The rules for wine pairing have relaxed a bit, but the fact remains that certain flavors of food and wine mix better together than others.
While it isn't unheard of to have a white wine with meat or a red wine with fish or seafood, you don't want to serve a very strong tasting wine with a delicate entree, or the other way around.
The wine and the food should complement each other, not battle against each other. One way to decide is to remember what some experts recommend, "Simple wines with complex foods...complex wines with simple foods."
We have put together a simple guide below, for you to enjoy!
Wines for Christmas
Breakfast - Champagne or sparkling wine with Salmon and Scrambled eggs
Midmorning - ¾ Champagne ¼ Cassis (good in the summer as well)
Starter - Dry white; Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Vouvray (Chenin Blanc Grape)
Turkey - Red; Medium tannin Pinot Noir, higher tannin Cabernet Sauvignon. St Emilion (selected grapes from the region of St Emilion mainly Merlot ) or Burgundy (region grapes Pinot Noir and Gamay)
Duck - Red; Cote du Rhone (Grenache grape), Rioja (Tempranillo grape)
Lamb - Red; Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot
Beef - Red; Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon, Claret (Red Bordeaux Region grapes Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc)
Game - Red; Shiraz (Syrah grape), Montepulciano, Zinfandel, Pinotage
Dessert - Sweet white; Sauternes, Monbazilllac
Cheese - Ruby Port
White Wine Only Drinkers
Dry Whites will go with most foods for those who don’t like Red Wine. Dry Whites such as Pinot Grigio, Pinot Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay.