19th December 2024 | Top Drops | 4 minute read
Ever wondered what a sommelier would choose to sip at Christmas? We asked our very own sommeliers, our brilliant buyers, what their top wine picks for Christmas would be. From sparkling delights to full-bodied reds, paired with dishes that evoke the warmth and joy of the season, these expertly picked pairings will give you plenty of inspiration for your festive feasting.
Sophie, our lovely Head of Buying who sources wines from England, France, Eastern Europe, South America and the USA, has chosen one of her discoveries from the one and only Champagne region. It just so happens to pair beautifully with festive appetisers such as smoked salmon blinis.
The Champagne Pierre Gimonnet Cuis 1er Cru Brut Blanc de Blancs NV is a Chardonnay-based bubbly that has a real energy to it, from the moment you take your first sniff to the very last sip.
Boasting bready, biscuity nuances, a citrus lift of lemon, delicious apple notes and fine, smooth bubbles, it’s complex and delightful, as any good Champagne should be.
Because it’s a Blanc be Blancs (a French term meaning “white of whites” that refers to a Champagne made from purely white grapes), it has great acidity, so it’ll cut through the creamy cheese and fatty smoked salmon of the blini to elevate the whole experience. A very classy pairing from our queen of Champagne buying!
Dave, our Senior Buyer who brings us delicious drops from Australia, France, New Zealand and South Africa, has selected a Sauvignon Blanc from the Elgin region as his top wine pick. Partly because he loves this wine, and partly because it complements his favourite festive starter wonderfully – the classic prawn cocktail.
The Iona Elgin Highlands Sauvignon Blanc is a refreshing white that truly reflects the cool, breezy essence of Elgin and the careful, nature-centred approach of an exceptionally talented winemaker.
The area it’s produced in is home to some of the highest vineyard plantings in South Africa, giving it a marginal climate that lends itself really well to cooler climate varietals such as Sauvignon Blanc, the star of this wine.
With fantastic freshness and structure, a nose of lime and passionfruit, and lingering flavours of intense fruit and elegant minerality, it has all the right ingredients to work in harmony with all kinds of seafood dishes, including a prawn cocktail.
Issy, our Junior Buyer who focusses on finding new wines from France, Greece and for our ever growing low and no alcohol range, has chosen a sophisticated French red to savour alongside her favourite cheese to indulge in at Christmas, a gooey, baked Camembert.
The Marcel Lapierre Morgon is a stunning Burgundy red made in Beaujolais, an area famed for its light, ruby-coloured wines offering delicate, fruity flavours.
Super juicy with raspberry and strawberry flavours, lovely slippery tannins and subtle hints of liquorice and violet, this one is delightfully drinkable.
Thanks to its fruitiness and medium body, it pairs sensationally with milder, creamier cheeses such as Camembert. This is a classic example of the food and wine pairing rule of taking a dish and a drink produced in the same country and finding that the flavours and styles naturally complement each other.
Alex, our Head of Product who spends his time blending and developing exciting new wines for us from Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain, has gone for a bold, Italian red as his top wine pick for Christmas. A popular style of wine for winter drinking, especially when it comes to enjoying a cheese board.
The Monte Bernardi Tzingarella IGT Toscana is a quintessential Tuscan red on paper, but in reality it’s so much more.
On a medium-weight palate you get the mint and cassis you’d expect from the Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend, but the twist is that you also taste that trademark sour cherry note you often find in Chianti.
Additional notes of black olive and herbs, along with excellent acidity, make this a mighty match for all kinds of cheeses from creamy Brie to punchy Stilton. What could be better for your beloved Christmas cheese boards?
