Christmas Day Last Minute Picks for Dinner

If you've been otherwise occupied and waited until the last minute, time is running out. Most private and government stores will close by 6 p.m. tonight.

Today we look at some last minute wine suggestions based on the trifecta of Christmas dinner main courses: turkey, ham or beef. There are no right or wrong choices to serve at Christmas dinner, although experience has taught me that if your dinner involves multiple guests and a mix of ages, and even generations, great wines from old vintages, the kind that require attention, are not recommended.

Generous wines are always a hit. That means red wines with soft tannins and white wines with a reasonably fruity, aromatic demeanour. After that, as long as you consider the main course (and the trimmings) you should be able to enjoy some magical matches.

Before all that, consider some sparkling wine to settle every-one down. A rosé with its festive colour would be my choice and for sheer value and fun you can't beat the Louis Bouillot Perle d'Aurore Rosé Crémant de Bourgogne. It's a complicated moniker for a simply delicious drink. We love its pale raspberry colour and floral, cherry, mineral, liquorice aromas with just a hint of toasted nuts in the background. On the palate, it is a sweeter brut style with very fresh acidity and tobacco, cherry, straw-berry, anise and citrus flavours. An attractive versatile sipper to kick off the big evening.

If ham is on the menu, or any kind of charcuterie, think off-dry Riesling. The fruit and acidity is a perfect foil to the smoke and salt. Local Riesling options are plentiful and worth checking out, some in government stores, others at VQA stores. Names to look for include: Nk'Mip Riesling 2009 ($18), Quails Gate Dry Riesling 2009 ($18) and Peller Estate Private Reserve 2010 ($13).

Our feature pick is The Doc-tor's Riesling 2010 from Marlborough, New Zealand. A personal favourite this year, this is a low alcohol Kabinett-style Riesling. We love its lime, slate, wet earth, floral nose streaked with green apple and spicy aromas with just a touch of lees. The palate is both juicy and elegant with a zippy, creamy texture and more lime, floral, green apple skin, grassy, minty, mineral, sherbet mango flavours.

It has fine balance and juicy acidity and lots of flavour. Equivalent to any German Kabinett and would be fun to sip with ham or turkey.

There is good news for vegetarians who seemed to pros-per at Christmas thanks to the many meatless, vegetable side dishes and trimmings that combine brilliantly with the emerging category of aromatic blends. That said the same wines work just as well with turkey.

Local picks to look for include the Moon Curser Afraid of the Dark ($22), Road 13 Honest John's White 2010 ($17), Bar-tier Bros. The Cowboy 2010 ($23). From around the globe Vina Robles White 4 2010 ($20) and, Louis Bernard Côtes du Rhône Blanc 2009 ($15) would be fine choices.

Everybody loves Chardon-nay and for style and value it is hard to beat the Marques de Casa Concha Chardonnay 2009. The secret here is pristine Limari Valley fruit. Look for apple, honey, citrus, and nectarine aromas. Fresh, crisp, juicy fruit and a delicate palate with butter, green apple, spicy lees, honey and lime flavours. Turkey or ham was made for this wine.

Malbec is my ultra-versa-tile pick for dinner but in this case it's French not Argentine. I'm delighted to recommend the Paul Mas Estate Single Vineyard Collection Malbec Gardemiel Vineyard 2010 from the Coteaux du Languedoc. We love the consistent quality of this wine, and based on the '08 and '09, the 2010 Mas malbec, a single vineyard collection from Gardemiel Vineyard, is another winner. Expect a fragrant peppery, floral nose that previews a warm, savoury, rich entry of black fruits, licorice and pep-per. A delicious, big time value of modern Euro malbec.

If lamb is on the menu the slam dunk match is Syrah but Syrah blends are equally welcomed. The theory is the big, gamy powerful meat flavours requires a similarly powerful red to subdue the proteins and soften the tannins. They also work with a fully loaded bird with the trimmings. Two sure bets include: the Thorn-Clarke Shotfire Shiraz 2008 from Barossa Valley, South Australia. Always Barossa showy, the nose is bright and sweet with big, smoky, white pepper, cedar and blueberries. The entry is warm and round with a whack of black fruits, dried herbs and sweet vanilla. A very warm, spicy, attractive style of shiraz that would be great with grilled lamb chops.

A much bigger jump up is the full-on Montes Folly Syrah 2007 from Apalta Valley in Colchagua, Chile. Expect a rich spicy, eucalyptus, black cherry nose with bits of vanilla, pep-per, leather and rosemary aromas. The attack is full and dry with fine acidity and more coffee, vanilla, cedar, black plum, black pepper, dried herb, cedar, meaty, garrigue and tapenade flavours. Good intensity and balance if a bit alcoholic. Excellent Syrah.

Have a great holiday and be responsible: don't drink and drive.

LOUIS BOUILLOT PERLE D'AURORE ROSÉ CRÉMANT DE BOURGOGNE N/V, BURGUNDY, FRANCE

Price: $24

UPC: 03174470080187

Score: 88/100

Remarks: A ripe brut style with very fresh acidity, cherry, strawberry and citrus flavours.

THE DOCTOR'S RIESLING 2010, MARLBOROUGH, NEW ZEALAND

Price: $20

UPC: 009419056100137

Score: 90/100

Remarks: Great balance and juicy acidity with lots of flavour.

MARQUES DE CASA CONCHA CHARDONNAY 2009, LIMARI VALLEY, CHILE

Price: $20

UPC: 07804320411149

Score: 88/100

Remarks: A fresh but delicate style with a bit of oak.

PAUL MAS ESTATE SINGLE VINEYARD COLLECTION MALBEC GARDEMIEL VINEYARD 2010, COTEAUX DU LANGUEDOC, FRANCE

Price: $16

UPC: 3760040422954

Score: 88/100

Remarks: Delicious, savoury, rich black fruits flavours flecked with licorice and pepper.

THORN-CLARKE SHOTFIRE SHIRAZ 2008, BAROSSA VALLEY, SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Price: $30

UPC: 00853065000115

Score: 89/100

Remarks: A very warm, spicy, attractive style of shiraz.

MONTES FOLLY SYRAH 2007, APALTA VALLEY, SANTA CRUZ, VALLE DEL COLCHAGUA, CHILE

Price: $88

UPC: 07804303271708

Score: 91/100

Remarks: Black plum, black pepper, dried herbs and garrigue. Excellent Syrah.

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