Festive Season Wine and Food Pairing Guide

With the nights closing in we feel a change of pace and a need for Hygge that wonderful Danish word that describes a cosy, contented mood, a sense of comfort. In the evenings we appreciate our woodburning stove and reading by the fire. Instead of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) we experience great JOMO (Joy of Missing Out). 😉 After a hot summer and an intense tourist season, we are ready to be still.

While we do enjoy the calm, the buzz of the Saussignac Christmas Market mid-December and Christmas and New Year celebrations are appreciated counterbalances. Browsing for gifts at a local Christmas market with a vin chaud (mulled wine) is bliss. Christmas markets are a great place for finding gifts but gifts for your winelover could also include a great bottle of wine or a good wine book (see Chateau Feely Christmas Gift Ideas and Suggestions).

It’s also time to plan the wines for festive celebrations. This article outlines pairing principles and offers suggestions for pairing with traditional Christmas fare.

Wine and food pairing: three core principles

Wine and food pairing comes down to three core principles:

• balance between the weight of the wine and the richness of the food
• having at least as much acidity in the wine as there is in the food
• mirroring or contrasting the aromas and flavours (and intensity)

Festive Season and Christmas Pairing Suggestions

A fabulous sparkling is the perfect way to begin an evening, with your aperos- salty aperitifs – something like Feely Selection Brut Blanc, Vin de France Traditional Method quality sparkling that spent 12 months on the lees during bottle fermentation . A fine biodynamic Champagne like Fleury or Françoise Bedel et Fils, would also be a treat.

For a starter of oysters or white fish, a good fresh Muscadet, a zesty Sauvignon blanc from Sancerre or Feely Sincerite Sauvignon blanc  are great pairings.

Then winter whites that can stand up to rich foods like turkey with all the trimmings, turn to a a barrel-aged white from grapes like Sémillon like Feely Silex or an orange wine like Feely Mille Fleurs , or a barrel aged Chardonnay from Burgundy.

For rich reds to pair with festive food Merlot Cabernet blends from Bordeaux or Bergerac are great choices. The Feely La Source red or Feely Grace for special occasions. See our Christmas Festive food and wine pairing suggestions for vegetarians and vegans here.

Christmas is typically the time of year people bring out the sweet wine, the likes of Sauternes, Monbazillac and Saussignac. A rule of thumb is that the sweet wine should be sweeter than the dessert so if you are offering a sweet dessert then go for a full sweet liquoreux (dessert wine more than 45 grams of residual sugar per litre) rather than a less sweet moelleux (10 to 45 grams of residual sugar per litre). My favourite pairing for sweet wine is Roquefort blue cheese but it goes well with Christmas pudding and vanilla ice cream. For a more unusual option with flaky pastry mince pies try a red wine like Feely La Source red or Resonance Red .

Select Organic for health (and less headaches), taste and environment

With nearly 20% of French vineyards certified organic there are great organic wines in all wine appellations and styles. At Chateau Feely we have been farming organic for more than 20 years. Not many that have been organic as long as us. When we started out, only 1% of French vineyards were organic. Look for the AB or EU leaf logo sign on the wine label to be sure it is organic – even better know your grower like you know us (and come and visit us! see below).

Conclusion

The perfect pairing takes an event to new heights and brings more enjoyment to a quiet supper at home. Here’s to fabulous wine and food and a wonderful Winter season of peace and joy for you and yours. Bonnes fêtes! Happy holidays!

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✨You can Visit us all Year Round

We would love to see you at Chateau Feely. Stay in one of Chateau Feely’s delightful holiday houses.  Come and learn more about wine at the wine school or with a visit to Chateau Feely in South West France ; stay or do a multi day course or multi day tour or yoga retreat.

📖 Experience the vineyard via the book series

Read about the story of this organic vineyard– the Vineyard Series includes four books – as recommended by the New York Times.

🥂Live the Chateau Feely experience via Exclusive Organic Wines Direct to your Door

Buy Feely wines via the Online Wine Store. Join the Feely family organic wine club for a wonderful community of winelovers, access to exclusive wines, special pricing and many other perks. Or book a fabulous Virtual Wine Tasting Event for you and your colleagues or friends.