Wine: planning ahead for the big day

For many of you, this is the most important meal of the year. The food must be perfect, and the wine must be absolutely right too. I take a more relaxed view of the proceedings, and try not to get too uptight. When it comes to wine there are a few general guidelines I find useful; first, match your wines to the occasion. Party wines for a festival atmosphere (but do try to spend at least €10 per bottle), and something a little better for a smaller affair.

This year, we will have more mature children for Christmas Day, and a few extra foodie adults, so I will make sure I open up a few decent bottles. Medium-bodied fruity wines, both red and white, are the most flexible options, both in terms of matching food and pleasing all of your guests. Lastly, I strongly recommend that you serve your wine in a nice decanter and drink from good tulip-shaped glasses. It may mean more washing-up, but it will really show even the lowliest wine off at its very best.

Some people insist on a starter, others don’t bother. As I am responsible for the cooking, I always aim for something simple. We have some of the best fish and seafood in the world, so smoked salmon, or a salad of crab, prawns or other seafood, can be prepared earlier with ease. My mother-in-law’s buckwheat blini with smoked salmon and crème frâiche is a personal favourite. A good Chardonnay with its broad, mouth-filling fruit provides a wonderful backdrop for all kinds of food, but rich seafood in particular. If the mood takes you, serve a Blanc de Blancs Champagne, but any lightly oaked or unoaked Chardonnay will not only partner the seafood, but can also be served with the turkey if somebody doesn’t drink red.

When serving turkey, try to avoid wines with drying tannins on the finish (ruling out Bordeaux, I am afraid); instead look for wines with plenty of smooth fruits such as Australian Grenache or Shiraz, or nearer home, the southern Rhône or a not-too-serious Rioja from Spain. Pinot Noir, either from Burgundy or elsewhere, also works really well with turkey as well as ham.

Don’t forget Italian wine either. I was given a magnum of very good Valpolicella Classico earlier this year, and may very well serve that on Christmas day. I reckon that combination of lovely fresh cherry fruits, low tannins and fresh acidity will do very nicely.

Ham, as long as it doesn’t come with too much sweet glaze, is reasonably flexible with wine. Most medium-bodied reds, including all of those mentioned above, will do very nicely, as will the whites. Roast goose has come back into fashion, and very good it is too. Even the most carefully cooked bird will have a slight fattiness, so either go for an off-dry German Riesling (a Kabinett or Spätlese will have the right balance of sweetness and acidity), or once again, a Pinot Noir, which will have some acidity, perfect for cutting through that richness.

However, the biggest challenge with the Christmas dinner is not the meat, but what you serve with it. The relatively mild flavour of turkey is often drowned out by other more robust foods, including sprouts, cocktail sausages, crispy bacon, bread sauce, gravy and herby stuffings. It is often best to go for a wine that delivers plenty of flavour. The biggest enemy of wine lurking on the Christmas table, however, is cranberry sauce. This potent mix of sweet fruit and tart citrus acidity can spell death to any wine. You can avoid it, but a red-fruited Pinot Noir or Rioja will mitigate that acidity.

As argued above, we should probably pay more attention to vegetables when serving wine, as they can sometimes be the dominant flavour. As far as I know, there is no traditional vegetarian Christmas dinner, so a few suggestions to cover likely dishes; roast Mediterranean vegetables go with either red or white wines, both preferably medium-bodied and not too tannic. Roast winter root vegetables tend to have a sweet touch, and therefore need richer white wines (Viognier is very good) or rounded reds. Bean casseroles are a great backdrop for bigger, good quality reds, such as Australian Shiraz, and Pinot Noir will do very nicely with baked mushrooms or mushroom risotto.

Next week I will take a look at sweet and fortified wines, essential for a good Christmas, and a few other goodies as well.

BOTTLES OF THE WEEK

Mâcon-Uchizy Domaine Talmard 2008, 13%, €15.95This featured as one of my wines of the year recently. A deservedly popular wine that offers real value, and would do very nicely with starters, and even with turkey at a push. Crisp and dry but with a light honey/orange touch that fills out beautifully on the palate. Stockists:Widely available from independent wine shops including King's, Delgany; Donnybrook Fair, Dublin 4; French Flair, Tralee; Next Door, Enfield; Redmond's, Ranelagh; McCabe's, Blackrock; On the Grapevine, Dalkey; Jus de Vine, Portmarnock.

Marks & Spencer Wrattonbully Tempranillo 2008, 13.5%, €12.49Rioja, Australian style. Elegant strawberry fruits and a smooth finish. A little sweeter than most Rioja, but it works very well. Serve with turkey and or ham. Stockist:Marks Spencer.

Viña Leyda 'Las Brisas Vineyard' Pinot Noir 2008, Leyda Valley, Chile, 14%, €15.99Viña Leyda make Chile's finest Pinot Noir, and some very impressive Sauvignon too. This is very classy wine, with superb big, slightly meaty, cool dark cherry fruits and excellent length. Perfect Christmas dinner fare. Stockist:Oddbins.

D'Arenberg The Footbolt Shiraz 2006, McLaren Vale, 14.5%, €14.95An old favourite that I tasted again recently, and one that would provide plenty of Christmas cheer. A hedonist's delight, with masses of delicious ripe juicy cassis and plums plus, and a smooth chocolatey finish. Hard not to like. Stockists:Widely available.

Finca La Emperatriz Rioja Reserva 2004, 13.5%, around €20Voluptuous rich dark cassis fruits, underpinned by a dusting of spicy oak, a relatively big generous wine that really opens out very nicely. Perfect with turkey and ham, and big enough to take on the trimmings. Stockists:Donnybrook Fair (who have a special offer on this wine); Jus de Vine, Portmarnock; Sweeney's, Harte's Corner; The Wine Room @ No 1 Pery Square, Limerick; The Kitchen Project, Clonakilty; Vanilla Grape, Kenmare; The Drinks Store, Manor Street.

TWO UNDER €12

Finca La Linda Viognier, Mendoza 2008, 14.5%, €10.50Viognier works very well with full-bodied seafood, turkey, slightly spicy dishes, as well as vegetables, so it should be ideal for Christmas day. The south of France and the Rhône Valley make some pretty good examples, but I have been impressed by a number from Argentina too. Medium-bodied with plump apricot fruits and a lemony touch, this will certainly keep the hordes happy.

Stockists:Red Island, Skerries; Claudio's Wine, Newtownmountkennedy; The Cheese Pantry, Drumcondra; The Vintry, Rathgar; The Wine Boutique, Ringsend; Market 57, Westport; Morton's of Galway; Drinkstore, Dublin 7; James O'Keefe, Ennis; Jus de Vine, Portmarnock; Lilliput Stores, Stoneybatter, Dublin; Kelly's, Clontarf; The Forum, Waterford; Sweeney's Off Licence, Glasnevin, Dublin; Next Door, Enniscorthy; Keller's, Roscrea; Kennedy's, Fairview, Dublin; Searson's, Monkstown.

Viña Carmen Reserva Pinot Noir 2008, Casablanca Valley, 13%, €11.99

Part of the new range of Carmen wines, an impressive Pinot Noir with elegant raspberry fruits, and a lick of new oak. It all comes together very nicely in a stylish wine that would go very nicely with turkey, ham and goose.

Stockists:Tesco; SuperValu; Lynch's Glanmire; Nolan's, Clontarf, Dublin; O'Brien's, nationwide.

jwilson@irishtimes.com