The best wines for Christmas Day

Take the hassle out of the holidays and take a look at our expert-recommended wines to enjoy alongside some of our festive recipes.

There's no doubt that being in charge of Christmas dinner is stressful. When should you start cooking the side dishes? How many times does the turkey need basting? Is it really necessary to cut crosses into the bottom of sprouts? It can be hectic for even the most prepared – and the last thing anyone needs is an added layer of worry over whether guests will enjoy the wine with dinner too.

But fear not, we've got top drinks recommendations for every scenario, from breakfast fizz (well, it's Christmas after all) through to the main event and dessert.

Smoked salmon

Start Christmas morning on a decadent note with smoked salmon and scrambled eggs or our recipe for corn fritters with lox and poached eggs. While buck's fizz (a mix of orange juice and sparkling wine) is popular, instead enjoy a glass of Champagne on it’s own – it will make the food taste much better.

Haarala Hamilton/Phaidon

All the big supermarkets do great own-brand labels, but try Morrisons’ Charles de Villers (£24). The acidity cuts through the oily salmon like a squeeze of lemon. This particular wine also has a rounder mouthfeel than most, working with the creaminess of the eggs.

Image courtesy of Morrisons

Roast turkey

For many, turkey is the main event, but when it comes to wine matching, it actually plays second fiddle to what is accompanying it. The meat is quite neutral in taste and it’s the sauces, gravy and stuffing that bring the bulk of the flavour. Try our roast turkey and stuffing recipe, which involves lots of dried fruits and herbs, and dollop generous spoonfuls of cranberry sauce on the side.

READ MORE: How to taste wine like a pro

Ola O Smit/Ebury Press

For this, a wine needs to be fruity but medium-bodied with soft tannins, so as to not overpower the meat. The Lirac Les Closiers (£11, M&S) is from an appellation (a designated grape-growing region) in the Southern Rhône and is a blend of Grenache, which gives it red fruits, and Syrah, which adds spice. Just down the road is it’s more famous cousin – Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Try M&S’ own label of the wine as a magnum. For £43, this is a great option and is sure to impress on size and name.

Image courtesy of M&S

Not forgetting white wine drinkers, this Nero Oro Grillo Appassimento (£9.99, Majestic) is made using a proportion of sun-dried grapes, giving it lashings of flavour with some sweetness (just think of how sun-dried tomatoes taste in comparison to fresh). A full-bodied, off-dry white packed with tropical fruit, dried apricot, grapefruit and honey notes.

Image courtesy of Nero Oro

Nut roast

This delicious nut roast recipe has a bit of everything in it, including nuts, squash, red pepper, herbs and olives – and so a wine needs more than just fruit to match up to the complexity of flavours. Lebanon might not be your first thought as a wine region, but its wines often possess a lovely savoury edge which adds depth and character.

READ MORE: The best prosecco alternatives

Founded by a Frenchman François-Eugène Brun in 1868, this Domaine des Tourelles Red (currently £11.69, Flagship Wines), has red berry and cherry notes intermingled with wild oregano, sweet pumpkin and caramelised onion.

Image courtesy of Domaine des Tourelles

Image by Tesco Real Food

Goose

Goose not only has a stronger, almost gamey flavour in comparison to turkey, but it is also fattier. This means that any wine paired with it needs to have good levels of acidity to cut through. Try our goose with pecan stuffing for a truly festive dish.

Pinot Noir is often the go-to match but in truth, good ones are very expensive. Instead try this Bodegas Palacio Glorioso Rioja Crianza, currently on offer for £11 from Ocado. Crianza refers to the legal minimum ageing, which for red rioja is one year in barrel and one year in bottle. As a 2017 vintage, this wine has spent quite a bit longer in bottle which has allowed it to start developing savoury, tertiary characteristics of smoke and meat. But it has plenty of red and black fruit, and that all-important acidity.

READ MORE: All the recipes you need from Christmas Eve to New Year's Day

Image courtesy of Glorioso

Beef Wellington

As far as wine matching goes, beef is probably one of the easiest things as it pairs with most ripe, rich reds. However, for something a little bit more sophisticated try this DV Catena (£12, Tesco), a Malbec-dominated blend from pioneering Argentina producer Bodega Catena Zapata, with our beef Wellington.

Image courtesy of Catena Zapata

The wine is full of concentrated cherry and damson flavours, as you would expect from a Malbec, but it isn't at all jammy thanks to the high altitude of the vines, giving it freshness. Accompanied by notes of bitter chocolate and coffee with a lovely savoury finish, it will work well with the earthiness of the mushrooms.

READ MORE: Everything you wanted to know about wine

Caramelised clementine tart

Because clementines deserve more love than just being shoved into the bottom of your stocking, finish the meal with this clementine tart. Citrus desserts are particularly good after the heavy, extravagance of Christmas dinner as they feel so refreshing and light.

Image by Waitrose & Partners

The golden rule when it comes to pairing sweet dishes is that the wine has to be the sweeter component. Torres’ Floralis Moscatel Oro, currently on offer for £7.19 at Waitrose, has the necessary sweetness, but also good levels of acidity to stop everything feeling too cloying. Perfectly matching flavour characteristics of orange marmalade with honey, apricot and ginger, it's a delicious end to the day.

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