While we might dream of a white Christmas, Jack Frost nipping at our nose, it’s usually a wet one, with the puddles soaking our toes. Yet come the big day, some vinous indulgence ensures that we soon forget the weather, so here’s my plan for a festive feast, with my wine recommendations for Christmas.
The winter solstice, the official start of the season, feels like the longest day, as I conduct a final audit of my own wine cellar, ready for Christmas. It’s a chilly task but, as any curator will confirm, spending precious time with your collection is also akin to a spiritual experience, throwing up surprises and the occasional shocker: I learnt the hard way that Puligny Montrachet needs a ‘best before’ date when I discovered a forgotten brace of bottles – alas, our kitchen sink had the time of its life. Storing wine is not for everyone, so the following recommendations are all available to buy now.
I don’t usually drink during the day but Christmas is obviously an exception and, after a healthy start of freshly squeezed orange juice, buttered sourdough with lashings of Marmite and gallons of coffee, the festivities begin with devils on horseback. Sweet and savoury, these joyously juicy parcels offer so much more sophistication than a cocktail sausage and should be served with a serious Champagne. Think Bollinger Special Cuvée (£57.99, Waitrose), an emblematic cuvée that eschews the term ‘non-vintage’ and proudly showcases Pinot Noir, with its combination of red fruit power and pinpoint precision making it ideally suited to indulgent, meaty snacks, the generous creamy texture adding mouth-filling finesse.
An hour or so later, lunch begins with an end of season salad featuring the last of this year’s pears, bitter red endive, Roquefort and toasted hazelnuts, in a honeyed, Dijon mustard dressing. The orchard theme lends itself perfectly to an English sparkler, thanks to this country’s signature apple acidity, so Louis Pommery England NV (£29.50 Sainsbury’s) is this year’s choice. Much has recently been made of Taittinger’s foray into England but Pommery was the first Champagne house to produce a British bubbly and it gets more delicious with every vintage. Majority Chardonnay, the nose suggests Conference pear, delicate hawthorn blossom and freshly baked croissant. The mousse offers more elegance than many English sparklers, while the palate has concentrated Granny Smith, waxy citrus, ripe greengage and the slightest hint of honey.
I am an evangelist for winter rosé, so the next course offers the perfect opportunity to sink some festive pink. Orkney smoked salmon, topped with creamed horseradish dotted with dill, will be served with Secret de Léoube Rosé (£36 Daylesford Organic), from an organic Provence pioneer, part of the Bamford empire, a transcendent blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Cabernet Sauvignon with the latter grape adding some serious structure, elevating it from a ‘vin de piscine’ to a ‘vin de poisson’. There’s crisp cranberry acidity, elegant alpine strawberry, some gentle herbal complexity and a lick of fish-friendly salinity.
The festive season comes with its unshakeable rituals and a comforting, velvety velouté is one of mine, so the night before Christmas is always spent slaving over a Le Creuset stockpot. A smooth, spiced parsnip soup, topped with crunchy Comté croutons will be accompanied by Rombauer Chardonnay 2022 (Majestic, £34.99 in a mix six) a classic example from Carneros that exquisitely balances weight, freshness and well-integrated oak to complement the seasonal sweetness of the parsnips, which only occurs once the frosts have started. Rich, creamy and seductively spiced, packed with stone-fruit character, vanilla pod and a hint of tropical complexity and guided by a vibrant grapefruit acid line, the finish is indulgent and seemingly endless.
Though it was once goose, turkey has become the traditional festive centrepiece but I much prefer a roasted fillet of beef, served pink and bloody, served with a crisp, fluffy, individual Yorkshire pudding, goose-fat-roasted potatoes, puréed celeriac and – of course – pan-seared sprouts pimped up with lardons and chestnuts. Though the cellar offers plenty of potential pairings, there are also some excellent ready-aged options on the market for drinking during the festive period and my choice is Château d’Issan 2012 (£68, Hedonism), a Margaux Third Growth, apparently served at the wedding of Eleanor of Aquitaine and England’s King Henry II in 1152. The ’12 vintage was capricious but this wine is elegantly fruit driven, with foraged blackberry and ripe Victoria plum, elevated by sweet cedar and tobacco leaf. The polished tannins will enrobe the rare beef in a regal velvet, while there’s plenty of structural depth and complexity.
I take the French approach to the cheese course: it should be served before pudding. This requires a final wine: something serene, never overbearing or tannic, to pair with a board that will include Cornish Yarg wrapped in wild garlic, aged Stilton and something slightly stinky, such as an Epoisses, complete with charcoal crackers. My choice is Yangarra 2019 High Sands Grenache (£147.50, Vinvm), an outstanding prestige cuvée from an organic & biodynamic estate in Australia’s McLaren Vale that showcases the delicacy and charm of great Grenache. From vines almost 80 years old, on sandy soils, there’s a fragrant nose of hibiscus and violet, cool, crunchy red fruit, sleek tannins and a lithe but long, mineral finish.
Finally, to round off, an easier, more exciting alternative to the traditional figgy pudding, courtesy of a Nigel Slater recipe published many years ago: prunes steeped and stewed in Malmsey Madeira, slathered with melted dark chocolate and served with a dollop of crème fraiche. Chocolate can be a tricky one when it comes to wine pairing but a festive favourite rides like Rudolph to the rescue: Port. Taylor’s Quinta de Vargellas 2015 (£35.15, Connolly’s) is an elegant example, with an enchanting floral, violet and rose petal nose, the palate melding juicy purple plum, black forest cherry, nutmeg and cocoa nib, with firm, plush tannins and the taut freshness of cranberry and wild herbs. In short, it is the perfect finale for an indulgent festive feast.
A glass of Cognac or Armagnac will probably follow before bedtime and then, of course, it is all over for another year. The longest month, January, with its 90 or so days, lies in wait. So, enjoy every moment of this festive season and have a merry Christmas.
David Kermode is a journalist and broadcaster, with two decades of experience across TV, radio and print media, and a lifelong love of wine and spirits. Don’t miss his weekly podcast, The Drinking Hour.
