november-2009

L
ike a child in a candy shop, I’ve always eagerly
sought out local delicacies and seasonal dishes on
my travels as I traverse Europe seeking out its good
and great wines. And there’s no season like Christmas to bring
out regional character in the cuisine. Just imagine the
gluttonous journey you could embark upon if Brussels decreed
that each member state should celebrate Christmas on a
different day.
Christmas eve fi nds the Portuguese tucking into tangy
dishes of bacalhau (salt cod), while Germans fortify themselves
for the festivities ahead with fi lling kartoffelsalat (potato salad).
On Christmas day itself, more luxurious foods are the
tradition, with the French as fond of oysters and foie gras as
the British are of fi ne smoked salmon, while Spaniards tuck
into tasty Langostinos. Across Europe, fi sh, fowl and beasts of
every description are prepared and roasted for the big meal of
the day, while sweet treats are baked, bought and stockpiled,
from the turron and nougat of Spain and France to Italian
Panettone, chocolate logs and any number of dried, spiced and
sweetened fruit cake variations.
Of course, all this eating calls out for the uplifting
companion of wine. There’s no better excuse than Christmas
to uncork a few great bottles and, using a little common sense,
it’s not particularly diffi cult to fi nd great pairings for almost
anything on the table. In wine country a good rule of thumb is
to do as the locals do (after all, they’ve been practising for
hundreds of years) but wherever you are there are some styles
that will always deliver on the day.
Wines to serve with your Christmas meal
Sparkling wine is a superbly uplifting aperitif, from light, fl oral
Prosecco and creamier Cremant de Bourgogne to non-vintage
Champagne, all of which slip down so well with various
antipasti, tapas, charcuterie and other often punchily
fl avoured nibbles and snacks.
Champagne pairs well, too, with sea-fresh
oysters, as does the lean, mineral intensity
of Chablis, bone-dry tang of Muscadet sur
Lie or aromatic delicacy of Albarino from
Galicia. With crustacea such as
langoustines and lobster, the sweet
fl esh also compliments richer wines
such as white Burgundy or peachy
Viognier (reaching giddy greatness in
Condrieu), while smoked salmon needs
something like a zesty young Sancerre
or the aromatic intensity of a dry Alsace
or German Riesling.
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Better yet, goose, duck, turkey and game birds are all
fantastic in their fl exibility to pair a wide range of wine styles.
Goose and duck, with their succulent fatty-rich fl esh, are
equally at home with headily aromatic whites such as Riesling
from Alsace and Germany and also intense Gruner Veltliner
from Austria, while fi ne Bordeaux, gamier reds from Burgundy
and spicy Rhônes also work well with most fl avoursome birds.
Turkey, too, is a perfect foil for big rich whites such as
Mersault, along with supple reds such as red Burgundy, top
Chianti Classico, Rioja and Dolcetto.
Smoked salmon needs
something like a zesty
young Sancerre
Roasted red meats, though, call out for fi rmly structured,
weightier reds and are great for showing off fi ne and aged
wines. Lamb is a great partner to premier and grand cru-level
Burgundy, while good quality red Bordeaux and the fantastic
Douro table wines of Portugal work well with beef, overlapping
with the intense, earthy richness of Rhône reds and the bittersweet
balance of Barolo and Barberesco from Piedmont in
their ability to pair with venison and other game.
Finish off with something sweet
With such a medley of sweet desserts, cakes, puddings,
chocolate logs, gingerbreads and other rich treats to round off
Christmas dinner (and keep you going for many days) sweet
wines can perhaps be the most diffi cult to chose. Again,
though, there is a simple rule of thumb – ensure the wine is
as sweet or sweeter than the dessert and match richer dishes
with weightier wines. So while panettone slips down well with
a fresh, clean vin santo, dried-fruit laden cakes work best with
the luscious ripeness of honeyed French Jurancon, intense
Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese from Germany
and sweet Muscats from diverse corners of Europe
including Setubal in Portugal, Valencia in Spain
and the mouth-fi lling styles from Greece.
Sweeter Madeiras and rich Oloroso sherries
work too, but can also step up to the
incredible raisony, fruity-richness of
Christmas Pudding or densely textured
Chocolate Log, matching with similar
explosions of unforgettably powerful fl avours.
And I personally prefer to save the best vintage
port to enjoy on its own after the marathon of
feasting is done.
Brussels Airlines b.spirit! magazine | Nov/Dec 09 | 61