Just as the task of ordering wine when dining with friends falls to me, the “expert”, so does the careful co-ordination of the Christmas drinks list.
My wife and I alternate annually between each side of our family and the decision about what to serve is usually a no-brainer.
I intimately know the drinking habits of close family members (hand a merlot to my mother-in-law and she’s in heaven, while my sister will drink moscato from dawn to dusk) and it’s usually easy to keep everyone happy.
Most family members are happy to stick with their favourite style of wine throughout the day regardless of how the wine matches the food that’s served – of course, there are the odd exceptions who are happy to slurp up whatever is put in front of them.
This year presents a new challenge – the extended families are coming together and I’ve got to cater the drinks for 34 thirsty people.
The hardest part about putting together this year’s drinks menu was working out just how much booze would be needed. It’s a day of excess, for sure, but it’s a fine line between merry and drunk, and the last thing I want is everyone falling asleep before the pudding goes up in flames. I reckon half a bottle per person should keep thirst at bay.
It’s going to be too hard to make sure everyone gets their favourite wines, so instead I’ll be concentrating on matching the food with wines that have a high drinkability factor. Real crowd-pleasers, just like the wines reviewed this week.
We’ll be kicking off with bubbles, which I’ll be watering down with some puréed peach – the classic Bellini – with a ratio of two parts wine to one part purée. It will give me the chance to stretch the volume out, too.
My wife’s side of the family has a tradition of eating prawns before sitting down to the main meal, and I’ll be pouring riesling to match “Daniel’s prawns” (don’t ask). I’ll also be pouring icy-cold fino sherry in an attempt to convert a few people to one of my favourite summer drinks.
There’s no oven big enough to cook turkey for this lot so the centrepiece is lamb on a spit, with sides of ham, roast pork and beef.
All that meat means there needs to be a spread of reds that have a good balance of flavour, tannin and acidity. Oh, and drinkability, too – there’s no point in serving cerebral wines that require contemplation on Christmas Day. Merlot will make an appearance – I have to stay on my mother-in-law’s good side.
I’ll know I’ve done my job if I hear someone say “that’s delicious”, or if there’s only one or two people asleep before the pudding has boiled.
Top read
Four years ago at Christmas I was given a book I’d never heard of, A Good Nose & Great Legs, written by Master of Wine Robert Geddes. I had never heard of him. Well, I now know the book intimately and have also had a drink with Geddes at the launch of another book he writes, the annual Gold Book of Australian Wine Vintages. A Good Nose & Great Legs is the book I refer to most often when I need to check facts – everything from viticulture, viniculture, marketing and history is explained in terms that are easy to read. The book has just been updated and released in time for Christmas and I can’t recommend it more enthusiastically – it’s the gift I’ve given more often than any other since the first edition came out in 2007. ($39.95, Murdoch Books)
Taste this
Tahbilk Shiraz 2008
(Nagambie Lakes)
$24.80; 14.5%
4/5
Tahbilk’s reds rarely disappoint, and the consistency continues with this release. It’s a wine of good personality and character, too. It’s packed with enticing aromas of blackberry, dark cherry, plum, eucalypt and liquorice. Ripe, rich flavours of dark berries, plum and spice liquorice aren’t too big and bold. Chunky tannins drive the flavour while bright acid keeps things light. There’s a good finish to this, too, with ripe dark-fruit flavours and liquorice.
Food match \ Rare roast beef
Katnook Estate Founders Block Merlot 2008
(Coonawarra)
$20; 13.5%
4/5
Good, cheap merlots are hard to find. Katnook’s Founders Block is one of the better second labels going and this merlot is a good ’un. The plums, rose, cedar oak, slight sappiness, mint and redcurrants on the nose are hallmark merlot aromas. Complex flavours of tart rhubarb, tobacco, black olive, mulberry, redcurrant and a touch of spice give the wine a high drinkability factor. It finishes bright with red fruits and a little bit of coffee-flavoured oak.
Food match \ Roast lamb
Yarrabank Cuvee 2007
(Yarra Valley)
$38; 13%
4.5/5
I’ve tried a load of local bubbles lately and this is up there in the top echelon. It has wonderful complexity on the nose and palate – lemon, wheat and white peach, with honeyed and toasty characters. Elegant flavours of white stonefruit, lemon, nuts and loads of spice get the blend of intensity and delicacy just right. It’s dry and refreshing, with seamless lemon-flavoured acidity and good mousse. There are lovely green-apple and zingy lemon flavours on an impressive finish.
Food match \ Oysters
Heartland Dolcetto & Lagrein 2010
(Langhorne Creek)
$22; 14%
4/5
Dolcetto is the sweet grape, but this is anything but a sweet wine. Alluring and complex are words that came to mind while tasting this. Black and red summer berries, lifted white pepper and cardamom spices, dried herbs and a touch of cedar oak on the nose. Crowd-pleasing sweet and savoury flavours of plum, blackberry, cherry and charcouterie have good intensity. It has a smooth texture, nice chewy tannins and a lengthy blood plum, berry and spice finish. This easy-drinking wine handled a light chill rather well.
Food match \ Weber-cooked pork shoulder
Love a bargain?
Chrismont Riesling 2011
(King Valley)
$16; 11.5%
4.5/5
I had the 2005 release recently and it was delightful – I can still taste it – and as soon as this came in it went straight to the fridge. It’s an exercise in subtlety with a floral bouquet of talc, blossom, honeysuckle, citrus and passionfruit. A real lemon-and-lime cordial flavour is intense and refreshing. There’s good balance here, with chalky acidity with a drying grip, balanced and subtle. The lemon-and-lime theme lingers on the excellent finish.
Food match \ Cold prawns
Follow Ben Thomas on Twitter at @senorthomas