ENGLISH WINE AND CHRISTMAS FOOD PAIRINGS.
The festive season is the perfect time to indulge in delicious meals, and what better way to elevate your Christmas feast than by pairing it with the best English wines?
Whether you’re hosting a formal Christmas dinner or a casual family gathering, here’s a guide to perfect pairings that highlight the growing variety of English wines.
1. Pre-Dinner: English Sparkling Wine with Canapés
I don’t know about you, but in my house the fizz and canapes start pretty early in the day at Christmas. This year, I’ll be kicking things off with English sparkling wine alongside my picky food. A festive classic!
The light bubbles and fresh acidity of sparkling wines make them a perfect match for canapés.
Wine: Chapel Down Brut, Nyetimber Classic Cuvée or if you want something a little less expensive – try Denbies Bacchus Fizz (a real crowd pleaser for under £15).
Food Pairing: Smoked salmon blinis, seafood platters, or cheese and charcuterie boards.
Want English fizz for Christmas but don’t want to spend a fortune? Find my guide to affordable English wines here.
2. Starter: White Wines with starters
Next up, is the classic Christmas starter. Whether you’re a melon and ham type of person, or a lover of the retro prawn cocktail – English white wine is ideal. Opt for a Bacchus, Pinot Gris or a Chardonnay, both of which offer refreshing acidity to accompany a starter.
Wine: Stopham Estate Pinot Gris, Lyme Bay Chardonnay or the classic Chapel Down Bacchus.
Food Pairing: Salmon, prawns and seafood, charcuterie or a classic melon and ham combo.
Find out about the different English white wine grapes here:
3. For Hearty Roasts: Delicate Red Wines with Roast Turkey
Turkey is the traditional Christmas centerpiece and it can pair well with light reds, particularly Pinot Noir. They are delicate yet flavorful, with enough structure to stand up to rich meats.
Wine: Bolney Estate Pinot Noir or Balfour Pinot Noir
Food Pairing: Roast turkey with all the trimmings, including stuffing, cranberry sauce, and roasted vegetables. The elegance of a Pinot Noir is a stonking match for the lighter taste of turkey.
Find out more about English Pinot Noir wines here.
4. Dessert: Sparkling Rosé with Christmas Pudding
While Christmas pudding can be tricky to pair with wine due to its rich and intense flavors, English sparkling rosé offers a refreshing contrast. The fruity, berry notes cut through the sweetness and provide a delightful finish to your meal.
Wine: Hush Heath Balfour Sparkling Rosé or Ridgeview Fitzrovia Rose.
Food Pairing: Christmas pudding, mince pies, or fruitcake. The sweetness of the dessert is balanced by the bright acidity and red fruit flavors in the sparkling rosé, creating a harmonious match.
5. Cheese Board: Dessert Wine
To finish the evening, bring out a selection of English cheeses and pair them with dessert wine.
Wine: Rowton Vineyard – Late Harvest Solaris (an ideal match for blue cheese) or Once Upon a Tree – The Wonder Pear Ice Wine.
Food Pairing: Stilton, cheddar, or brie. Dessert Wine cuts through the richness of the brie and complements the strong flavors of a mature cheddar or stilton.
For a longer guide to English dessert wine, check out this blog post here.
6. The Curve-ball: English Vermouth
Whether on Christmas day, or throughout the festive season, I always like to have an unusual drink to sample and impress guests.
This year, what about trying English Vermouth?
Vermouth is a fortified wine, which means it’s a wine that’s been given a bit more punch with some added alcohol (aka it’s stronger!), and it’s aromatized with a variety of herbs, spices, and botanicals.
Drink it straight up over ice, or in a cocktail, like a vermouth spritz.
Wine: Knightor Vermouth (all the way from Cornwall), or a fancy vermouth – Albourne Estate 40 English Vermouth.
Food Pairing: Serve alone or with picky bits for a festive get together.
Want to know more about how to serve Vermouth? Find my guide here.
Where to next?
A few of my favourite things
Looking for a gift for yourself or a wine lover in your life? Here are a few of my favourite English Wine things.
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