The end-of-year celebrations are an opportunity to get together around a beautiful table, to taste delicious, exceptional dishes. Nothing better, then, than to accompany them with a good bottle of wine. To help you find the best food and wine pairing, here are some tips for choosing a red wine for the end-of-year celebrations .
New Year's Eve meal: choosing the perfect red wine
Red wines are always the drink of choice to accompany a festive meal . The wide variety of types of red wine allows it to be paired with all dishes, from aperitif to dessert. At Christmas, or for the New Year, you will always be able to find red wines which will enhance recipes based on red meat, such as a leg of lamb, a game terrine, or even cold meats.
For vegetables, white meats, or even grilled meats, it will be more judicious to turn to a round and fruity red wine , in order to enhance the flavors without overwhelming them.
Finally, to accompany a good foie gras, you can think outside the box and serve a tannic red wine , rather than sweet white wines.
If your guests are true wine lovers, take the opportunity to uncork your finest bottles of red wine. On the other hand, if they don't know much about it, or you don't know their tastes very well, opt for fruity and young red wines , in order to offer beautiful freshness and accessible fruity aromas.
How do you make sure you make the right choice of red wine for the holidays?
It is not always easy, just by looking at the label, to ensure that you have chosen the right red wine for your festive meal . There are several tips to avoid making a mistake, or to correct the situation in the event of a bad choice.
Taste the wine before serving it
There is no better way to know if a wine is good than to taste it. Anticipate the end-of-year celebrations by attending a tasting of the wines you plan to put on your table on New Year's Eve. You can then go to the producer's estate to get information about the wine and participate in a tasting. But you can also go to the various wine fairs , where producers will be happy to let you taste their best bottles.
To show creativity
Do you realize that when you uncork the bottle, your red wine is not as good as you hoped? Rather than serving it as is, and perhaps disappointing your guests, why not try to enhance it? You can then find a cocktail recipe based on red wine , to serve as an aperitif, or use it in a recipe based on red wine .
Let the wine express itself
Red wines often need to breathe before serving. A guarantee of quality, aeration of the wine allows it to better express its aromas. It is therefore recommended to decant the red wine a few hours before serving it, to give it time to open up. If you don't have time, or you forgot to aerate your wine, there are accessories that can speed up the aeration process.
Our selection of red wines for your end-of-year celebrations
If the Provence terroir is best known for producing excellent rosé wines, it also provides the best conditions for producing quality red wines . The MDCV group then offers you different vintages made from black and white grape varieties, which will work wonders on your festive tables.
You can then start the aperitif with red wines that are supple and round in the mouth, such as the Terres de Berne red, an AOP Côtes de Provence from Château de Berne, or the Ultimate Provence red and its pretty signature bottle.
But the red wines from our estates will especially go well with the main course or with your characterful cheeses . You will then have the choice among different vintages:
- Château des Bertrands red 2019 - AOP Côtes de Provence ;
- Le Pigeonnier rouge 2016 - AOP Côtes de Provence ;
- The Grande Cuvée rouge du Château de Berne 2019 - AOP Côtes de Provence ;
- The red Inspiration vintage 2016 - AOP Côtes de Provence ;
- The Grande Récolte red vintage 2018 - AOP Côtes de Provence .
Would you like to serve a good red wine at your end-of-year holiday meal ? A sure bet to delight your guests, the red wines of Provence will enhance your dishes. Come and choose your bottle of red wine in the online store, or directly in our estates, and make your wine a guest of choice.
