven succulence of pinot is perfect with both. But if it’s roast beef or rare venison making an appearance, find a good syrah or cabernet merlot pronto.
Up next, Pavlova. Fingers crossed your pav will turn out light, fluffy and deliciously sweet – so toast your success with something equally decadent like a honeyed, marmaladey, toffee-ish dessert wine to cut through that sweet meringue and compliment the fruity toppings and cream.
Have a safe and groovy Christmas everyone!
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Longbush Wines Gisborne Pinot Gris 2017 $13.95 (3 stars)
Here’s a bright, tangy, tropical crowd-pleaser of a pinot gris with good cause behind it. Designed to help fund the Longbush Eco-Sanctuary run by Anne and Jeremy Salmond, it
aims to create a haven for endangered birds and plants on the banks of the Waimata River, 7kms from Gisborne. So you can enjoy your pear, nashi and spicy wine knowing you’re supporting nature. Ah nice.
Visit www.longbushreserve.org and buy from www.thefamilywines.com
Leveret Estate Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2014 $31 (4.5 stars)
This is my kind of chardonnay! With aromas of peachy nougat, a whiff of grapefruit and creamy, biscuity bonza-ness. On the palate it is developing a gorgeous, caramelised core of stonefruit and toasty, nutty oak. Old school chardonnay lovers will love this and new converts to chardonnay will love the freshness – it’s a really stylish wine with buckets of personality.
www.unitedcellars.com
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Ruby Bay Vineyard Captain’s Reserve Nelson Pinot Noir 2014 $28 (4 stars)
This little cracker from the sunshine capital is maturing into a bit of a spice-fest indeed. Edged with rhubarb, tamarillo and masses of cherry, it’s a lovely, tangy pinot noir with freshness and friskiness.
Email: info@rubybayvineyard.co.nz to buy.
Leveret Estate Reserve Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2014 $30 (4.5 stars)
With syrah vineyards in Hawke’s Bay’s key regions, the winemaking team at Leveret can pick and choose where to source the best fruit. 2014 was a cracker for syrah, it was slightly cooler, meaning the wines were less bolshy, more elegant, stylish, self assured and good to go for years and years. Clean, precise dark fruit, cherry, pomegranate and pepper, supple tannins, a hint of cough drop character and marathon-like length of flavour. www.unitedcellars.com
Lake Hayes Central Otago Pinot Gris 2017 $24 (4.5 stars)
This is a definite new favourite for me because I love the pure pear, apple and cleansing, quince-like characters in this wine. Produced by the talented team at Amisfield, it’s a bracingly fresh, fruit-focused gris that pops with personality and brightness. There’s a twang of natural sweetness upfront, yet it finishes refreshingly dry and zesty.
www.lk.co.nz
