In an ideal world we’d all be drinking Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Puligny Montrachet Pinots and Chardonnays (in between the grand marques Champagne and Chateau d’Yquem Sauternes of course) but, even if we had the dosh, there wouldn’t be enough to go around so we’d have to look elsewhere. Assuming poultry or something vegetarian, is on the menu, my Christmas Day six would include a fizz, a food friendly, fullish bodied, white, a not to aggressive red, a full red with a hint of sweetness, something sweet (almost certainly a PX sherry) and a back up white because despite the fact that I’m the head honcho, Chez Ben, the majority incline in the fairer direction. If red meat is your choice, you can beef up the red into something like a Rioja Crianza or older, Chianti Classico, decent Bordeaux or Ribera del Duero.
For the fizz; our real deal Fleury and Devaux Champagnes are good but as it’s the one bottle you can stick a flag in, an English sparkler is the order of the day. Langham Wine Estates and Huxbear are both excellent Westcountry growers and producers that won’t break most banks. For an equally good, and considerably cheaper, option try our Laborie ‘method cap classique’ Blanc de blancs from South Africa. Sadly, neither organic or local, it offers classic and exemplary quality for £15.95.
The food friendly, white has to be a Chardonnay, or, at a pinch, a Viognier. Top of my pops would be Stefano Lubiano’s Primavera Chardonnay from South Africa. It has enough fresh acidity to work with smoked salmon and body to pair with white poultry. Cheaper options are, old friend, Domaine Begude’s Terroir and Etoile Chardonnays and, northern Rhone style, ‘Le Paradis’ Viognier. We also have more top end Chardonnays in Begude’s Arcturus (£37) and Domaine La Soufrandise, Pouilly-Fuissé Vieilles Vignes (£26.50) from Macon in Burgundy.
For the mellow, poultry friendly, red Domaine Begude again comes to the fore – this time with their Pinot Noirs. The Cerisier is, possibly, a little too light but the Esprit Pinot is delicious, as is the above mentioned, Oliver Zeter, Spatburgunder. A good Côtes du Rhône, such as the Reserve de Fleur of, if your pockets are deep enough, Chateau Beacastel’s Coudoulet, is equally good but my pick would be Telmo Rodriguez’s Gabo do Xil Tinto Mencia from Valdeorras in Galicia, Spain. Amongst Spanish grapes, Mencia is uniquely mellow and easy going – perfect if you’re pacing yourself over a long meal.
The Valpolicella appassimento modus operandi of drying grapes before fermentation gives the full, sweet edge to take you from turkey leg meat (everyone eats the breast first don’t they?) to cheese and a brief siesta on the sofa with a mince pie before the challenge of Christmas pudding. Amarone would be top choice but good ones a stratospherically priced. Our Alpha Zeta Amarone is the best, relatively cheap (£26) one I’ve found but there are cheaper appassimento alternatives such as Mark Shannon’s Imprint Primitivo (£15.95) and, just in, Parra Jimenez’s Mirasoles Appassimento Monastrell (£12.25)
For the pudding, it has to be a Pedro Ximénez sherry or pudding wine. It just tastes of Christmas and works equally well with Christmas cake and minced pies. Valdesino’s benchmark Candado PX is the real deal; raisined grapes, gently pressed, fermented and fortified before aging for a decade and passing through a traditional solera system. That’s a lot of TLC for £23.90 a bottle. We also have an organic PX pudding wine from Piedra Luenga in Montilla. Simpler, having not been through a solera system, but no less unctuously delicious, it costs £15.50 per 50cl bottle.
For the white to hold in reserve, I’d go for something slightly less full and fruity Chradonnay such as a Loire Sauvignon, good Pinot Grigio, Rueda Verdejo or Galician Albarino.
We aren’t selling wine from our online Christmas shop this year, however, all of the above are available from our shops our tapas bar.