Choosing the wine for Christmas

Choosing the wine for Christmas

Parties, and in especially Christmas parties, are very particular occasions where serving the right wine is important. If you are thinking about organising a party soon, let me help you with some tips.

The first thing you need to think about is whether you want to choose the wine and match the food accordingly, or if in the other hand, you prefer to choose the food first, and then look for the wine or wines which will go better with those dishes you have selected for the special occasion.

As most people choose the food first, let me give you some recommendations, first for wine to go better with Christmas dishes, and then for general parties.

Although different countries offer diverse traditional dishes for Christmas, most of them have a roast in them. From roast turkey in England or the US, to roast lamb in Spain and Italy, with some places like Germany or Poland presenting roast beef as part of their traditional Christmas meal.

If you are serving any roast meats (or even any type of blue fish like tuna or marlin), heavy powerful red wines tend to be the best match. Californian and Australian Cabernets and Syrahs are a great option for the new world, or Rioja and Bordeaux, if you prefer old world wines.

These wines have become very popular because they are also a good match with some Asian dishes like Pho, spring rolls, Bum Bo Hue, and spicy Thai food. They can also be a good pair for other dishes which are commonly associated with white wine, like salads (if salads are made Vietnamese style with beef, or Thai style, with minced pork) or even smoked salmon.

If your party is not a traditional Christmas one, there are two key things you should consider before choosing the wine. First, who will your guests be, and second which food will be served for the meal.

For example, Western women, tend to drink more white wines, at least to start the meals, while men, and most Vietnamese men and women, prefer red wine. So if you are going to have just one type of wine, red wine is likely to be more successful.

Just to give you an example, I had my pre-Christmas party yesterday, with quite a few friends coming home, both Vietnamese and western. We started the afternoon sharing a bottle of rose champagne, very fruity and delicious (unfortunately it is no longer available in Vietnam, so no review).

We had two different types of salads to start with, one made out of rocket salad and parmesan cheese with a balsamic vinegar and olive oil dressing, and another seafood salad. We had a beautiful Chilean Chardonnay, very pleasant and evolving.

Quail eggs with mamakari and chili followed, with a selection of cold meats, for which I chose a red Bordeaux. More cold meats and smoked sausages were accompanied by the start wine of the night: Tommasi Amarone 2010, which although still a bit young, it was absolutely delicious.

The evening was finished with a cheeseboard and Pinto Porto and Yali Cabernet Sauvignon.

This is just an example of a 7 course meal that went over 5-6 hours, where I was looking to first get wines that would pair well with the food, and second, wines that at the same time would please men and women, Vietnamese and western, wine experts and novices. Virtually impossible, but everyone was happy.

Some recommendations of wines I have tried this year in Vietnam. For white: Herbis verdejo (Vino), Les Bosquets (Wine Warehouse), Tintoralba  Sauvignon Blanc (Vino).

Reds: Old Vine reserve (Golden Cloud), Tribu bonarda (Red Apron), Billi Billi Shiraz (Vino), Ocio Pinot Noir (Magnum cellars), Vina Real Reserva (Vinifera), The Strapper (Wine Warehouse).

Champagne: Gosset (Finewines)

Merry Christmas, and happy wine drinking!