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Expert sommelier tips
The perfect wine pairings to elevate your festive feast
With the Christmas party season now fast approaching, it’s time to start prepping to host the perfect festive feast. But choosing which wines to serve with which course and knowing what notes bring out the right flavours is quite the skill.
Luckily, premium Scandinavian appliance brand ASKO, has teamed up with Swedish wine expert and ‘Best Sommelier of the World’ (2007 ASI), Andreas Larsson, to share his perfect wine pairings for the most popular Christmas dishes. These recommendations are sure to go down a treat with your friends and family, making you the host with the most.
Wine expert and winner of ‘Best Sommelier of the World’ (2007 ASI), Andreas Larsson, shares his top tips on what wines to serve with your Christmas dinner.
So Andreas, what’s the best way to kick off the Christmas celebrations?
“Everyone will agree that there’s no better way to start off the special day than a showstopping Champagne,” says Andreas. “However, if you fancy trying something different, I’d suggest finding a fine and mature Bordeaux red to kickstart the festivities in the most spectacular way.”
What wines would you recommend serving with Christmas canapés?
“English sparkling of course! It’s a wonderful style of wine which has reached a very good quality level, and the perfect accompaniment for a festive canapé.”
Which wine should I serve with turkey?
“The centrepiece of a traditional Christmas dinner is of course the humble turkey, so this of course deserves a delicious drink to go alongside it. Personally, I’d recommend a generous style of Pinot Noir from New Zealand or the cooler parts of California. These wines offer bright fruits and soft tannin which is a beautiful accompaniment to white meat. A winner every time.”
What wine goes best with prawn cocktail?
“In my opinion, the best wine to serve with the classic prawn cocktail is without a doubt a crisp and refreshing German Riesling.”
Which wine goes well with a nut roast?
“Nothing suits a deliciously hearty nut roast like a Grenache/Syrah blend from Southern Rhône or the Languedoc region” says the award-winning sommelier.
Which wine should I serve with a Christmas pudding?
“For ultimate indulgence, treat yourself and your guests with a mouth-watering 10, or even better, 20-year-old Tawny Port – it’s like a liquid pudding itself!”
Which wine is best served with mince pies?
Andreas says: “To compliment the classic mince pie, I’d recommend a Bual Madeira, which combines complexity, freshness and warmth.”
What are the best wines to pair with a Christmas cheeseboard?
“Everybody loves a good cheeseboard at Christmas time. But to really impress your guests and elevate yours to the next level, I’d recommend pairing each of your cheeses with the perfect tipple.”
“For example, an Alsatian Pinot Gris Vendange Tardive has the richness and perfect fine spiciness to contribute towards a wensleydale & cranberry. Or, for a delicious slab of brie, I’d recommend a crisp Chablis 1er Cru, whose bright freshness easily tackles the richness of the cheese.”
“For a Camembert, I’d go out of my wine comfort zone and suggest a good artisanal cider.”
Do you have any recommendations on dessert wines? What style of wine is perfect for after a heavy (festive!) meal?
“I already mentioned Port and Madeira as perfect pairings for your dessert, and to remain classic, Sauternes is still an undervalued style of wine. It has never been better; it ages tremendously well and its immediate appeal suits everyone. For a lighter and utterly pleasant version, try a Moscato d´Asti from a good producer.”
What is the correct temperature to serve Port and other red wines?
“Personally, I serve most red wines around 16 degrees with slight variations depending on the style. For fortified wines higher in alcohol I like to serve them at “cellar” temperature, somewhere between 12-14 as it brings down the alcoholic sensation. However, this can be totally subjective, so it´s up to everyone to decide what they prefer.”
What fine wines are worth investing in this year to make for a special Christmas gathering?
“If you are able to stretch the budget this year, I’d definitely recommend investing in a bottle of something special to really impress your guests. As Burgundy is getting rarer and increasingly more expensive, I’d stock up on whatever I could find. A fine Bordeaux however, is more accessible to get a hold of, yet it remains the pinnacle for collectors and investors such as the top wines from piedmont, Tuscany and Napa Valley.”
What wines/flavour profiles do you predict will be trending in 2023 and why?
“Assyrtiko from Greece, the indigenous Portuguese white varieties like Loureiro and Arinto. For reds, I´d say that Cabernet Franc still deserves more attention and orange wine is definitely a category which is here to stay, following a recent surge in popularity.”
How should I store my wine?
An important factor to take into account when serving wine at Christmas, is to make sure the drink is stored correctly. Not only is the temperature important to control, but also the humidity. The storing environment should correspond to the humidity of a natural cellar, free of vibrations and light.
Andreas Larsson credits ASKO’s Wine Climate Cabinet as being a perfect option for consumers to store their wine.
“The benefits of having a wine climate cabinet is to be able to store your wine under perfect conditions. What I really like with the wine climate cabinet is the serving area. This enables you to keep the bottles at the right temperatures and even store your glasses and utensils. Plus, you can set the light, change the warmth, the colour and the intensity, to fit your mood, to fit your environment. And this means that you can put the wine climate cabinet anywhere in your home.”
The recommended temperature for serving red wine is between 12˚C and 18˚C whereas the ideal temperature for white wine is between 8˚C and 12˚C.
ASKO’s Wine Climate Cabinet is the perfect addition to help you store your wine as it contains three temperature zones for different types of wine, each of which can be meticulously controlled. Not only does it chill drinks perfectly, it also features a Virtual Sommelier feature – allowing you to learn more about your wine’s provenance and tasting notes, so you always have an Andreas Larsson at hand to share top tips.
