Christmas is coming … make it a wonderful One!

Matching food and wine!

With the best Holiday season of the year getting closer I want to spend some time to give you some recommendations (not rules) on choosing the right wine for your Christmas foods.

My first advice is don’t be afraid to experiment. Drinking and eating, especially with family and friends, has to be a pleasure and hard rules make no sense. Also drink a quality wine is a must to me, I have to to grab every single perfume and tasting note from each sip!

Said that of course I personally like to look for the wine which is going to enhance the taste of the food in combination.

If you are having ham or stuffed turkey with potato, which is known to be very popular in Ireland for Christmas Day, I would choose a Chianti Classico Riserva to go with. Both our wines from la Mirandola and from Brancaia are great!

If you are having a duck plain roasted I would choose a Merlot and the “Just me” from Di Lenardo is just what you need!

With lamb I would select a pinot noir and certainly the one from Andriano is going to be fabulous.

If you are having beef or steak I would go for a Super-Tuscan instead. Sassicaia is the top one, but of course Blu from Brancaia is another great option.

With pork I would choose a Teroldego wine such as Endrizzi Teroldego Rotaliano or the Masetto Nero.

If I was going to prepare a pasta plate I would choose my wine based on the sauce type. With tomato sauce I’ll pick the Barbera d’Alba from San Biagio or either the Verdicchio from Bonci. With meat-based sauce again a red wine from both central or north Italy would suit perfectly with your plate. For cheese-based sauce pasta a wine that spouse best would be the full, dry unoaked white Anselmi San Vincenzo.

Enjoy & Merry Christmas!!!