Planning your Christmas Day feast shouldn’t be a chore. To make it effortless, Wine Selectors has created this easy-to-follow Christmas food and wine pairing guide, featuring the best holiday recipes to enjoy with a glass (or two) of premium Hunter Valley wines. While everyone brings their own unique traditions to the holiday table, these tried-and-true pairings promise to add a memorable touch. So, read on, don your chef’s hat, and get ready for your most delicious festive season yet!
CHRISTMAS TURKEY RECIPE
If you were enjoying it entirely on its own, roast turkey would be one of the easiest ingredients in the world to match. You could drink your favourite White, Red, Rosé or even Sparkling wine with it, and it would work just fine.
This roasted turkey with smoked oyster stuffing calls for a Chardonnay with more pronounced oak, as the charry characters will complement the smoked oyster stuffing nicely. Viognier and Verdelho are also good options, thanks to their richer flavours.
Another great option would be the sweet and savoury Lyndey Milan's Turkey breast with cherry stuffing. Since turkey is low in fat, choose something with low tannin levels if you’re a red wine lover. Smooth, fresh and juicy wines like Grenache and Pinot Noir make great partners… or if you’re in the mood for bubbles, try a Sparkling Red!
Left: ROASTED TURKEY AND SMOKED OYSTER STUFFING Right: LYNDEY MILAN'S TURKEY BREAST WITH CHERRY STUFFING
Best Hunter Valley wine pairings with Christmas turkey: Chardonnay, Viognier, Verdelho, Sparkling Red, Grenache, or Pinot Noir.
CHRISTMAS CHICKEN RECIPE
Here are two mouth-watering recipes that take the standard chicken roast and give it a delicious festive twist.
Richer whites like Chardonnay, Verdelho or Viognier are great pairings – particularly Viognier, as its distinctively varietal apricot character makes it a natural match for the flavours of these dishes.
Red wine lovers needn’t miss out either – a lighter, fruity red like Hunter Pinot Noir or Grenache will surely make a satisfying flavour combination.
Left: ROAST CHICKEN WITH PARSNIP MASH, ASPARAGUS AND A CHERRY-GINGER GLAZE Right: COLIN FASSNIDGE'S WHOLE ROAST CHICKEN WITH FAMOUS CHICKEN BREAD
Best Hunter Valley wine pairings with Christmas chicken: Chardonnay, Viognier, Roussanne, Pinot Noir or Grenache.
CHRISTMAS HAM RECIPE
You can’t beat a baked, glazed ham for the traditional Christmas table! A sweet glaze combines well with a ripe, fruity wine with pronounced fruit flavours to offset the saltiness of the ham. For White wine pairings, we suggest Riesling or Semillon with a bit of age, as they become richer with time in the bottle yet retain their fresh acidity to offset the ham's fatty richness.
The sweet-and-salty flavour combinations also make mid-weight Red wines like Nero d’Avola, Grenache (and GSM blends), Tempranillo and Barbera excellent matches, thanks to their balance of tannins and fruit sweetness.
Left: LYNDEY MILAN'S PINEAPPLE-MUSTARD-GLAZED HAM Right: PETE EVANS’ GLAZED CHRISTMAS HAM
Best wine pairings with Christmas ham: Riesling, Semillon, Nero d’Avola, Grenache (and GSM blends), Tempranillo and Barbera.
CHRISTMAS PORK RECIPE
When it comes to pork, the suggested wine pairings are similar to those for poultry. Enjoy the salty crackling and the sweet, tender meat with a variety of whites, Chardonnay, Viognier, aged Semillon or even barrel-fermented Sauvignon Blanc. For pork dishes with a richer, red fruit-based sauce or glaze, try Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Tempranillo, Barbera or Grenache.
Left: CONFIT OF PORK BELLY WITH SWEET AND SOUR POTATOES Right: MARK LABROOY'S PORCHETTA WITH PARSNIP PURÉE
Best Hunter Valley wine pairings with Christmas pork: Chardonnay, Viognier, aged Semillon, oaked Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Tempranillo, Grenache and Barbera.
CHRISTMAS SALMON RECIPE
The oily richness of salmon makes it an excellent choice for an indulgent Christmas lunch.
Chardonnay is perhaps the most natural match for these stunning dishes, but the Mediterranean twist in these delectable recipes means that a fruity Pinot G, Vermentino, Arneis, Fiano, or Rosé would be especially delicious.
Red wine drinkers, on the other hand, can always rely on Pinot Noir as another classic partner to salmon.
Left: PROSCIUTTO-WRAPPED REGAL KING SALMON WITH CRISP CAPERS Right: BARBEQUED HUON SALMON WITH WHIPPED GARLIC AND CRISPY SPICED CHICKPEA TABOULI SALAD
Best Hunter Valley wine pairings with Christmas salmon: Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Arneis, Rosé, Pinot G, Vermentino, Fiano or Pinot Noir.
CHRISTMAS PRAWN RECIPE
Fresh prawns have a delicate flavour, so when enjoyed on their own, the wine should simply act like a squeeze of lemon. Semillon, with its fine acidity and bright lemon flavours, is the perfect accompaniment for these prawn recipes.
When enjoying prawns with other elements, it’s worth considering what the additional flavours bring to the dish and what wines might work well to complement them. Matching ‘like with like’ tends to work best in this regard, so a fruity salad will pair best with a wine that shares similar fruit characters — Verdelho, Arneis, Fiano, or Pinot Grigio. Red wine drinkers could opt for a juicy Grenache or any other light to medium-bodied Red.
Left: LYNDEY MILAN'S PINEAPPLE CARPACCIO WITH ASIAN-STYLE PRAWNS Right: DINING BY JAMES VILES BARBEQUED GULF PRAWNS IN KOJI AND KOMBU BUTTER
Best Hunter Valley wine pairings with Christmas prawns: Semillon, Verdelho, Fiano, Pinot Grigio, Rosé, or Grenache.
CHRISTMAS SALAD RECIPE
Christmas salads are so varied that you are only limited to what ingredients you have on hand. They pair well with a host of different wine varieties and styles.
Lyndey Milan's roasted beetroot, fennel, and goat's cheese salad pairs well with Sauvignon Blanc or Euro-style varieties like Pinot Grigio. Meanwhile, Colin Fassnidge's watermelon, fennel, mint, and pea salad is a delicious side dish for a hot Aussie Christmas and is perfect with a refreshing Rose'.
Best Hunter Valley wine pairings with Christmas salads: Pinot Grigio, Vermentino, Fiano, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Rose', Viognier, Roussanne.
CHRISTMAS VEGETARIAN RECIPE
Make sure there’s something your meat-free friends and family can enjoy,like this tasty dish of Greek-style barbequed vegetables with haloumi and thyme crumb.
A fresh and juicy wine with zippy acidity will complement this dish's vibrant flavours and colours. We recommend pouring a Sauvignon Blanc or Semillon Sauvignon Blanc, or a refreshing Riesling to ramp up the flavour. Red wine drinkers are best advised to avoid heavier varieties like Cabernet or Shiraz so as not to overpower the fresh flavours of the vegetables.
Another classic, the cauliflower cheese recipe, is delicious when paired with Pinot G, Verdelho or Vermentino.
Best Hunter Valley wine pairings with Christmas vegetables: Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon Sauvignon Blanc Riesling, Pinot G, Verdelho, Vermentino.
Eat, drink and be merry this Christmas with Wine Selectors!
