How to match your food and wine this Christmas

My first experience of Christmas in the wine trade was very early in my career, working for the high-street wine institution Oddbins. It was there I learned that at this time of year the question on everyone’s mind is how to match your wine with your food.

To this day, this remains my favourite question. The invitation to recommend wine is one of the genuinely fun things I am still regularly asked to do.

There are several views around wine matching that confuse me to this day. The first is the belief that there is some “wine guru” hocus pocus to getting the choice “right” and the second is that Christmas will be ruined if you make the “wrong” choice.

If you are in any doubt, please let me assure you that there is no “wrong” or “right” food and wine matching; truly, most wines will be pleasant to drink with most food. The best way to match your wine and food is not to heed the opinions of others, but with some trial and “error” of your own.

As many who have served time in the retail trade can attest, the purchase of wine at this time of year follows a recognizable pattern of human behaviour. There are the organised who allow themselves time for tastings and trial bottles who come back to the store to buy their favourite bottle with the minimum stress and those who panic buy. The likelihood of disappointment increases the closer you get to a pressured purchase.

That said, the only advice I’ll ever give anyone is to get in touch with your favourite wine merchant early, explain what you enjoy and give them your budget. When they answer, listen to what they say and give yourself time to try a few different bottles before you make the decision. Their recommendation is still an opinion which can be disregarded but remember that it is an opinion drawn from a great deal of product knowledge and feedback on previous recommendations. It is their job to know their portfolios and a terrible shame for that experience to go untapped.

The time you invest at this point will pay dividends on the day itself, as you will be free to relax in the knowledge and confidence that this part of the meal has been taken care of and you’ve chosen a corker,

In my opinion, here are a few that will make the festivities fizz (all available online):

With the smoked salmon starter:

The Society’s White Burgundy 2019, France – £9.95 per bottle from The Wine Society

With the bird:

Cono Sur 20 Barrels Pinot Noir 2007, Chile – £14 per bottle from Tesco’s

With the Christmas pudding:

Kopke 10-year-old Tawny Port, Portugal – £10.99 per bottle from Frazier’s Wine Merchants