The Bird's The Word - Wines for Xmas Turkey & Chicken

The first in this series of seasonal blogs is for the traditionalists among you, that will be opting for a Turkey on the big day this Christmas.

White Wines

Although isn’t the most flavoursome of meats, whites can be easily overpowered by a Christmas dinner’s rich trimmings, so I’d opt for a fuller-bodied wine with decent acidity, some oak ageing, and lots of ripe fruit flavour to stand up to stronger flavours.

Reasonably bold chardonnay is the classic choice and my personal preference. For those on a budget, or with many mouths to feed and glasses to fill, a Burgundy taste-a-like Villa Blanche, Chardonnay (£10.99 @ Avery’s of Bristol) would do the job at a very reasonable price point, but for something a little more special look to richer Puligny or Meursault wines from Burgundy such as Domaine Prun, Meursault Les Vireuils (£39.99 at Waitrosecellar.com), it’s rich and complex with bold fruit flavours and a crisp finish to help cut through the food and clean the palate between forkfuls. New World Chardonnay’s with a good balance between fruit and acidity is a great option, too, and a classy Californian like Lockheart, Chardonnay (£19.99 at Corks of Cotham, Bristol) fits the bill excellently.

If you're not a fan of oak or chardonnay, you'll need to find a bottle with enough fruit, weight and character to stand up to the trimmings. A new-world pinot gris could work well, and I’d go for Yealands Estate, Pinot Gris (£13.95 at Great Western Wine, Bath) from New Zealand. Quite a concentrated, heady wine on the nose, with super-ripe pear fruit flavours and a nice weight and texture overall in the mouth. There's a touch of ginger spice and citrus on the finish keeping things in check.

You could also try a classy peachy viognier like the sublime Domaine Yves Cuilleron, Viognier ‘Les Vignes d’a Côte’ (£18.99 at Grape & Grind, Bristol) from one of the Northern Rhone's most heralded winemakers. It’s had 6 months of ageing (both on lees in tank and in barriques) for added depth and complexity.

Red Wines

The trick with matching a Red with Turkey is not overpowering the dish with a weighty wine with too much flavour and body, yet finding one with enough fruit concentration and depth to stand up to rich trimmings and cranberry sauce.

Also, remember that turkey is 'dry' meat so there’s nothing much to soak up tannin, therefore, it's best to seek out smoother wines.

The classic (and I think the best grape for the job) is pinot noir. However, try and avoid lighter styles that may get overwhelmed, and opt for bolder, fruitier wines from Australia, Chile, USA or New Zealand such as the wonderful Yealands Estate, Awatere Pinot Noir (£15.95 Great Western Wine, Bath), packed with flavours of plum and dark cherry, it would also be a hit with duck or lamb.

If you want to go for French Pinot, you'll be looking at a Burgundy. And to do the job properly, I reckon you'll have to dig deep for a bottle of wine with a riper fruit concentration and depth, such as Domaine François Buffet, Pommard (£42 at Avery’s of Bristol).

Alternatives to pinot could be top-notch Gamay from a weightier Cru area such as Morgon, or a well-aged Rioja, Bordeaux or Chianti.

More tips to come over the coming days, but for now…

Happy Basting!

Tristan Darby

Tutor - Bristol Wine School