I think at any dinner over the wintertime, the table just feels a bit naked without a bottle of red. Something about the warming nature of it, and that most of the warming winter foods tend to lend themselves better to red wines rather than anything else. When I cook at Christmas I’m more of a beef or game bird kind of chef rather than anything else, so a good bottle of red is usually primed and ready!
Under A Tenner
Cimarosa, Carmenere Limited Edition, 2012, Chile, £6.99 from Lidl
When I did my Lidl wine reviews I stuck this one down as my Wildcard. This is a very fruity wine, that’d go great with a chargrilled Steak. If that’s how you decide to feed yourselves on Christmas day, then this is a wine that’s worth picking up!
Money Is No Object
Château Pichon Baron 2010, 2eme Grand Cru Classé, Pauillac, £159.90 from 20h33
Anyone who knows a bit about Bordeaux may notice here that I haven’t gone for a first growth. For me I think wine investors have taken first growths into another topic. They’re not really wines any more, they’re commodities. Second growths are still expensive, but they’re fantastic wines! For those who don’t know much about Bordeaux wines, firstly feel free to whizz me an email and ask away, and secondly the important take home is that you won’t forget this one in a hurry. Awesome with a bit of roast beef.
Wildcard
Mount Difficulty Pinot Noir 2014, Central Otago, £25.99 from Waitrose Cellar
Probably only a wildcard because not many people still eat game meats for Christmas dinner. But if you, like the wife and I, are happy to grab a pheasant or a bit of deer from the butchers, then you need to be looking at Pinot Noir. Burgundy, in France, is known as the world’s heartland of Pinot Noir, but I’ve got this strange love affair going on with Central Otago in New Zealand. I just think the depth of fruit lasts longer. I know it’s a personal view, and fantastic Pinots are made elsewhere in the world (the premium stuff coming through from Chile is great!), but I’m sticking with it!
