Christmas Day, that one sparkly day in the calendar that we look forward to all year. You’ve spent a small fortune on the gifts, the decorations have never looked shinier and the best part of the morning is spent preparing the delicious Christmas lunch you’ve been planning for all month. So please don’t let the side down when it comes to the wine!
If you need a little help matching wine with the different courses, no problem! We have plenty of great economical drops to match any Christmas dinner planned. When it comes to the festive feast our Bayfield’s Management Team have selected a handful of beautiful wines that won’t break the bank, and the good news is that most are on special all the way up the Christmas Eve!
Kicking Off
Our Dee Why Liquor Superstore Manager Chris believes nothing kicks off the day after a tiring morning of ripping open Christmas gift paper than a fabulous drop of bubbles, and we mean the real stuff! Veuve Clicquot Non Vintage is elegant, fresh and fruity from the first sip and is the perfect choice for welcoming family and friends through the Kris Kringle door. It is a very versatile Champagne and if you are serving Oysters, the effervescence cuts brilliantly through the salinity of these little wonders of the sea, in fact their iodine taste only reveals the minerality of the wine.
The good news is that when it comes to Sparkling it pretty much goes with every stage of the Christmas dinner – perfect to start as an aperitif right up until the Christmas Pav makes the table. So for something closer to home and from the cool slopes of the Tamar Valley region in northern Tasmania, our Belrose Liquor Superstore Manager Craig recommends the Pirie Tasmanian Chardonnay Pinot Noir Non Vintage! It’s a full flavoured Cuvée from a blend of chardonnay and pinot noir, boasting complexity and freshness. A vibrant lemony acidity with a full and rich mid-palate leads to slaty, mineral finish.
Seafood Platter
If you are serving a wide range of Seafood come Chrissy Day there are more styles than just the usual safe bets of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay on offer. Of course like any other food, wine pairings for fish depend on the fish’s texture, taste, and aroma. Chris’ pick for the perfect drop with a broad range of seafood fare is Pikes Riesling from the Clare Valley. It’s a very attractive Riesling with an aroma dominated by lemon, lime and citrus nuances – the flavours from this drop will make seafood dance happily on your Christmas palate.
Christmas Meats
Let’s talk Turkey. And while we’re talking Turkey then Andy (our Bayfield’s Wine buyer) definitely recommends a Sparkling Shiraz. And if we’re talking Sparkling Shiraz then we are 100% talking Seppelt’s! Seppelt’s Original Sparkling Shiraz is really something special, the plush spiced plum and blackcurrant flavours are plentiful without being overly sweet. The iconic Seppelt’s Original Sparkling Shiraz is Tyson Stelzer’s 2019 Sparkling wine of the year for under $30! It’s provides a happy marriage with the Christmas Turkey as the combination of spicy shiraz and fruit notes offer a soft creamy mouthfeel – it’s also just as bloody good on its own!
If traditional Ham is on the buffet table we love a great Australian Charddy! And it’s pretty hard to go past the Robert Oatley Signature Series Chardonnay for both quality & price. It has all the trademarks of a classic Margaret River Chardonnay – a great balance of fruit that is just lightly oaked and a great match with the pork or ham.
To Finish
Andy says you can’t go past De Bortoli Noble One – it is arguably Australia’s premium sticky! It completes every Christmas Day dessert, it balances rich marmalade and apricot decadence with a crisp, almost refreshing acidity in its finish. Perfect to pair with cheese and fruit platters, over ice-cream or with a luxurious Christmas Pud! De Bortoli Noble One is fantastic with any dessert but a smash with mums trifle!
However you spend December 25th, we hope it’s full of love, merriment and of course good wine!