Whether it’s a tasty tipple to toast the turkey or something to serve with the Boxing Day curry, Harvey Nichols Wine Expert NEVILLE KIRKPARTICK reveals his favourite festive wines.
SERVE WITH THE TURKEY…
La Violetta Up! Great Southern Winery, 2014 – £37.50: Bursting with ripe fruits, this Australian Shiraz is an excellent choice with turkey and all the traditional trimmings, pairing beautifully with cranberry sauce. It’s bound to appeal to New World wine lovers and its peppery and spicy notes of clove and star anise certainly bring a festive flavour to your table.
CHRISTMAS PUDDING PAIRING …
Barbeito Rainwater Reserva Medium Dry 5 Year Old Madeira -£17.50: I love serving Madeira with our Christmas day feast because it offers the perfect balance between acidity and sweetness. With its 80% Tinta Negra and 20% Verdelho, it has all the fabulous stickiness that you want from a pudding wine while maintaining a great level of freshness.
ONE FOR THE VEGANS …
Tinto de Rulo Pipeño, Bío Bío Valley 2016 – £17.75: This wine is made for vegans with definitely no compromise on quality; this wine utilises the slightly unusual País grape variety, one of the first varietals to be taken from the Old World and grown all over the New World, most successfully in Chile. It drinks beautifully and has lovely notes of sweet strawberries – team with a well-seasoned nut roast and roasted winter veg.
FOR THE CHEESE BOARD …
Harvey Nichols Sauternes, Chateau Coutlet, 2014 – £16: Quite simply, Sauternes is wonderful with cheese, whether you’re spreading a soft, creamy goat’s cheese on your crackers or tucking into a robust, strong stilton. This wine blends Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle and the resulting sweetness and acidity is a winning combination. I particularly like the notes of marmalade and honey.
BOXING DAY CURRY …
Framingham Pinot Gris, Marlborough, 2018 – £16.95: When it comes to spicy food you can’t beat a bottle of Pinot Gris – its crisp and acidic characteristics help to consistently refresh the pallet and counteract the dominant spices. Bursting with flavours of apples and pears, it’s the ideal toast to your turkey curry.
Wines featured are available from the in-store Wine Shop at Harvey Nichols, The Mailbox.
