Gerry Kennedy suggests the wines that should dawn our table over the festive period.

Wines for Christmas Day

With so many different flavours making up Christmas dinner, there are no direct matches for food and wine.

Select a medium bodied wine with lots of taste and a long lingering finish, rather than a light wine with little flavour. You can choose either red or white or perhaps serve both allowing guests a choice. As a guideline allow half a bottle per person as diners will be sitting longer than usual over dinner. Avoid Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon unless you are serving red meat dishes.

I would also recommend an aperitif and desert wine. There is nothing nicer than a glass of sparkling wine from Spain (CAVA) or Australia before Christmas dinner. More of an acquired taste is a chilled glass of dry Fino sherry. To accompany desert or for relaxing later into the evening a glass of slightly warmed port can be very acceptable.

Aperitif
Marks & Spencer’s Reserve Medium Dry Cava>
Price: €11.50
Tasting Note: A slightly sweet Spanish sparkling white wine with citrus fruit flavours. Serve chilled and add a little fresh orange juice to enhance the flavour

Tio Pepe Fino Sherry
Price: €13.00 – Freely Available
Tasting Note: This is the best selling sherry worldwide. It is very dry and refreshing with a distinctive aroma and unique taste. Dry sherry is an acquired taste but Tio Pepe is better than many other brands on the market. Serve chilled.

Dinner Wine
Fleurie
Price €15.50 – A selection of brand names and freely available Tasting Note: A medium bodied red wine from the village of Beaujolais in Burgundy France. These wines are very fruity with fresh red fruit flavours. They can also be served slightly chilled

Macon Lugny Chardonnay
Price €15.50 – A selection of brand names are freely available Tasting Note: A medium bodied white Burgundy wine from the village of Lugny in France. These wines are normally slightly wooded, which adds body and flavour. They have tropical fruit flavours of melons and peaches with a hint of vanilla. Serve chilled.

After Dinner Drink
Grahams Port LBV
Price: €17.00 – Freely Available
Tasting Note: Grahams Port is a rich full-bodied wine that is slightly sweet and bursting with red fruit flavours. Serve slightly warm. Vinetime Wine Tasting Events for corporate, social & private parties Email: vinetime@gmail.com