Choosing the best wines for Christmas dinner

Choosing the best wines for Christmas dinner
Christmas

Choosing the best wines for Christmas dinner

Giada Montesi

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Christmas wines: the perfect wine for your Christmas dinner

Christmas wines

Christmas is a time for celebration, togetherness, and—of course—fantastic holiday wines.
When planning Christmas dinner, it’s important to choose the right wine to pair with the classic holiday dishes like roast pork, duck, and Christmas ham.
But which Christmas wine is actually best with holiday food? It depends on the dishes you serve and the atmosphere you want to create.

Christmas wines for Christmas lunch and Christmas Eve

When choosing the wine for Christmas lunch, it’s important to consider the variety of flavors from both cold and hot dishes that are often on the table.
A good Christmas wine for lunch should have enough freshness to handle both herrings and rich Christmas sausages, while also pairing well with hot dishes like roast pork.

Christmas wines with herrings and sausages

A fruity, light wine for Christmas lunch such as Pinot Noir is an excellent choice because its refined balance of fruit and soft tannins matches the savory and smoky flavors typical of Christmas lunch perfectly.
When we talk about Christmas Eve wine, traditionally featuring dishes like duck and turkey, your Christmas wine should handle both the flavor of dark meat and the sweeter sides like cranberry and apple.
In this case, you’ll want a bolder wine such as Montepulciano d'Abruzzo or Amarone della Valpolicella, as these wines offer both depth and spice, enhancing the flavors of duck and sweet side dishes.

Christmas wine for dinner: which wine pairs best with duck and roast pork?

If you’re looking for the best Christmas wine for holiday food—especially with duck or roast duck—it’s important to choose a wine that can balance the rich, savory character of duck.

Christmas wines with duck

A wine for duck on Christmas Eve should be fruity with good acidity to balance the fat of the meat.
Here again, Pinot Noir is a classic choice, as its gentle tannins and red-fruit notes pair nicely with duck’s delicate flavors.
If you want something a bit bolder, a Primitivo di Manduria can be an excellent option.
For those serving both duck and roast pork, it’s important to choose a Christmas dinner wine that can balance both profiles.
A red Bordeaux or a Merlot are fantastic choices, with enough structure to match rich duck without overwhelming the flavor of roast pork.