Christmas day has come and gone, but the remnants of feasting remain. Whether it’s the family-favourite Turkey pie or a luxurious Risotto, finding the right wine to pair can help keep the joy of the season going. 

Festive foods are a mixture of flavours and textures, from sweet spice of Christmas Puddings to oily smoked salmon. Naturally, this can make pulling off the perfect wine pairing a challenge. Here is the Artelium guide to choosing the right wine to elevate your leftovers into a glorious post-Christmas feast. 

LIGHT & FRESH FOOD PAIRINGS

As you relax in the afterglow of Christmas day, you might fancy eating something a bit lighter. Luckily, the fridge likely contains a half-eaten Turkey and some offcuts of smoked salmon. Whether you are going to pull together a fresh salad with cold meats and smoked salmon you need a wine to bring out the best of these lighter flavours. 

One way to approach food and wine pairings is to think: what would I want to add as a condiment to this dish? If a squeeze of lemon juice would give the food a lift, then look no further than a lighter style of white wine. 

Sparkling wines are the perfect aperitif, but they also make for a great match with food as well. Especially Blanc de Noirs, which are crafted from black-skin grape varieties Pinot Noir and Meunier.

RICH & CREAMY DISHES

For those savouring something rich and yummy like a Turkey Risotto with winter greens or a Cheeseboard Macaroni, there are two pairing choices. Matching food and wines is all about balance. It could be that a wine accentuates the flavours of the food through being an opposite, or by building on the flavours.

CURRY & SPICED RECIPES

After the traditional flavours of Christmas Day, many of us like to turn to Curry or other Asian n recipes to spice up the seasonal leftovers. Pairing with richly flavoured dishes and spicy dishes can be daunting; delicate wines can be overwhelmed by the favours of the food, and tannic wines can accentuate spice.  

Here are a few wine pairings from the Artelium range that work well: