This week in our festive themed blog we look at the best wines to try with yuletide main courses.
In the lead up to Christmas, the l’Art du Vin team would like to spread a little festive cheer. In order to do so, we would like to offer all our customers 10% off your total bill when you buy through our website. To take advantage of this offer, which will run until the 24th of December, you simply need to enter the discount code XMAS2015 when prompted as you complete your purchase.
Also, a further reminder for those of you who would rather browse our range physically, our pop-up Christmas shop is now open in our warehouse in Charlestown, near Dunfermline. Please feel free to pop-in at any stage from 10am until 5pm, Monday to Friday.
Announcements done, time to crack on with this week’s blog!
Turkey
Turkey is without question the favoured choice for the Christmas Day main course in the UK. Generally, it is not particularly powerful in flavour and also possesses a low fat content. In order to match its weight, you could select a full-bodied white or a medium-full red wine, but the turkey’s lack of fat means the wine must not be too tannic.
Another factor to consider is that many of the most flavoursome components of this traditional course arrive in the form of the side dishes. Cranberry and redcurrant sauces come with a sweetness that will not react particularly well with an aged red wine, so go for a younger, riper bottle such as something from Beaujolais. If instead, you tend to serve your turkey with bread sauce, opt for a full-bodied white or an aged Rioja.
Our suggestions;
Fleurie Vieilles Vignes 'Le Vivier', Domaine Lardy, Beaujolais, France 2014 - £13.95
Rioja Reserva, Bodegas Altanza, Rioja, Spain 2008 - £16.55
Richard: Venison
“Venison is a real luxury that deserves a top quality wine. Nothing does the trick quite like an earthy wine such as a Southern Rhone or a New World Shiraz. Rich and deep with spice round the edges!”
Madiran L’Origine, Chateau d’Aydie, South West, France 2013 - £10.35
Massif d'Uchaux, Cotes du Rhone Villages, France 2012 - £13.75
Philippe: Roast Beef
“For me, a good Cabernet Sauvignon, or Merlot, with some well-chosen and correctly cooked beef is a joy: a common dish for festive meals around Christmas time.
Organic Legado Cabernet Sauvignon, De Martino, Maipo Valley, Chile 2012 - £13.25
Château Le Grand Verdus Cuvée Generation, Bordeaux, France 2011 - £13.50
Organic Malbec/Merlot "Le Classique", Chateau Tour Des Gendres, Bergerac, France 2013 - £12.35
Lewis: Duck, Goose, Quail & Guinea Fowl
Duck, Goose, Quail and Guinea Fowl are all quite flavoursome and can cope with more powerfully flavoured wines than those chosen to complement chicken. A Pinot Noir/Gamay or a white Burgundy will match the slight “gameyness” of these birds.
Montagny 1er Cru 'Les Coëres' Domaine Feuillat-Juillot, Burgundy, France 2013 - £17.85
Gamay Pinot Noir de Touraine, Domaine de la Rochette, Loire, France 2014 - £10.05
Pinot Noir Soli, Thracian Valley, Bulgaria 2012 - £11.20
If you have any specific food and wine matching requests then please do not hesitate to give our office a call on 01383 873 510 and speak with one of our in-house experts.