Pairing food with wine

Pairing wine with food always revolves around one principle; it should complement the key elements of the dish. Consider the sweetness, saltiness, acidity, and how light or heavy it is, as well as whether it includes rich sauces and pair your wines accordingly.

What to drink with Turkey

A roasted Turkey has been a Christmas staple for over a century, and it is usually filled with a rich stuffing containing such things as cranberries, chestnuts, pork meat and fresh herbs, all things that need to match the flavours of the wine.

A lighter, fruity red wine such as a Pinot Noir is an obvious choice, but a rich, aged Chardonnay is also a favourite, meaning that Burgundy wines come up trumps for both when looking at perfect pairings for Turkey. Another lighter red to consider would certainly be Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil from the Loire - made from 100% Cabernet Franc. It always features in my top wines for poultry of all kinds.

Otherwise look for well-aged wines that do not have pushy tannins and won't overwhelm the flavours of the food.

The well-aged rule works well for wines from Bordeaux, but I wouldn't discount a Côtes du Rhone either - as long as the wine has had a chance to mellow. The hints of herbs and spices could be a delicious match with a herb heavy stuffing, for example.

What not to drink with Turkey

I cannot imagine a world in which a it's ok to drink a Sauvignon Blanc with a hearty roast Turkey meal, and I'd say the same for any high acidity white wine - as I think it would be a shame for both - but I know there are people who wont contemplate richer, more full bodied whites, or who have it in for Chardonnay. In this case, do consider going for a lighter red perhaps rather than murdering a perfectly good white wine. Or think about some of the alternatives below.

Red wines to drink with Turkey

At the risk of being repetitive, Pinot Noir or a red wine from the Loire are my go-to wines for Turkey, but otherwise look for a good Bordeaux with a few years under its belt - such as a Saint Emilion Grand Cru - or for a slightly cheaper option, a Graves, from where the very first Clarets originated. If you have a rich, spicy style marinade or stuffing, go for a well-balanced Syrah - perhaps a Cotes du Rhone - but make sure it has well-integrated tannins that don't make a meal of the bird.

White Wines to drink with Turkey

The top white wine to pair with Turkey is an aged Chardonnay. This means the wine has spent a little bit of time in a barrel before being bottled. However, no taste of actual wood should remain, rather you should have a rich, very slightly vanilla body while still retaining lots of freshness. If you're a Chardonnay denier, look for other whites that offer a certain degree of richness and spice, such as a Gewurstraminer, or perhaps a really good Pinot Grigio, a Chenin Blanc or a Gruner - which tends to go with most things.

Can you drink Champagne with Turkey?

You can drink Champagne with anything.