My Guardian Christmas wine recommendations
By recipe and by retailer
My main Christmas wine recommendations this year were attached to the other Guardian Feast contributors’ recipes. You might have missed them if you didn’t come across the recipe online, so here’s the whole list with a suggestion under £10 and over £10 for each recipe.
I’ve also listed the recommendations again below under each retailer along with an idea of other dishes it would go with to make life a bit easier for you at this busy time of year. There were also a couple of recipes for which I provided pairings for which didn’t appear online so I’ve added the wines for those too.
More in the Guardian over the next couple of weeks - online on Friday afternoon and in print in Feast if you buy the paper on Saturday - including Christmas Eve if you like to take it to the wire.Â
BY RECIPE
Ottolenghi’s Yaji spiced spatchcock chicken with parsnipsÂ
Under £10: Specially Selected French Roussanne 2022 13% £7.99 Aldi Â
Newly released, lush pineappley Rhône white that would work really well with this dish.Â
Over £10: Chateauneuf du Pape Les Paroisses 2021 14% £14.99 Lidl
If you want a showy bottle to put on the table it’s hard to beat Chateauneuf-du-Pape. It can handle a bit of spice too.Â
Tommi Miers’ celeriac beetroot remoulade with smoked trout
Under £10: Shhh … it’s riesling 2021, Mosel 11.5% £6.25 Co-op
Relatively dry (for Mosel) riesling with an attractive touch of sweetness. Perfect for this kind of dish.
Over £10: Kerner Kellerei Kurtatasch Alto Adige 2021 13.5% £17.75 Haynes Hanson & Clark or £15.75 if you buy a case of six
Gorgeous, fresh Alpine white with a beguilingly smoky character. (Kerner is the grape variety)
Rachel Roddy’s Tortellini in Brodo
Under £10: Marks & Spencer Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico 2021 13% + on offer at £6.50 at Ocado
Clean, crisp, bone dry, not overly fruity - ideal with this delicate dish
Over £10: Sassomoro Lambrusco di Modena Castelvetro 11% £15.95 Great Wine Co or £14.36 on a multibuy
Wild, frothy red lambrusco is apparently the classic pairing for tortellini in brodo, according to Rachel - even splashed into the broth. I’d prefer it with a turkey sarnie myself but give it a try
Rachel’s Timballo with mushrooms
Under £10: Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore 2019 14% £7.99 LidlÂ
Smartly bottled Valpol which would look good on the Christmas table.
Over £10: E.H. Booth & Co Barolo 2017 14% £19
Exceptionally elegant own-label Barolo, perfect for the timballo. (Aldi’s and Majestic’s own label, while not in the same class are decent too)Â
Meera Sodha’s whole roast cauliflower and nut pilaf
Under £10: Little Pomona Table cider 7% £9.50 littlepomona.com or 3 for £27 finecider.com
Cider is such an underrated pairing for food and this would be great with this pilau
Chateau de Berne ‘Inspiration’ Rosé 2021 Côtes de Provence £16.99 or £14.99 on a mix six deal at Majestic
Classic pale smooth Provence rosé which would go well with gently spiced food like this. Also available in magnum which would be fun.
Felicity Cloake’s Nutloaf
Under £10: Opinor Touriga Nacional 2021, South Africa 14.5% £7.99 Lidl wine tour
Big, hearty spicy red and a total bargain.
Over £10: Chateau Tour du Pas Saint-Georges 2017 Saint-Emilion 14% £15 selected Co-op stores
Nuts can be as good a foil as beef for a mature Bordeaux. Classy stuff
Felicity Cloake’s perfect ham
Undere £10: Morrisons The Best Dao 2021 13% £9
Enjoyably ripe, supple Portuguese red that could take some big flavours in its stride
Over £10: Taste the Difference Chateau de Pierreux Reserve du Château Brouilly 2020 14.5% £15 Sainsbury’s (out of stock online)
Beaujolais is great with ham. A lush, ripe generous Brouilly from the warm 2020 vintage
Olia Hercules Caramelised cabbage stuffed with mushrooms, onions and chestnuts
Under £10: Chateau Guiot 2019 Costières de Nîmes 13.5% £9.99 or £7.99 on a mix six deal at Majestic
Warm, generous Côtes du Rhône-like red - not certified organic but taking a minimal intervention approach.
Over £10 Monsant Comunica La Pua Blanco Celler Comunica 2019 13.5% £17.37 Les Caves de Pyrène, £19 The Good Wine Shop Orange wine would be a terrific pairing with this dish and this deeply coloured Spanish white garnacha is a great example
Tom Hunt’s roast potato tortilla
Under £10 Tesco finest fino sherry £6.50 a half bottle
It’s well worth keeping a bottle of chilled fino in the fridge for just such an eventuality as a roast potato tortilla and whatever other tapas you want to serve with it.
Over £10: Scala Dei El Tribut 2021 13.5% £16.50 Booths, £17.45 Vinum
A youthful Priorat, brimming with fruit. Not cheap but sometimes it’s good to make the wine the hero
Ravneet Gill’s Christmas chocolate and caramel mousse `
Under £10: Specially Selected 8 year old muscat dessert wine, Riverina NSW Australia 18% Aldi £9.99 37.5%
This wine has lashings of treacle toffee flavours which echo those of this wickedly indulgent dessert.
Over £10: Penfolds Father Grand Tawny 10 year old 18% £22.99 Fraziers £24.99 or £19.99 on a mixed six deal, Majestic, £25 TescoÂ
Australia’s answer to tawny port. Rich, spicy and warming.
BY RETAILER
Aldi
Specially Selected French Roussanne £7.99
Pork casseroles and stews, baked celeriac
Specially Selected 8 year old muscat dessert wine, Riverina NSW Australia £9.99 a half bottle
Christmas pudding and cake
Booths
E.H. Booth & Co Barolo 2017 £19
Game, especially partridge and pheasant. Mushroom risotto
Scala Dei El Tribut 2021 £16.50 £17.45 Vinum
Braised ox cheek, venison
Co-opÂ
Shhh … it’s riesling 2021, Mosel £6.25
Other smoked fish, including smoked salmon. Stir fries. southeast Asian—style salads
Chateau Tour du Pas Saint-Georges 2017 Saint-Emilion £15
Roast beef, beef Wellington, roast lamb
Lidl
Chateauneuf du Pape Les Paroisses 2021 £14.99
Roast turkeyÂ
Opinor Touriga Nacional 2021, South Africa £7.99
Chilli, ribs, winter barbecue
Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore 2019 £7.99
Hearty pasta bakes
Other wine recommendations from Lidl
Majestic
Chateau de Berne ‘Inspiration’ Rosé 2021 Côtes de Provence £16.99 or £14.99 on a mix six deal
Mezze, dips, salads
Chateau Guiot 2019 Costières de Nîmes £9.99 or £7.99 on a mix six deal
Beef, aubergine or mushroom-based stews
Chateau Ste Michelle Chardonnay 2020 Columbia Valley 14% £16.99 or 14.99 on a mix six deal
A big, rich, full-bodied but not overpowering chardonnay from Washington State - paired with a parsnip dauphinoise but would go with the turkey too.
Penfolds Father Grand Tawny 10 year old £24.99 or £19.99 on a mixed six deal
Christmas pudding and Christmas cake
Marks & SpencerÂ
Marks & Spencer Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico 2021 £6.50 at Ocado Antipasti, dips, pasta with a creamy or seafood sauce
MorrisonsÂ
Morrisons The Best Dao 2021 £9
Another hearty red for casseroles, stews etc
Sainsbury’sÂ
Taste the Difference Chateau de Pierreux Reserve du Château Brouilly 2020 £15Â
Perfect Boxing Day wine with cold ham and turkey
More wine buys from Sainsbury’s
Tesco
Tesco finest fino sherry £6.50 a half bottle
Tapas, especially nuts and olives
See also these wine buys from Waitrose
INDIES
Great Wine CoÂ
Sassomoro Lambrusco di Modena Castelvetro £15.95 Great Wine Co or £14.36 on a multibuy
Alternative match for Boxing Day cold cuts or a turkey sarnie
Haynes, Hanson & Clark
Kerner Kellerei Kurtatasch Alto Adige 2021 13.5% £17.75 or £15.75 if you buy a case of six
Baked camembert or Vacherin
Les Caves de Pyrene
Monsant Comunica La Pua Blanco Celler Comunica 2019 13.5% £17.37 Les Caves de Pyrène, £19 The Good Wine Shop
(Orange wine) Great with aubergine and bitter greens
Little Pomona
Little Pomona Table cider £9.50 littlepomona.com
Good all-rounder, especially with ham, chicken and cold turkey
Kernel breweryÂ
Kernel Export India Porter £3.20
Paired with a parsnip and chicken dauphinoise but would be great with a rich beef stew
If you’d like more wine recommendations sign up for a paid subscription from only £4 a month