How to Choose Champagnes & Wines for Christmas?

Christmas Champagnes & Wines Guide?

Christmas is when you plan parties at home to celebrate the joyous occasions. Parties are not complete without the best wines and champagnes. If you are planning a grand party at home for this Christmas, then choose the best champagnes and wines that your guests would enjoy. If you were wondering how to select the best wines and champagnes, then you can go through the guide given below.

Choosing the Best Champagnes & Wines for Christmas

1. Deciding the wine

While choosing the wine for your Christmas dinner, you need to decide if you want red wine or white wine. There are two things you need to consider here. The first is the menu you have planned for the dinner. You need to choose the wine that goes well with the dishes you are serving. Another consideration here is the preference of your guests. Generally, the convention is red wines goes well with beef while white wine is best served with poultry.

If you are serving turkey or duck, then a white wine should go well. But a red wine would also be a good option to complement the roasted flavor of the duck/turkey. Red Burgundy wines, Pinot Noir, or a Zinfandel are good options. If you want to be conservative and go with white wines, then you can choose the Sauvignon Blanc. Roasted duck should go well with Riesling or Sauternes wines.

For roast beef or ribs, red wine would be an appropriate option. Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Shiraz are good options when you are serving red meat. If ham is what you are planning to serve, Beaujolais, Zinfandel, or Alsatian Riesling are good options. Above all these considerations, if you or your guests prefer a specific wine, go get that.

2. Wines for the dessert

You can choose a sweet wine to pair it with the dessert you serve. If Christmas pudding or any such seasonal dessert is on the menu, then choose a Sauternes or Muscat wine. If the dessert has chocolates, then a port or Madeira will go well with it. You can serve wine after the dinner. A vintage port would be a good way to end dinner.

3. Choosing the best champagne

If you planning to serve champagne, then you need to choose the best champagne based on the menu planned. The following are the champagne types that you can choose depending on what is served on the menu:

See Also

Wine and Dine: Perfect Pairings for Every Meal

1. Brut is the driest type of champagnes. It has the lowest sugar content making it an ideal choice when there is a richness of sweet on offer. You can serve it with food or as an aperitif.
2. Blanc de Blancs is a champagne that has citrus notes. Made from white grapes of Chardonnay, this is a light champagne.
3. Blanc de Noirs is made from red grapes. Compared to other options, it is more fruits in its flavour.
4. Demi-sec has more sugar content and you can consider serving it with dessert if you want a sweet end to the dinner.
5. Rose champagne is made by the right blend of white and red wines. It offers strawberry or raspberry notes and is usually a pink style drink.

Lastly, choose between vintage (aged for at least 3 years) or non-vintage.

4. Go with the best brand and retailer

A Christmas dinner comes once a year. It is a special occasion that you need to enjoy with your family and friends. Don’t hesitate to choose the best. Once you have shortlisted the wines, choose the best brand. Avoid buying wines and champagnes from local stores. Choose a good quality retailer who has a reputation of offering the best champagnes and wines. Spend some time at the seller’s store to check out what is on offer buying finalizing your selection. Choose a store where the salesperson is knowledgeable about wines and champagnes. This will help you find quality fizz for your dinner.

Understanding Champagne in 5 minutes or less!