Wine for the Festive Season
Christmas dinner is the most high-stakes wine occasion of the year for most people. Here is a clear plan for every stage, from aperitif to the final glass by the fire.
· 8 min read
Key takeaways
- Plan wine for four stages: aperitif, starter, main course, and dessert or cheese. Each stage has a clear wine logic — and only the main course requires careful thought.
- Champagne is the classic Christmas aperitif for good reason — it signals occasion, refreshes the palate, and pairs with almost every starter from smoked salmon to foie gras.
- For the main course, match the wine to the protein: Pinot Noir for turkey or goose; structured Bordeaux for beef; dry Riesling or white Burgundy for salmon.
- Sauternes with foie gras, or Port with Christmas pudding and cheese, are the two end-of-meal pairings that most reward a small extra investment — a 37.5cl half-bottle of each is sufficient for eight people.
Frequently asked questions
- What wine goes with roast turkey at Christmas?
- A Pinot Noir is the safest choice — its acidity handles the cranberry sauce, its fruit suits the mild meat, and it sits comfortably across both white and dark meat. Red Burgundy (Côte de Nuits-Villages, Gevrey-Chambertin) is the classical answer; a quality Oregon or New Zealand Pinot Noir delivers similar character at more accessible prices. If the group prefers white: a rich white Burgundy (Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet) works beautifully.
- How much Champagne do I need for Christmas?
- For the aperitif hour: one bottle per four guests. A table of eight needs two bottles. Add one spare. If you're serving Champagne through the starter as well, add another bottle. Quality Crémant d'Alsace at a third of the price is entirely appropriate if budget is the constraint — most guests appreciate the gesture of sparkling wine regardless of provenance.
- What dessert wine should I serve at Christmas?
- Port is the canonical British Christmas choice, paired with Christmas pudding, mince pies, and aged cheese. A twenty-year Tawny Port (nutty, dried-fruit, walnut character) is the most versatile; a Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) for something more fruit-forward. If you're also serving foie gras, a half-bottle of Sauternes does double duty — pour it with the foie gras and again with the cheese.
- How many bottles of wine do I need for Christmas dinner with eight guests?
- A complete Christmas dinner for eight: two to three bottles of Champagne or Crémant for the aperitif; one half-bottle of Sauternes if serving foie gras; one to two bottles of white for the starter; three to four bottles of red for the main course; one half-bottle of Port or Sauternes for dessert and cheese. Total: eight to ten bottles plus the dessert wine. Buy one spare red — it's almost always needed.
Not sure which wine to pick? Tell our sommelier what you are eating or the occasion and we will find the right bottle — or browse the full sommelia.ch collection.