Christmas is approaching and many of you are already thinking about what dishes you are going to prepare this year to surprise your family and friends. There is a huge variety of dishes ranging from starters, salads, seafood, fish, meat... to the beloved desserts.
The choice of recipes to prepare such tasty delicacies is very important, but you should bear in mind that a fundamental part of achieving the perfect banquet is the wine pairing, as choosing the wrong wine can detract from the flavour of even the best dishes.
In order for you to learn how to master this task, here are our suggestions for combining gastronomy and wine at Christmas dinners.
Starters
As a general rule, we usually start our meals with light dishes with mild flavours. Similarly, the wine that accompanies them should also be light, because if we add intense flavours at the beginning, everything that is served afterwards, both wine and food, could taste insipid.
These initial dishes are usually light starters such as salads, soups, creams... and a good pairing could be a young white wine or even a red wine crianza.
But for a surprise, try combining salads, charcuterie or vegetable dishes with a rosé wine.
We propose a young rosé wine: Vivanco Tempranillo - Garnachafresh with a touch of acidity and a fruity finish.
Si incluimos queso a estos entrantes, podemos combinarlo con diferentes vinos según la intensidad del sabor, por ejemplo, vino blanco para los quesos suaves, vino tinto crianza para los semicurados o tinto reserva para los quesos curados, es decir, cuanto más fuerte sea el queso más fuerte el vino.
* Un maridaje especial que os proponemos es la combinación del queso de cabra con el vino Colección Vivanco “Parcelas de Maturana tinta”. La Maturana Tinta es una variedad autóctona riojana que no se cultiva en ningún otro lugar del mundo. Muy balsámico y mineral, se trata de un tinto de gran intensidad, elegancia y un largo posgusto.
Seafood and fish
Another of the typical Christmas delicacies are fish and seafood. Although many people think that only white wines go well with these dishes, on this occasion we are going to propose 2 wines:
Obviously we include a young white wine: Vivanco Viura-Malvasía Tempranillo white wine, a white tempranillo with citrus and fruity aromas, with a very fresh and balanced flavour perfect for blending with the flavours of the sea.
Another special combination to surprise your guests is the pairing of cold seafood such as oysters or lobsters with sweet wine. Collection Vivanco 4 Varietals Sweet Winter Wine. It will not leave anyone indifferent.
Meat and stews
Another of the star Christmas dishes are the typical stews, casseroles or grilled meats. These dishes have very intense and tasty flavours, so we should combine them with full-bodied red wines.
* Una apuesta segura es Vivanco Reserva. Un vino elaborado con las variedades Tempranillo y Graciano con notas frutales de cereza y moras negras, perfecto para acompañar todo tipo de carnes, estofados, platos de caza, etc.
The more the intensity of the meat or stew increases in flavour, the more the wine should increase in intensity. For example, to accompany a veal entrecote or beef sirloin, we suggest a wine of great intensity: Collection Vivanco Parcelas de Graciano.
Desserts
Finally, one of the most awaited moments of the night arrives, the Christmas desserts: polvorones, turrones, marzipan, chocolates... We have already drunk and tasted many types of wines, but we do not have to give them up at the sweetest moment of the dinner. That is why the wines we combine with our desserts must be sweet.
As with other dishes, in this case we are also going to propose 2 wines:
First of all we recommend (again) the Colección Vivanco 4 Varietales Dulce de Invierno . We recommend serving and tasting it between 10 and 12 °C in order to enjoy it in its full balance of aromas, fine sweetness and freshness.
Although they do not necessarily have to be exclusively sweet wines, for example, the dark chocolate goes very well with a wine red wine of great intensity, as the Collection Vivanco Garnacha Plots.
If you like chocolate a lot, how about organising a small tasting of chocolates paired with wines? It can be a very special way to present your desserts. If you want to know how to pair different types of chocolate with different wines, click here.
Don't be afraid to experiment and try new combinations until you achieve the perfect marriage for your palate.
Do you know any special combination? Share it with us
Very good article, people only seem to focus on knowing which type of wine is good for meat and which is good for fish, but of course for Christmas dinner with so many starters, seafood and desserts things change, thanks for the information.