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Natural wine for Christmas - the search for the perfect companion
The holiday season is almost upon us, and what better way to celebrate than with some delicious natural wines ? Thus begins a journey through the perfect combinations with all the delicious dishes that belong to this festive season. Whether with a roast goose, a breast of duck, a cheese fondue or a vegan Christmas roast - all these hearty dishes need nuanced and well thought-out natural wines to underline their taste and enhance every meal. So let's explore which natural wines pair well with these dishes and bring you joy at this glorious time of year when you sit at the table with friends and family.
Every taste is different and every constellation sitting at the table has different wine preferences. We therefore recommend a slightly tamer and a slightly more exciting alternative for each dish.
The classic: natural wine with Christmas goose
A rich and hearty dish like Christmas goose calls for a natural wine that can withstand those powerful flavors. A wine should have enough body, acidity and tannins to add complexity and structure, while fruitiness can help compliment the richness of the Christmas Goose.
We recommend the Rouge Furie from Domaine la petite Odyssey to those who are more conservative wine drinkers (or eat their Christmas with them). Drink this natural wine slightly chilled to suit both the warmth of the Christmas kitchen and the festivities.
If you want a slightly more exciting wine, we recommend Elefanta Orange by Christophe Lindenlaub. The fruit is in the foreground here, but is accompanied by decent tannins. Orange wine with Christmas goose is a really great combination!
Natural wine accompaniment to the duck
Duck literally calls for a fruity companion. However, the richness and fat content also require a natural wine that can cope with the delicate taste and does not push the duck into the background.
Fruity, not too strong and elegant? That screams Pinot Noir from Alsace. Blackberries, pepper and light vegetal notes compliment the duck perfectly.
Natural wine accompaniment to turkey
Anyone who celebrates Christmas with an Anglophile (or with American influences) will reach for the "Turkey" at Christmas. Milder in taste and richer than its two winged colleagues above, this dish also needs a somewhat more subtle wine.
Beaujolais Nouveau is very often drunk in the USA at "Thanksgiving", which usually takes place shortly after the Fête du Beaujolais in November. Like Thanksgiving, Christmas often features turkey. The fruitiness and rather gentle tannins play well with the turkey without one pushing the other into the background.
Orange wine is very often a great accompaniment to food that many forget. The light tannins, due to the relatively short maceration, together with the distinctly complex fruitiness of Symbiosis, make this natural wine an unexpected hit with Turkey.
Natural wine accompaniment to sausages and potato salad
The understated dish among the Christmas classics doesn't need a heavy counterpart. But we think that the wine should not be an understatement. Lighter, more nuanced wines are best suited here.
Fruity fresh, not too strong and above all, this natural wine is a lot of fun for the drinker. Bottled in a 1L bottle to be enjoyed with others, what better occasion than the celebration of Christmas.
We recommend this Riesling from the Isegrim winery to anyone who doesn't like having the predictable natural wines with their meal. A decent body, moderate acidity and lots of nuance.
Natural wine accompaniment to the cheese fondue
The understated dish among the Christmas classics doesn't need a heavy counterpart. But we think that the wine should not be an understatement. Lighter, more nuanced wines are best suited here.
The Weingut am Schlipf is just a few meters from the Swiss border. The natural wine "La Bohéme" from Gutedel goes well with cheese fondue not only because of the maxim "What grows together, goes together", but also because of its balance. Slight acidity, a bit of fruit and a nice minerality let the fondue taste the grandstand without getting into the background.
This rosé/orange wine is a characterful accompaniment to cheese fondue. The fruit notes compliment the strong cheese and its richness. the light minerality and very subtle bitterness give the wine a new taste dimension.
Of course, you don't have to follow our recommendations at all. The basics of pairing wine with food are quite simple: fat needs acidity, richness needs tannins and very often it's great to think of notes in wine that could complement the food like lemon with white fish, cranberry with turkey, plum with duck and much more. But the most important thing is to choose a wine that everyone will enjoy drinking! If you've picked a wine that goes perfectly with the wine but nobody likes it, you may not get any gifts. With this in mind, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.