If you’re going to be indulging in a festive meal and some good wine this holiday season (and we certainly hope you are), you might as well do it right! We know navigating the bottle shop can be tricky and even a little stressful, especially when you’re trying to impress. So, we’ve asked Nick Picone, senior winemaker at Villa Maria Estate and Wine Society’s 2012 Young Winemaker of the Year, for some advice on wine matching. And we’re relieved to say his answers do away with the flowery adjectives and instead offer simple, take-away advice on what’s what in wine.
By Chloe Schneider
“Something magic happens when the right wine meets the right food…” Nick tells us, “Enjoyed together, the sum is greater than the parts, the flavours and textures combining seamlessly to deliver a truly memorable experience. When it comes off, the best attributes of both the wine and the food are flattered, and the lucky recipient is left with a content afterglow! There are a few general rules but there are always exceptions to these, and a lot of the fun is in trying different and new combinations. At the end of the day, if you enjoy what you’re tasting, that’s what counts.”
Nick Picone’s top tips for wine matching at Christmas
Best wine with Turkey
Pinot Noir. The supple cherry and cranberry fruit like fruit characters can work as well with white meats as with red. An extremely versatile food wine!
Best wine with Ham
Rose. They are both pink so that’s a very good start! Best wine with seafood Villa Maria Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc. Widely available, the fresh, vibrant fruit characters and cleansing acidity in this wine work outstandingly with seafood.
Best wine with cheese
Depends on the type of cheese but it’s very hard to go past a nice Port. Noble or Botrytis desert wines are also amazing with a good Blue and this is one of my favourite wine and food pairings of all.
Best wine with pudding and deserts
Just be careful to ensure the chosen wine has a similar sweetness level to the desert otherwise the combination can taste out of balance and favour one over the other. I might opt for a Noble Riesling or Semillon, but definitely a Port with chocolate based deserts.
Best quaffing wine
Sparkling Rose. Served chilled and regularly!
Best wine to serve to special guests
There are a couple of options here. If you are feeling flush, perhaps a bottle of vintage Champagne. It is Christmas after all!
Alternatively a wine you have aged yourself and pulled from your cellar. People love seeing a dusty wine bottle, just make sure you wipe it down before serving!
And as for what Nick will be serving his family and friends this Christmas, he said, “We will most likely be enjoying a few bottles of Rose and Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc. Over a long day, with all the rich food to get through and coupled with the summer heat, I turn to fun, lighter bodied wines that have freshness and balance, and can stand a good chilling. Rose is perfect in an alfresco dining environment and will marry well with many foods. Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc is a fun, vibrantly fruit driven style that my family have taken to drinking over the more serious and austere Champagnes. These wines can be served nice and chilled and still deliver plenty of flavour and enjoyment. I might sneak a cheeky bottle of craft beer in also!”
