Christmas Dinner Picks

There are no right or wrong wines when it comes to Christmas dinner, but I must admit I have adjusted my thinking over the years. I no longer think about serving great old bottles of wine at Christmas dinner mostly because by the time the big feed rolls around it is just too confusing to serve wines that require attention to detail.

Generous wines are always a big hit as are red wines with soft tannins and white wines with a fruity demeanour. The only other parameter to consider is the main course. Will it be the traditional stuffed turkey or perhaps a lamb roast, or a ham or even a vegetarian solution? Excellent question. If ham is on the menu, I'm recommending gewürztraminer and or rosé wine. Local gewürztraminer options are plentiful and worth checking out, some in government stores, others at VQA stores. Names to look for include: Gray Monk 2007, $17; CedarCreek 2007, $18; Lake Breeze 2007, $19; Tinhorn Creek, $17; and Church & State 2007, $20 - all from B.C. The rosé picks include Torres de Casta Rosé 2007, $13 from Spain; or La Vieille Ferme Cote de Ventoux 2007, from France.

The feature pick is the Pierre Sparr Gewürztraminer 2007 from Alsace, France. Now under screwcap the nose is fresh and correct with its heavy spice and floral, peachy under tones. On the palate it is ripe and weighty with some residual sugar and more of that classic meaty, lychee, earthy, peach fruit flavours. Perfect for ham.

If it's turkey with the classic bread and sage stuffing, this combination calls for chardonnay, particularly those made in the softer, buttery style with hints of green apple and dried herbs that really pick up on the pungent aromas of the dressing.

The Evans and Tate Chardonnay Margaret River 2006 from Western Australia is one of my picks. Awash in buttery, peach and melon fruit, it is perfectly suited to tame the rich savoury flavours of the bird. Another fine match and locally grown, is the Church & State Chardonnay Gravelbourg Vineyard 2006. Winemaker Bill Dyer blends two clones, 96 and 76 to shape this chardonnay. Less of that malolactic buttery character helps to reveal a spicy fruit nose with bright flavours of melon, green apple and citrus. A restrained, stylish, cool-climate chardonnay that reflects its origins.

Vegetarians always seem to do well at Christmas with so many vegetable side dishes and trimmings that can be made free of meat and in the wine department the sky is the limit. Aromatic wines work well here, so think about viognier and riesling, both of which can work with turkey too.

My first pick is the Dr. Pauly - Bergweiler Riesling 2007 from the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer region of Germany. You will love the red apple, floral, peach skin aromas. Fresh, crisp and delicate with a slightly sweet mid-palate, it has the fruit and freshness to enliven any dish. It can also double as the perfect pre-dinner apéritif.

Another good choice would be the Excelsior Paddock Viognier 2008 from South Africa. The style is fresh, crisp, and elegant with a touch of sweetness. Look for honey, ginger, leesy, orange, green apple skin and grassy citrus flavours. Attractive early drinking style that should work for most any vegetarian dish.

Other tasty aromatic choices in stores include: Hungerford Hill Fishcage Chardonnay Viognier 2007, $17 (private wine shops); Rosemount Diamond Cellars Traminer Riesling 2008 $12.50; Yalumba Viognier Eden Valley 2007, $27; and Hugel Gentil 2007, Alsace, France, $20.

If lamb is on the menu, the slam dunk match is syrah. The theory is the big, gamey powerful lamb flavours requires a similarly powerful red to subdue the protein. Your choices are limitless but I have picked the Wine Access 2008 Canadian Red Wine of the Year: Jackson-Triggs Shiraz SunRock Vineyard 2006 from British Columbia. White pepper dominates the nose along with black, almost meaty fruit across the palate. The fruit is bright and rich, the palate vibrant; the textures glossy. It should be perfect with lamb.

Other sure bets for shiraz and or syrah include: Chono Reserva Syrah 2006, Chile, $18; Jean-Luc Colombo St. Joseph Les Lauve 2005, France, $40; Evans and Tate Shiraz Margaret River 2004, Western Australia, $23; Grant Burge Miamba Shiraz 2005, Australia, $28; Mitolo Jester Shiraz 2006, Australia, $27; Porcupine Ridge Syrah 2007, South Africa $18; or the CedarCreek Estate Select Syrah 2006, British Columbia, $35.

I'm confident you will find most of them in government Signature BC Liquor Stores. Others will be found in the better private wine shops and if they don't have the exact match, staff should be able to help you find something similar based on weight and the style of any wine on our list. Have a great holiday.

Pierre Sparr Gewürztraminer 2007, Alsace, France
Price $19
UPC 003263530020802
Score 88/100
Remarks Ripe and weighty with some residual sugar and lychee, earthy, peach fruit flavours.

Evans and Tate Chardonnay Margaret River 2006, Western Australia
Price $20
UPC 00654910001055
Score 89/100
Remarks Bright, buttery, citrus, peach and melon fruit.

Church & State Chardonnay Gravelbourg Vineyard 2006, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Price $25
UPC 840098116621
Score 88/100
Remarks Restrained, stylish, cool-climate chardonnay that reflects its origins.

Dr. Pauly - Bergweiler Riesling 2007, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany
Price $20
UPC 4004888891039
Score 86/100
Remarks Delicate, fresh, simple fruity style riesling.

Excelsior Paddock Viognier 2008, Robertson, Breede River Valley, South Africa
Price $16
UPC 06004470000083
Score 87/100
Remarks Fresh peach skin, honey, ginger, orange and grassy, citrus flavours.

Jackson-Triggs Shiraz SunRock Vineyard 2006, Okanagan Valley
Price $35
UPC 00063657013496
Score 92/100
Remarks White pepper dominates the nose; black meaty fruit across the palate.