Soon it will be the time that all children are looking forward to! The magic of the moment, receiving the gifts so much deserved… and for us winelovers, it’s the same thing! What will be under the tree? Maybe an Aveine aerator with a nice bottle of wine as a bonus for Christmas?
In any case, we wish you all the best! But Christmas is also an opportunity to sit down at the table with your family and enjoy food and wine pairings. They will delight the gourmets that we are. And we’re looking forward to it!
Christmas Wines, the classic pairing by continents
Today, rather than telling you about our food and wine pairings for a traditional French Christmas meal, we have decided to focus on food and wine pairings that can be found on all 5 continents during the Christmas holidays.
This is an opportunity to travel during this special period, and to immerse yourself in different cultures. Who knows? Maybe you will feel like celebrating Christmas in a different way? An original way to vary the pleasures!
Eurasia: Carp fillets gilded in butter
Christmas is not celebrated in Asia where it has only a commercial aspect. So we went to the most eastern part of Europe. And we found there an original tradition. Because, we do not necessarily think of Carp as a Christmas dish when we are in France, and yet this freshwater fish is a dish that our German neighbors particularly appreciate when Christmas time comes. In fact, the tradition of Carp goes beyond Germany, it is found in many countries such as Poland, Hungary, Austria or Slovakia!
For this occasion we have decided to suggest a dry Riesling from Austria, a country that produces very beautiful white wines, especially in the region of Niederösterreich (Lower Austria).
South America: Suckling pig cooked on a spit
The spit-roasted suckling pig “lechon” is a classic from some Latin American countries! The secret lies in the cooking time, which is several hours depending on the weight of the animal. At the end of the waiting time, we get a meat of great tenderness that we would like to associate with a grape variety of the same vein. This is a good thing since Argentina, well known for its Malbec, also produces the delicate Pinot Noir grape variety in some of its cooler vineyards. Take a trip to the district of Gualtallary, in the Uco Valley in Mendoza and you will find some magnificent Pinot Noir wines, very delicate, which will go very well with this dish.
North America: Apple Stuffed Turkey
We talked about turkey in our article on Thanksgiving celebrations in the United States. We offer you a variation of it, this time from Canada: the turkey stuffed with apples and served with a Pet Nat from the Okanagan Valley. A festive and original pairing! A few bubbles for the refreshing and lively side, with nice apple notes that you will find in both the wine and the dish.
Africa: The Malva Pudding
Malva Pudding is a classic dessert on South African Christmas tables. It has the particularity of being very sweet with hints of caramel and apricots. Treat yourself to the legendary Klein Constantia wine, a wine with a legendary reputation made from dried small Muscat grapes (late harvest). A wine and food pairing for winelovers who wish to travel through flavors and time.
Oceania: The Pavlova
Pavlova is found in New Zealand and Australia. This dessert made of meringue, and garnished with strawberries, has the particularity of offering a texture that is both crispy and melt-in-the-mouth. A real invitation to indulgence! For this pairing, we will choose Australia with a sparkling wine made from Pinot Noir grapes from the Mornington Peninsula, in the Victoria region. Delicate aromas and bubbles that compete with some champagnes, and that will sublimate this dessert and your dinner.
What about the French log?
We couldn’t finish this article without telling you about our traditional Christmas log. And as it is Christmas, we suggest two food and wine pairings, depending on the kind of log you choose, your personal tastes and your appetite!
For a strawberry or other red fruit log, we recommend a Blanc de Noirs Champagne. This type of Champagne comes from red grape varieties such as Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier. It will give you fine notes of red fruits that can go very well with your desert. A nice combination, and whose freshness of Champagne will come to cut admirably the creamy texture of the log. A pleasant way to end your Christmas meal, lightly with fine bubbles!
For a chocolate log we recommend a sweet, young wine with the greatest possible freshness. A Hungarian wine from Tokaji could do very well, or a Coteaux du Layon in the Loire Valley. These wines have a beautiful vivacity, and bring a lot of freshness. A pairing for all gourmets! They will ask for more for sure!
The whole Aveine team wishes you a Merry Christmas!
