The Christmas meal is one of the New Year's Eve traditions awaited by many gourmets. We then pull out all the stops, and taste exceptional recipes. And to enhance this festive meal, nothing beats a good bottle of wine. Here are all the tips from the Berne oenologist for achieving the best food and wine pairings for Christmas .
What wine to serve as a Christmas aperitif?
The festivities always begin with a small gourmet aperitif, where the first bottles of wine are opened. It is then a matter of finding the perfect bottle, which will delight the guests, without saturating the taste buds and spoiling the rest of the meal.
Of course, during festive meals, the bottle of Champagne is a sure bet as an aperitif. But this is also the case for many sparkling wines, such as sparkling wines from Burgundy, Alsace or the Loire Valley.
Also remember to pair your choice of wine with the dishes served. To accompany gingerbread toast with foie gras or smoked salmon, nothing beats a good Blanc de Blancs Champagne, but you can also turn to a mineral white wine, such as a Chablis or a Saumur blanc.
The wines that will accompany you during the Christmas meal
Let's sit down and discover the bottles of wine that will work wonders with your Christmas dishes. If you choose to stay in tradition, by serving poultry, such as a turkey with chestnuts or a stuffed capon, you can opt for different wines:
- Round and soft red wines : we tend to want to release our most beautiful bottles at Christmas. However, great red wines will not necessarily be appropriate to accompany dry-fleshed poultry. It is better to choose soft and rounded wines, such as a Burgundy wine, a Côte du Rhône, a Beaujolais red wine, or even a Loire wine;
- Robust white wines : less expected, but just as delicious, robust white wines, like a Hermitage or a Meursault, will work wonders with your poultry.
If you choose to serve fish at Christmas, you can definitely turn to a good dry white wine . And if you want to surprise your guests and delight them, serve a good bottle of rosé wine .
Your choice of wine to accompany the Yule log
After a hearty and tasty meal, it is finally time for the traditional Yule log. At the end of the meal, you can then serve a wine depending on the aromas of the dessert :
- With a red fruit log: a floral white wine with aromas of exotic fruits;
- With a chocolate log: a sweet red wine , like a Banyuls;
- With a hazelnut log: a sparkling wine , like a Crémant;
- With a citrus log: a sweet or sweet white wine .
Our best wines for the end-of-year celebrations
Provence wines are great allies during festive meals. Their freshness is pleasant in the mouth, and goes wonderfully with many dishes. Here is our selection of wines for your Christmas meal.
- Ultimate Provence Rosé 2020 - AOP Côtes de Provence: served in its elegant iconic bottle, this rosé wine from Provence seduces with its aromas of exotic fruits and floral notes;
- Sparkling rosé Berne Brut Nature : this sparkling rosé brut wine is perfect as an aperitif. Fresh and mineral, it accompanies smoked salmon or foie gras toast with delight;
- Esprit Méditerranée Rosé 2021 - IGP Méditerranée: fresh and generous, this rosé wine from Provence offers aromas of summer fruits and red fruits that work wonders with Christmas aperitifs and desserts;
- Château de Berne Grande Cuvée Blanc 2016 - AOP Côtes de Provence: this white wine from organic farming displays a beautiful intense yellow color and offers gourmet aromas of butter biscuit, dried fruit and milk bread. Its honey notes are particularly appreciated with foie gras or poultry;
- Château de Berne Grande Cuvée Rosé 2021 - AOP Côtes de Provence: this organic rosé wine amazes with its intensity and lively expression. Its aromas of citrus and vine peach make it a wine of choice to accompany noble fish.
Christmas is approaching and you are looking for the best wines to accompany your festive meal ? The Berne estate and its partners offer you exceptional wines for a perfectly successful food and wine pairing.
