Choosing the Perfect Wine for Christmas Dinner

Christmas dinner is probably the biggest event of the year for many families, more so than Thanksgiving. However, planning and preparing for the occasion can be tricky. Wine pairings come as a challenge to many people because choosing the perfect wine to complement a delicious dish requires experience and skill. Therefore if you’ll be serving wine at Christmas dinner this year, be prepared to choose the right wines to compliment your dish for the special occasion.

Special occasions call for special wines. Champagne is virtually a necessity. Yet, individual tastes should be considered when it comes to choosing what to serve alongside the turkey or goose.

We hope that the tips below will guide you in the right direction and we encourage you to visit our store in Carmel, Vine and Table, to talk with our experts to finding the perfect wine just for you.

Keep in mind….

Matching the weight of the food and the wine. Full-bodied wines complement heavy, rich foods.

Match flavor intensity of the wine and food, and also consider the wine’s fruit character such as the raspberry flavors in pinot noir complement duck the same way a delicious fruit sauce would.

Complement acidity in wine and food. High-acid wines complement fatty foods in the same way that lemon cuts the greasiness of smoked salmon.

Salt is not found in wine, but does clash with tannic wines. We strongly suggest avoiding this pairing.

The more texture a food has, the more tannins a wine should have.

Always serve a wine with greater sweetness than food. Sweetness in wine also acts as a foil to rich foods.

Do you have a favorite wine selection that you want on your Christmas table? Visit our Vine and Table store for unparalleled selections and professional expertise on pairings. Not only will you find the perfect wine, Vine and Table offers hand crafted selections of cheeses, chocolates, and gourmet foods, other spirits, beers, gift baskets, and local Indiana favorites. Browse the 2015 Holiday catalog online.