If you’ve cooked – and written about – Christmas turkey as often as I have (which is a lot), you may think there’s nothing more to be said on the subject of what you should drink with it. But can I gently suggest that you might be wrong.
It’s not that there are likely to be options out there that you’ve never thought of – it’s more that it may be possible to do it better, more cheaply, and more in tune with the guests you have round your table this year.
Even if you plan to bring something special out of the cellar this year – I mean, you are a Decanter reader, after all – I suggest it’s wise to have younger wines as back-up, and not only because one or more might be corked or over the hill. Not everyone enjoys older wines, and if it is a big party and they are likely to drink a lot then you might also want something more affordable to hand.
It is of course not just the turkey (which will rub along perfectly amiably with most wines) but the trimmings you need to match with, which are, after all, the main point of Christmas lunch. Of which the stuffing, cranberry sauce and whatever gravy you’re serving are the main issues to contend with.
I find it helpful to consider how traditional your menu is going to be. If the meal is predominantly savoury (ie, chestnut stuffing, classic veg, traditional, British-style gravy), I’d be more inclined to go for a classic red such as a Bordeaux or a Rioja. If it’s more modern in style, with, say, a spicy or fruity stuffing and jazzed up Ottolenghi-ish veg, you might find a brighter red like a Shiraz or a New World Pinot Noir would work better.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
A Resource for the World? - Argentina is unique in the genetic diversity preserved in much of its vine material. With climate change and disease posing increasing threats worldwide, Catena Zapata winery is asking what lessons can be learned to protect vineyards within and beyond the nation's borders
Argentina is unique in the genetic diversity preserved in much of its vine material. With climate change and disease posing increasing threats worldwide, Catena Zapata winery is asking what lessons can be learned to protect vineyards within and beyond the nation’s borders
Great Cabernets of South America
Other varieties may hog the limelight across South America, but the world’s most popular grape for red wines has played a critical role in the continent's wine heritage. We trace Cabernet Sauvignon’s story here, and recommend 16 benchmark wines to try
PROVENCE by train and bike
With rail links to Paris, Nice, Marseilles and beyond, a vast network of cycle paths and quiet roads, and a plethora of historic wine estates, Provence is an ideal destination for an eco-friendly, car-free and carefree) holiday
IN THE MIX
These days most of the world’s vineyards are planted to just a single variety, but what happens when multiple varieties are planted, harvested and blended together?
Malvasia A BUYER'S GUIDE
If ever a grape was hard to pin down, it'd be Malvasia. Indeed it’s not even a single grape variety. In all of its many varied, and often completely unrelated guises, it has been the mainstay of popular wine styles across the centuries. Our expert takes a closer look...
RIBERA ADOPTS THE NEW OLD WAYS
It’s not so much a new direction for winemakers in Ribera del Duero, but a growing recognition that traditional methods and wine styles set aside by the previous generation can now provide a way ahead to revitalise the region
Roussanne around the world
Up for a challenge? For winemakers as much as wine drinkers, getting a handle on a mercurial grape such as Roussanne isn't easy. But wherever it's grown, when the balance is right, it truly repays the effort
Napa Cabernet 2021
There's a lot of excitement about this vintage, in which conditions were relatively calm and temperatures stable through summer. Ongoing drought reduced yields but intensified flavours, but it means quantities are down and you may need to act fast to secure top wines. Our Napa correspondent selects 60 great wines from more than 500 that he tasted, with many very high scores
10 reason to discover Uruguay
Squeezed between Brazil and Argentina on the Atlantic coast, Uruguay has mostly flown under the tourist radar - until now. Once dubbed 'the Switzerland of the Americas', it's a welcoming country that has much to offer the travelling wine lover
Leo Erazo
The old vines and special terroir of Itata, southern Chile, have beena source of inspiration for this intrepid winemaker. The 2023 fires were a setback, but his commitment to this ancient wine land is undiminished
