Christmas Day is, sadly, our last surviving feast day so let’s choose some wines that will do it justice.
A reliable partner for shellfish
Any sauvignon with citrus based acidity will serve much the same purpose as adding a squeeze of lemon to the food itself – and that works brilliantly with shellfish.
Head, then, for New Zealand’s Marlborough region and – in particular – for the fresh and grassy 2015 Definition Sauvignon Blanc (£8.99 at Majestic – who, of course, no longer have minimum purchase requirements) .
Like more expensive versions, this enhances its bedrock acidity with tangerine depth and even a savoury twist yet still offers a degree of lightness behind its principal tingling grapefruit, asparagus and gooseberry fruit.
With something a little richer
Step up the substance and white burgundy comes onto the agenda – especially as it can also work well with the turkey.
That is certainly true of the soft yet rounded 2012 Château de Meursault, Meursault Clos des Grands Charrons (£36 from The Wine Society); not cheap but well worth treating yourself.
Enjoy its apple, banana and white peach fruit and the toasty hazelnut and vanilla texture that supplements it – along with a measured burst of lime influenced acidity.
Stepping up the robustness a little more
If a substantial sauce goes with the fish, then perhaps the creamy texture and buttery depth of 2014 Innocent Bystander Chardonnay (£15 at Oddbins) would fit the bill even better.
This version counterbalances creamy sauces well with a floral flintiness, gentle suggestions of vanilla and muted but crisp lemon acidity that cooler areas like Victoria’s Yarra Valley do especially well.
Or be a bit radical
For something of a wild card head towards Southern France and the aromatic and substantial 2014 Clos Bagatelle Blanc St Chinian (£13.15 at Great Grog in Edinburgh – and online – but try Wine Searcher for other retailers).
Here, there are suggestions of roussanne-derived quince, baked apple and grapefruit marmalade but these are all bound together with pithy lemon acidity and attractive textured orange elements that all punch well above their price point.
Or get seriously radical
Jura – heading out towards France’s border with Switzerland – offers distinctive and increasingly fashionable wines and those adventurous enough to give them a try will not be disappointed.
Smooth, full and nutty, 2012 Domaine de la Renardiere Jurassique Chardonnay Arbois Pupillin: (£16.54 as part of a case from www.exelwines.co.uk) brings you textured lemon flavours with a fresh acidic edge and an appealing cumin-centred savoury and mineral finish.
Tomorrow, though, we shall take a look at some serious Christmas reds ….. and more besides.
