26 Nov 2019 / English Wine
Your Christmas Wine Menu – What Wines to Serve This Christmas
With Christmas encroaching, you may be starting to think about what Christmas wine to stock up on this year to keep your guests in the festive spirit. We believe that the best wine pairing really comes down to one thing: personal preference.
If you’d like to open a mature bottle you’ve been saving for a special occasion, then there really is no better time to share it with your family than Christmas. If you want to drink a white wine with your Christmas turkey, rather than the more traditional red, then that’s entirely up to you. There really is no right and wrong when it comes to enjoying Christmas wine over the festive season (at least, not in our rulebook).
The wine you serve your guests should similarly be a stress-free experience. If you’re not sure what wines they like, why not ask them before the big day rather than guessing? Of course, if you do want some expert guidance, then your local wine merchant should be able to give you some insightful wine pairing recommendations.
Naturally, we are always here to lend a helping hand when choosing the best wine for your Christmas dinner and for any other festivities you have planned – simply get in touch and we’ll be happy to help.
For now, here is the Christmas wine menu that our wine expert, Thomas, will be serving this year – to help give you some ideas.
Christmas Day Wines – Our Wine Pairing Suggestions
Pre-dinner Drinks: Classic Cuvée
A glass of English fizz at breakfast is a great way to get Christmas Day underway. Our Classic Cuvée is a traditionally-made sparkling wine of very high quality to get you in the festive mood. Dry and subtle, with just enough bubbles and not too alcoholic, it makes a great Bucks Fizz in the morning or is excellent as an aperitif before your start your meal.
Seafood Starters: Coleridge Hill
A clean and fresh unoaked white wine that’s superb for fish dishes. Its balanced acidity cuts through the fattiness of smoked salmon, whilst its palate is loaded with hints of crisp apple, fragrant elderflower and freshly-cut grass, making it easy and enjoyable to drink. This wine is versatile enough to serve with your Christmas turkey too.
Christmas Turkey: Willowbrook or Ravens Hill
Because turkey is a white meat with a relatively low fat content, 
ideally you want a white wine that is full-bodied or a red wine that is medium bodied to accentuate the flavours and be able to handle all the extra trimmings.
Our Ravens Hill is a deep ruby-coloured red wine, full of ripe blackberry and cherry fruit perfect if you’re having sweet accompaniments with your turkey, such as buttered carrots and cranberry sauce.
Our Willowbrook is a delicious white wine that’s soft and full on the palate, with a long, rich rounded finish and subtle aromas of peach and lychee. Works nicely with bread sauce and its creaminess can help the meat if its a little on the dry side.
After dinner: Late Harvest
Whatever you are serving after dinner this year, be it a cheese board or a Christmas pudding, be sure to pair it with our exceptional dessert wine, Late Harvest. Only available from the cellar door here on our Gloucestershire vineyard, this wine is made from 100% Siegerrebe. It has a distinct fresh grapefruit aroma, followed by ripe citrus fruits on the palate with honeyed notes and a long aromatic finish.
