Natural Swill’s Top 3 Grape Varieties For Christmas
Whether you like it or not, Christmas is just around the corner and that means one thing – it’s time to buy your wine online ASAP.
On Christmas Day especially, you want a bottle of wine that will not only deliver on satisfaction levels but one that pleases the crowd at your dinner table, much like that preciously plucked turkey your looking at buying too!
Now consider what’s going to be on your festively decorated table…the Christmas standards – roasted meats and hearty, well-seasoned veggies like carrots, parsnips and potatoes just to name a few.
You’re going to need the right bottle of natural wine to match up with these heavy dishes.
Something that’s got a bit of oomph to it’s body, something that will work well with all that seasonal winter veg.
Medium bodied grapes like Pinot Noir, Merlot and Pinot Gris are my ideal varieties to have around your Christmas dinner table and here’s why ;
Pinot Noir
This is a blue-skinned grape variety that packs a light fruity, flavoursome punch. Whether it’s Christmas dinners or Summer BBQ’s, a glass of Pinot Noir pairs well with all types of food.
Pinot Noir is a diverse grape type that can grow in various weather conditions, from the sunny hills in South Australia to the wet vineyards here in the UK.
Bottom line, you will not fail to impress your guests with a bottle of natural Pinot Noir on Christmas Day.
Pinot Gris
A much better alternative to sit next to your Christmas dinner as opposed to it’s Italian brother – Pinot Grigio.
Pinot Gris is the end result of winemakers leaving their ‘Pinot Grigio’ grapes on vine for longer than usual allowing the grapes to get much riper which effects the sugar levels, the taste and appearance of the wine, which can sometimes resemble a bronze looking Zinfandel you might find in California.
All of these factors including a minimal intervention lifestyle in the cellar combine together to create a somewhat creamy Pinot Gris that has a fuller-body.
This is a white wine that will pair outstandingly with any dish on your dinner table this Christmas.
Merlot
Merlot is one of the worlds most favoured red wines simply down to its adaptability to grow in all types of winemaking regions. It’s dry, super fruit-focused, medium to fuller bodied and pairs with just about everything.
(except chocolate, wine does not pair with chocolate).
Merlot can be made in a range of different styles and prices making it a true wine for the people.
You want a wine this Christmas that’s light and sharp? Merlot from Columbia Valley in the U.S can do that. You want a wine that’s smooth and textured for the dinner table this year? Most French Merlot’s can fill that void for you!
Like I said, Merlot is a wine for the people of all palette types and you’d be foolish not to have it on your shelf this Christmas.
Enjoy Your Christmas With The Right Wine
These grape varieties are a must for you this Christmas for many reasons, Pinot Noir for its flavoursome, fruity profile. The Pinot Gris has to be on the table if you’re going to have a white wine that doesn’t taste like freshly squeezed lemon juice, got to be the Pinot Gris, it’s just so much more interesting than the rest. And the Merlot down to its diverse background, accessibility and crowd pleasing features.
If all three grape types listed here today do not resonate with you as a wine drinker, please get in contact with me and express your desires.
