Festive drinks -
Sparkling:
I have always been a fan of English wines even though they have rarely lived up to my expectations. We recently tried a bottle of Nyetimber English sparkling wine which was the perfect Christmas aperitif. A mixture of fine bubbles, flavourful elderflower and fresh sherbet gave a light refreshing perfect pre lunch drink. If you have never tried English wine this is the one to start with. To compare it to Champagne is unfair on the champenoise as it is utterly unique in its style and flavour. You may think it a little expensive at around £30 a bottle but you’ll be hard pressed to find a champagne at that price level any better.
Sherry :
Another ideal pre dinner drink is a dry sherry. Tio pepe brand is a good one to start with and easy to find in the shops, it is very high quality and can be bought for around the £9 mark. Other dry sherries to look out for are the Manzanilla style sherries which have a salty tang from being matured in close proximity to the sea. Sherry these days is some what unpopular in Britain and prices are low when considering the quality, however in Spain, dry sherries couldn’t be more fashionable so take advantage of the keen prices in the uk, you won’t be disappointed. Just remember to serve cold.
White wine:
The vintage of 2010 in Burgundy was excellent, but don’t spend too much (over £20) as the higher priced wines won’t be ready to drink yet. By spending between £10 – £18 on a 2010 Burgundy you’ll get a superb Chardonnay with buttery notes and gentle oak flavours. For my Christmas lunch, we’ll be drinking the best New Zealand Sauvignon I can find, no need to break the bank with Cloudy Bay, it is divine but vastly overpriced – Oyster Bay and Villa Maria are favourites in our house. Spend between £7 – £10 on a 2010 or 2011 (no older) New Zealand Sauvignon for goosberry and citrus notes with a vibrant acidity.
Red Wine:
For many people the New world is the popular choice for reds due to the easy to understand labels but if you fancy a change here’s a foolproof way of choosing a French red to go with Christmas lunch and stun your friends and family. Many of you will know that Burgundy is one of my favourites but it is a fickle mistress so to be sure of an excellent bottle to go with our turkey or duck we need to go to Bordeaux. Seek out the 2005 and 2006 vintages from St Julien, St Estephe or Pauillac . Spend between £10 and £20 and at that price level, these wines are drinking beautifully right now. In the £7 to £12 bracket you may find some 2009 from Bordeaux which are also drinking nicely too (whereas generally a £20 2009 wouldn’t be drinking until 2015)
Don’t forget to look out for reduced wines in the quality or ‘finest’ range section as these will of been reduced because they are drinking perfectly now, not because they are past their best.
Dessert wine:
Why not try a demi sec champagne such as Pol Roger which will provide a palate lifting zing for the rich pud or match it with a Palo Cortado sherry which has dry nutty tastes.
On a separate note some friends of ours learnt a valuable lesson recently. 30 years ago they won a ‘bottle of wine’ in a bet; they put it away and forgot about it. After a recent clear out they brought it out, then with Christmas coming up thought they would ask my advice as to whether it was still ‘ok to drink’. I asked what the wine was – a Magnum of 1981 Krug champagne which would of cost around at least £150 then, now a magnum of nonvintage Krug retails at around £300. A magnum of 1981 which had been kept in perfect conditions would retail at around £800; this however had been kept upright in a wardrobe in the bedroom 
after giving them a severe telling off for not having drunk it 20 years ago they decided to open it and share it with us. So on Wednesday afternoon we had some Christmas cake, mince pies and opened a magnum of Krug. The cork had dried out considerably but there was still some fiz and some beautifully tiny bubbles and reasonable stringing, although this did fade and there was no mousse as would be expected on such an old champagne; the colour was amber a sign of its age due to some oxidisation and the taste – well, it really should of been drunk a long time ago but it had retained pleasant rounded acidity - a sign of its quality, nutty and rich – we finished the lot and had a very pleasant afternoon. Would I of paid £800 for it – definitely no, it was a grand lady who had seen better days, but it still gave us a wine tasting thrill. The lesson in the story is l
after giving them a severe telling off for not having drunk it 20 years ago they decided to open it and share it with us. So on Wednesday afternoon we had some Christmas cake, mince pies and opened a magnum of Krug. The cork had dried out considerably but there was still some fiz and some beautifully tiny bubbles and reasonable stringing, although this did fade and there was no mousse as would be expected on such an old champagne; the colour was amber a sign of its age due to some oxidisation and the taste – well, it really should of been drunk a long time ago but it had retained pleasant rounded acidity - a sign of its quality, nutty and rich – we finished the lot and had a very pleasant afternoon. Would I of paid £800 for it – definitely no, it was a grand lady who had seen better days, but it still gave us a wine tasting thrill. The lesson in the story is life is for living and
don’t put things off for too long !
don’t put things off for too long !Whatever you choose to drink on Christmas day, have a wonderful time. Merry Christmas.
By Chris Blakeman (originally published December 2012)
By Chris Blakeman
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