Christmas food and wine pairing: a short guide to choosing wines for your antipasti, seafood first courses and hearty roasts 🎄🍷
In Italy, the Christmas season is synonymous with conviviality, family and, of course, tables laden with tradition and flavour. To make your Christmas even more special, we invite you on a food and wine journey through three styles of wine that pair beautifully with the traditional dishes of the festive season.
Christmas menus usually follow a familiar running order: a generous spread of antipasti, followed by fish-based first courses and, finally, the classic roast. So here is a short guide to building a menu for your Christmas food and wine pairings, with a selection of excellent wines to bring out the best in each dish and raise a joyful toast at the table.
Champagne: Sparkling Elegance for the Antipasti
Recommended Pairing: Non-Vintage Brut Champagne
We begin our journey with a classic Brut Champagne, a sparkling wine with notes of white fruit, a creamy mousse and lively acidity. This style of Champagne is a perfect match for traditional Italian antipasti such as mixed cured meats, crostini with fresh cheeses and seafood. Its freshness cleanses the palate, preparing it for the flavours to come.
Why It Works: The effervescence of Champagne cuts through the richness of the antipasti, while its aromatic complexity harmonises with the variety of flavours that open the festivities.
Our Picks: Champagne Auguste Huiban Blanc de Noirs Brut, Champagne Péhu-Guiardel Brut Origine
Champagne Huiban Blanc de Noir
Champagne Péhu-Guiardel Brut
Chablis or Etna Bianco: Seaside Delights for Fish-Based First Courses
Recommended Pairing: Chablis Premier Cru or Etna Bianco
Moving on to the first courses, this is where Chablis Premier Cru, made from Chardonnay, really comes into its own. This French white, known for its distinctive minerality, is the ideal partner for fish dishes such as the ever-present spaghetti alle vongole or seafood risotto. If you would rather choose an Italian wine, the obvious choice is an Etna Bianco from the Carricante grape, with its volcanic freshness. Its lively acidity and aromatic complexity perfectly complement the delicacy of seafood flavours.
Why It Works: The minerality of Chablis or the freshness of Etna Bianco marries beautifully with the flavours of the sea, creating a harmonious balance. The wine's structure supports the complexity of the first courses without overpowering them.
Our Picks: Domaine Christophe Chablis Premier Cru Montée de Tonnerre, Agricola Raciti Etna Bianco Rupestre
Christophe Chablis Premier Cru
Raciti Rupestre Etna Bianco
Bordeaux, Barolo and Burgundy: Power for the Christmas Roasts
Recommended Pairing: Bordeaux Cru, Barolo, Burgundy Village
For the Christmas roasts, offer your guests a selection of full-bodied wines. With meat-based main courses, nothing beats the power and elegance of a red Bordeaux. Here we might opt for a Bordeaux Cru, such as a Pomerol or a Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, with its well-integrated tannins and the fruity, gently spiced notes of barrique-aged Merlot. This wine is the perfect choice for roast meats, braises or cotechino, all typical of the Italian Christmas table. Italian Barolo, made from Nebbiolo, regal and structured, and French village-level Burgundy such as Gevrey-Chambertin, made from Pinot Noir, elegant and fruity, also pair magnificently with roast meats such as turkey, cotechino or lamb.
Why It Works: The robust structure and tannins of Merlot-based Bordeaux go well with meat, while the wine's aromatic complexity adds depth to the Christmas dishes. Likewise, the complexity of Barolo and the finesse of red Burgundy pair beautifully with meat, creating a triumph of flavours for your Christmas feast.
Our Picks: Chateau Teyssier Saint Emilion Grand Cru, Chateau Mazeyres Pomerol, Azienda vitivinicola Rizieri Barolo, Domaine Trapet-Rochelandet Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes
Chateau Teyssier Saint Emilion
Vitivinicola Rizieri Barolo
Chateau Mazeyres Pomerol
Gevrey-Chambertin VV
With these different styles of wine, each with its own unique personality, any menu will be perfect! The art of food and wine pairing can turn a meal into a sensory experience, showing off traditional flavours in an extraordinary way. Choose the wine that best suits your menu and raise a glass to a Christmas full of flavour and conviviality!
Wine Terroir Import is the exclusive importer and official Italian distributor of all the wines featured in this article.
For further information, write to us at info@wineterroir.it
