Your guide to the perfect wine pairings for Christmas Day

Christmas feasting is basically an endurance sport disguised as a family (or close friends) gathering — and choosing the right wine can be the difference between feeling smugly triumphant or quietly retreating to the patio with a bowl of trifle.

So, in the spirit of festive generosity, here’s your no-nonsense, fabulously curated guide to what to pour from breakfast through to the moment someone opens the fridge and says, “Is there any cheese left?”

Sip strategically, my friends.

Christmas Morning (Breakfast)

Blanc de Blancs Sparkling / Sparkling Shiraz
Start as you mean to continue: joyfully. A dry, citrus-bright Blanc de Blancs is sensational with smoked salmon, eggs and buttery pastries. And if you prefer something richer, Sparkling Shiraz is the festive hero you never knew your bacon and eggs needed.

Grazing & Snacks

Dry Rosé / Gamay
It’s barely midday and the grazing board has already been demolished twice. A crisp, savoury rosé cuts through salty snacks like a pro, while juicy, chilled Gamay handles olives, charcuterie and “just one more cracker” with ease.

Seafood (prawns, oysters & chilled platters)

Albariño / Vermentino
Both of these whites are basically summer in a glass. Albariño brings citrus and gentle salinity for prawns and scallops, while zesty Vermentino is superb with oysters and anything that once lived happily in the sea.

Roast Turkey with All the Trimmings

Pinot Noir / Fiano
For turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce, Pinot Noir is your elegant red of choice: soft tannins, bright fruit, nothing overwhelming. Prefer a white? Fiano’s texture and savoury lift complement herb-laden sides and roast veg beautifully.

Glazed Ham

Grenache / Gewürztraminer
Grenache brings red-berry brightness and gentle spice that loves the sweet-savory glory of glazed ham. Gewürztraminer, with its aromatic charm, pairs wonderfully with honeyed, clove-scented festive flavours.

Vegetarian & Vegan Christmas Fare

Grüner Veltliner / Skin-Contact White (Orange Wine)
Grüner’s trademark freshness and peppery lift make it brilliant with herb-driven veg dishes, salads and lighter mains. A light, aromatic skin-contact white adds gorgeous texture for mushrooms, grains and nut roasts.

Pavlova

Late Harvest Riesling / Moscato
Pavlova deserves wines that adore sweetness, fruit and cream — and these two deliver. Late harvest Riesling offers citrusy sweetness that lifts meringue and berries, while Moscato’s floral, low-alcohol charm is pure dessert magic.

Cheese Board

Botrytis Semillon / Chardonnay
Botrytis Semillon brings honeyed richness that flatters a well-chosen cheese spread. Prefer something dry? A beautifully made Chardonnay — with citrus, stonefruit and gentle oak — is glorious with creamy or hard styles alike.

The Final Festive Sip

Christmas can be chaotic — relatives, weather, culinary dramas, that one person who announces they’re “not drinking today” and then changes their mind. But with the right wines at the right moments, the whole day suddenly feels… well, fabulous.

So pour generously, pair joyfully and remember: there is no such thing as too much pavlova, only too little wine!