Whether you opt for turkey, beef, gammon, or goose for your Christmas dinner, there is a perfect wine to accompany your dish. We've spoken to experts from some of our favourite wine merchants for their wine recommendations to go with every course.
Berry Bros. & Rudd
Recommended by the wine experts
Turkey: 2018 Bourgogne Blanc, Clos-du-Château, Domaine de Montille
A gorgeous example of a white Burgundy, this 2018 Bourgogne Blanc goes wonderfully with turkey. Not so heavy it will overpower the meal, but more complex than a Chablis, this is the sweet spot for Christmas whites.
Tasting notes: smooth and silky in texture, with a hint of toasty oak to add complexity.
Beef: 2018 Ségla, Margaux
This is the second wine of the excellent Château Rauzan-Ségla. At £104 per bottle, this wine is robust enough to match any Christmas beef dish, with enough fruit to win over even Bordeaux sceptics.
Tasting notes: beautiful aromas of black fruits and herbs, with spicy tobacco and an enticing leafy note from the 56% Cabernet Sauvignon.
Gammon: 2016 Poggio alle Gazze dell'Ornellaia
A really unusual Tuscan white wine, in a similar style to white Bordeaux, with 80% Sauvignon Blanc, 10% Vermentino and 10% Viognier. Costing £51 per bottle, it's the perfect counterpoint to smoky, savoury dishes or a fine leg of gammon.
Tasting notes: rich, floral and textured, with an incredibly complex finish
Goose: 2018 Barolo, La Serra, Marcarini
For goose, often strongly flavoured and fatty, a robust red is needed. This ripe Italian Barolo is perfect, with tannins and acidity to cut through the meat, and enough floral perfume to act as an elegant counterpoint. For those who argue Barolo must be drunk when it’s at least 10 years old, this bottle provides the perfect riposte at a reasonable £39 a bottle.
Tasting notes: a robust red with tannins and floral notes.
Dessert: Bodegas Lustau, Pedro Ximénez, San Emilio, Solera Familiar
Sweet, sticky and reminiscent of the finest raisins, dates and nuts, this is the perfect companion to Christmas pudding. Just a small glass, served ice cold from the fridge, will round off the meal nicely. This Spanish wine is £14.95 for a half bottle.
Tasting notes: sweet with subtle fruity notes.
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Majestic Wine
Recommended by Jack Merrylees, wine expert at Majestic
Turkey: Edouard Delaunay 'Septembre' Chardonnay 2020, Burgundy
This great-value, barrel-aged Chardonnay, priced at £15.99 for one bottle or £13.99 when you buy six, is an opulent and buttery white Burgundy. A perfect pairing for a festive turkey feast, you can also enjoy it with an equally indulgent lobster dish.
Tasting notes: citrus, white chocolate and hazelnut.
Beef: Château Caronne Ste-Gemme 2016 Haut-Médoc
One of the most reliable and best value Cru Bourgeois at £16.99 a bottle or £13.99 when you order six, Châtea Caronne's classic Haut-Medoc is predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon which means it has a firm structure and lots of tannin – so it's delicious with roast red meat such as beef.
Tasting notes: rich, dark fruit flavours, plum, blackberry, classic cabernet cassis.
Gammon: Marqués de Riscal Rioja Reserva 2017/18
A rich and concentrated wine, Marqués de Riscal Rioja Reserva is full of summer-berry flavours, perfect with gammon dishes. This wine goes well with ham, cheeses, and spicy casseroles, making it one of the more versatile offerings, priced at £16.99 for a single bootle or £12.99 when you choose to buy six.
Tasting notes: notes of liquorice with complex aromas of vanilla and toasted oak, combined with summer fruit flavours.
Goose: Jean-Paul Dubost 'La Ballofière' Morgon 2019/20
A wonderful pairing for a goose dinner, Jean-Paul's wines are made using 70-year-old vines, and it's said that old vines make the tastiest grapes. To top it off, the wine, costing £14.99 per bottle or £12.99 when six are bought, is aged partially in oak – so you can expect a tremendously rich Beaujolais.
Tasting notes: full-bodied and smooth, with juicy red-fruit flavours and rich tannins.
Dessert: Royal Tokaji Late Harvest 2017/18
This wine's sweetness makes it the perfect match for dessert, achieved by allowing the grapes extended ripening time on the vine. Pale green-gold colour. Choose a single bottle for £12.99 or order six at £9.99 per bottle.
Tasting notes: a more delicate nose with aromas of ripe peach, exotic fruit and blossom. Moderate palate weight, with a fine balance of intense sweetness and acidic lift.
RedHeads Wine
Recommended by Julia Haycocks, Brand Manager at RedHeads Wine
Turkey & Goose: Harmonie Rox - Chardonnay
Harmonie Rox is a South Australian Chardonnay that pairs perfectly with a traditional turkey or goose Christmas dinner. One 75cl bottle costs £14.49 or £12.49 per bottle for 12 or more.
Tasting notes: Lifted white peach and nectarine characters with hints of mandarin. Medium palate weight, dry with a citrus mandarin finish.
Beef: Night of the Living Red - Durif, Shiraz, Touriga,
If you're having beef, Night of the Living Red pairs perfectly, a combination of Durif, Shiraz and Touriga. One 75cl bottle costs £23 or £20 per bottle when you purchase 12 or more.
Tasting notes: Rich and deep, dense, dark and moody, rich to its core. Dark blackberry fruit, mulberry and plum with dried rose petals, aniseed and mint spice notes.
Gammon: Coco Rôtie – Shiraz, Viognier
Perhaps this year you've decided on gammon for you Christmas dinner. If so, this Coco Rôtie shiraz is an ideal selection, costing £14.99 for a bottle or £13.49 when you order 12 bottles.
Tasting notes: Floral, lifted nose with apricot and spiced orange on the nose from the Viognier. Nice spice and choc-mocha, dark chocolate tannin coming through on the palate. Smooth silky tannins.
Dessert: Dogs of the Barossa Shiraz
When it's time for a sweet treat after for Christmas dinner, this shiraz pairs wonderfully. For a 75cl bottle of Dogs of the Barossa it's £33 or £27 if you purchase 12 bottles.
Tasting notes: Deep crimson to brick red in colour. Lifted deep, black fruit aromas with cedar spice. Tightly wound tannins gives this the ability to age for decades.
Cadman Wine
Recommended by James Reed, Cadman Fine Wines
Turkey: Domaine Bertrand Nuits-St-Georges 1er Cru En Rue de Chaux 2019
A Pinot Noir pairs perfectly with a festive turkey dinner, and this Domaine Bertrand Nuits-St-Georges 1er Cru En Rue de Chaux 2019 is a wonderful choice at £68 a bottle.
Beef: Chateau Duhart-Milon, 2018
Boasting a natural richness, this Chateau Duhart-Milon from Bordeaux is a fitting accompaniment to beef dishes. This is a lovely wine if you're looking for luxury this Christmas, priced at £80 per bottle.
Gammon: Domaine de Chevalier Blanc 2018
Another fine choice from Bordeaux, this Domain de Chevalier Blanc compliments perfectly with a Christmas dinner of gammon. Scoring highly amongst critics, this £99 per bottle wine is also ideal if you plan to save it for a Christmas 10 years from now.
Goose: Walter Massa Timorasso Derthona 2018
For fans of Italian wine, this recommendation is sure to please. If goose is on the menu this Christmas, why not pair it with a bottle of Walter Massa Timorasso Derthona. This 2018 wine is priced at £25, so why not order a few to keep the festivities going?
Dessert: Château Doisy-Daëne 2005
If you still have room for dessert, this 2005 Château Doisy-Daëne is a tasteful vintage choice at £38 per bottle, balancing both sweet and rich flavours.
The Oxford Wine Company
Recommended by Emily Silva, Head of Retail at The Oxford Wine Company
Turkey: Auntsfield Estate Single Vineyard Pinot Noir, Marlborough
Starting with the traditional choice, a turkey Christmas dinner pairs wonderfully with this Pinot Noir, priced at £25 per bottle. The ripe fruited palate will work beautifully with the range of flavours in a traditional Christmas Turkey spread, and the silky texture will be sure to please your guests.
Tasting notes: A soft, smooth wine with complex notes of red berries and toasty oak.
Beef: Château du Tertre ‘les Hauts du Tertre’ Margaux 2016
Sometimes only a true classic will do. This Margaux from Château du Tertre exhibits just why Bordeaux is one of the world’s most renowned wine regions. At £35 per bottle, this wine is a great option to add a touch of tradition and class to a Christmas roast of beef.
Tasting notes: a delicate perfume, cassis palate and cigar-box complexity.
Gammon: Château Pesquié Le Paradou Viognier, Ventoux
This viognier's unoaked style emphasises purity of fruit and freshness to create a deliciously easy-drinking style, making it an excellent foil to a rich dish of gammon. This offering is one of the more affordable wines, priced at £13.50 per bottle.
Tasting notes: balance of ripe nectarine and white peach notes with vibrant acidity.
Goose: Vina Alberdi Rioja Reserva, La Rioja Alta
A real crowd-pleaser with beautiful mixed berry fruit, aged to perfection in traditional oak barrels, this Rioja will pair beautifully with your Christmas goose at £21.50 per bottle.
Tasting notes: silky smooth with a medium body and soft, velvety tannins.
Dessert: Gonzalez Byass Noe 30 Year Old Pedro Ximenez
A sumptuously sweet sherry that just screams Christmas! At £24.50 a bottle, this thirty-year-old Pedro Ximenez is the perfect wine to add a little luxury to your Christmas pudding. Alternatively, try it as a fantastic accompaniment to Stilton cheese.
Tasting notes: flavours of figs, molasses and sweet spice.