With a wine called Santa, the turkey is sure to go down a treat… Paula Gracey with the perfect drinks choices to accompany your Christmas dinner

ITS Christmaaaaassssss!!!  Time to dust off Noddy Holder once again and see how many turkey dinners you can cram into December – or maybe that’s just me?

If you are looking for some well priced wines to enjoy around the table this festive season, here is a small selection you might want to try this year for a change.

Fizz first, a must for Christmas morning or to start your Christmas meal and one of our absolute favourites is from JN Wines – JN Sparkling NV (£13.59).  

This crowd pleasing fizz (above) has a high proportion of Chenin Blanc which gives this sparkler a lovely richness and lots of ripe apple and white floral flavours with a hint of honey – yum.  It is already a favourite as a wedding fizz but, for us, Christmas Day would not be the same without a glass or two before dinner begins with some canapes and then it follows through very nicely with our starter which is usually prawns and smoked salmon.

It is better value than most Prosecco, and tastier than Cava and is made using the traditional method, exactly the same way as champagne, from Chenin Blanc grapes.

My go-to wine for the main course of turkey and ham is always a Pinot Noir but I recently tried two Sicilian reds from The Wine Society, very appropriately named Santa Tresa, which I think would go well with lots of Christmas fare, for a change. 

2024 Santa Tresa Rina Russa Frappato IGP (£10.50 above) can be seen as Sicily’s answer to Beaujolais. It is pale in colour and juicy in character, bursting with tangy cranberry, redcurrant, and wild-strawberry fruit. Light-to-medium bodied with gentle tannins, it makes a satisfyingly good match with spicy dishes thanks to its naturally sweet red-berry profile. 

If you serve it slightly chilled,  it is a lovely red to sip on its own but also great with cured meats and cold cuts. It has a fresh and vibrant bouquet, reminiscent of wild strawberries. It is beautifully balanced with silky smooth fruit and a real freshness running through it.

The second Santa is 2022 Santa Tresa Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG (£12.95 above).  This well-balanced Sicilian red is made of 60% nero d’Avola and 40% Frappato, with lovely notes of Morello cherry and raspberry. The addition of Frappato adds freshness and spice to this full-bodied, velvety wine.

One of the classic matches for this wine is poultry, so perhaps a new contender for the Christmas table?

Find them at www.the winesociety.com

To round off  Christmas dinner, we often go for a Port but after a fabulous Saturday afternoon spent at Direct Wine Shipments’ Belfast warehouse tasting Sherry, we are going for Delgado Zuleta Pedro Ximenex (PX) at £16.99 (above). It is 100% Pedro Ximénez and 100% delicious! 

This is a natural sweet wine that takes its name from the grape variety from which it is made, although it is also known as raisin wine. It is the sweetest wine in the range. There is no getting away from the fact that  it is very sweet and has an alcohol content of 15% vol. 

As a modern-style, this Pedro Ximénez invites creativity in pairing and shouldn’t be limited exclusively to desserts although it is superb with your sweet treats, puddings, trifles and choccy treats, but also think appetizers, cheeses, foie and stuffed meats.  

See the full range of Sherries at www.directwineshipments.com 

And there’s always room for a Baileys… or again, maybe that’s just me?

Happy Christmas Everyone! Cheers to you and yours!