Best Christmas Wines To Serve And Gift
Choose The Perfect Wines For The Christmas Festive Season!
The perfect wine pairing makes any meal more special. And for a festive Christmas lunch with friends or Christmas dinner with family, selecting the best bottle of wine to serve will add the perfect finishing touch to a wonderful day.
With hot days and warm nights, refreshing white wines and easy drinking reds are often the order of the day. For a little fun, you can add a refreshing twist to your wine menu with Christmas cocktails. During the festive season, choose good Christmas wines and sparkling champagne options, which are great for celebrating while keeping you cool. Whether you're planning a daytime event or an evening party, you can sample a glass or two to keep your spirits soaring.
To help you pair the right wines with every Christmas menu, we have suggestions and recommendations for what to drink with Christmas ham, prawns, desserts, and more. We’ve been exploring sumptuous Christmas food pairings, wine gift packs full of cheer, and delicious Christmas wine cocktails to get the party started!
The Best Wine Pairings For Christmas Dinner
Which wine goes with Christmas dinner? When you're making plans for the big day, you can simply choose a good red wine for Christmas dinner that's easy to drink and goes with everything. But to make sure you cater to all tastes and really make the most of every course on the Christmas menu, it can be fun to pair your wines with classic Australian Christmas courses, so they complement them perfectly.
The best wine to serve with glazed ham
As the Christmas lunch menu centrepiece, nothing beats a good glazed ham. You want to choose the right wine to serve to balance the saltiness of the ham and the fruity Christmas glaze. A sweet or spiced glazed ham needs a rich red wine like a GSM or pinot noir to handle the pronounced flavours. If your catering to a crowd for Christmas lunch, or simply want several wine options to serve, a French Reds Wine Pack offers a selection of bold reds that pair perfectly for a traditional Christmas lunch. Reisling and rosé also complement sweeter ham glazes. If you're serving a cold sliced ham, a Sauvignon Blanc or full-bodied white like a viognier is what you need.
The best wine to serve with chicken or turkey
Wines to pair with traditional Christmas turkey or chicken dishes are more varied. If you're serving a Christmas roast with crispy skin and cranberry sauce, we love a robust shiraz or cabernet sauvignon to bring out the meat’s richness. For a lighter meal in the heat of the day, sliced chicken and roast vegetables paired with white wine is a popular choice. Chardonnay and sauvignon blanc are two good white wines for a cold Christmas lunch. If you don't know which your guests will prefer, opt for a premium wine duo with red and white wine for Christmas dinner drinks everyone will love.
Best wine to drink with seafood
Lobster, prawns, and fresh shellfish platters go well with white wine variants like Pinot Grigio or even champagne. A glass of chardonnay also brings out the tenderness of the flesh. How you cook your prawns will determine the best wine pairing. For prawn cocktails, bring out a bottle of chilled pinot grigio, and for garlic prawns, a sauvignon blanc or Italian fiano is a great choice. Got something spicier? Mellow out the flavours with a sweet yet dry gewurztraminer. For wine to serve with oysters, we love the Brown Brothers sparkling white with a unique blend of pinot noir, chardonnay & pinot meunier cool climate fruits for the perfect summer celebration.
What wine to drink with dessert
You can complement a pavlova perfectly by choosing a wine that is equally light, sweet, and sparkling. For a lavish dessert, choose Moët & Chandon's Rosé Imperial champagne. For a more casual Christmas dessert wine pairing, Australia's finest sparkling Rosé by Brown Brothers is a perfect choice - it's also a favourite for a good wine gift for Christmas with a branded gift box and cooler bag. A sweet late harvest riesling or sémillon are also great options to pair with dessert to keep things fresh and light.
Best dessert wine for Christmas pudding
Wine pairings for rich Christmas plum puddings or fruit mince pies should be equally bold and jammy. Australian shiraz, especially a fruity Barossa shiraz, is ideal. If you'll be enjoying a late evening after-dinner tipple, a fortified wine or the generous Penfold's Father Grand Tawny Port is wonderful to share. Another good dessert wine for Christmas pudding is the sweet and dark Rutherglen muscat or choose an Australian dessert wine from an estate like Trentham.
6 Divine Aussie Christmas Wine Cocktails Ideas
If you think wine doesn't give you many options with serving party cocktails, then think again. As a change from welcoming guests with Christmas wine mulled, there are plenty of ways to keep the heat at bay. Here are just some popular cocktails to give you an idea of the exciting possibilities:
Aperol Spritz
For an aperitif, this drink is both appealing and refreshing. Mixed in a 3:2:1 ratio, all you need is some extremely chilled sparkling white wine, Aperol and soda water. To make the moment even more stylish, use high-quality champagne. Spritzers also taste wonderful with red or rosé wine.
Summer Sangria
For this, you need a fresh, juicy orange and lemon. Add these to a generous amount of chilled brandy, lemonade and your favourite red wine. Toss in a few ice cubes, and you're good to go. For a different take, you can try the recipe using white or rosé wine and even freeze it!
Classic Champagne Cocktail
For something chic, add Angostura bitters, brandy or cognac to your chilled champagne. Dress with Maraschino cherries or orange or lemon twists. For a classic delight and added sweetness, drop a sugar cube in the glass when serving to make the drink bubble even more!
New York Sour
Get a beautifully layered drink with this twist on a classic whiskey sour. Start by mixing some bourbon, maple or simple syrup, and lemon juice with ice cubes in a shaker. Once cold, strain the liquid and carefully pour some dry red wine on the top to form a second colourful layer.
Sparkling Strawberry Punch
No garnish is necessary for this cocktail since summer fruits take centre stage in every glass. You'll need some sliced strawberries, sliced lemons and a few mint leaves. Add these to a jug filled with soda water, a smooth liqueur of your choosing, and chilled sparkling white wine.
Frosé
The star of the Christmas show could well be this delicious frozen slushy cocktail. Made using fresh strawberries, lemon juice and maple syrup or honey, you add some full-bodied, dark rosé. You'll need to make this at least 6 hours in advance, so it has enough time to freeze!
One-Of-A-Kind Christmas Wine Gift Pack Ideas
Wine is always a great go-to present idea, and since it’s the perfect season, surprise someone you love. What is a really good wine for a gift? Depending on what they like to drink, their tastes and personality, your choices of wine for Christmas gifts are numerous. You can also pair your bottle of wine with other accessories or gifts for wine lovers if you want something they'll use long after Christmas is over. For more gifing inspiration, view our full range of Christmas gifts online. And, of course, our range of wine hampers are available all year round.
For connoisseurs - if you know someone who’s a wine buff, then go big with your gift. Get them a hamper or wine gift pack filled with some of their preferred wine options so they can taste the day away. You could also add a natural wine preserver to help keep their opened bottles from oxidizing.
For fun drinkers - choose a perfect pair of red and white wine and add a few novelty wine-themed gifts to the mix. You could even treat them to a bottomless glass which they can screw onto their favourite bottle; then, they don’t have to spend time refilling their glass!
For total foodies - not all of us are wine pairing experts. Instead of wondering which wines go well with sweet treats or chocolates, go for a hamper that comes with both. You’ll find savoury snacks and gourmet foods, too, all with the wine pairing done for you to perfection.
For some R&R - wine isn't just for celebrating; it's also a great option for winding down after a long, hard day. The best gifts to pair with wine for Christmas holidays are wine holders or picnic accessories, with some decadent and pampering goodies added for good measure and total relaxation.
For bubble lovers - Christmas isn’t complete without some festive fizz and popping corks. Whether it’s a sparkling white or rosé, it’s always a treat to receive. For a touch of extra luxury, try a unique bottle of fruity Chandon Spritz or a classic and elegant Moet Ice Imperial.
