Which wine to pair with Christmas turkey ?

As unmissable as the traditional Christmas log, turkey is an iconic dish of holiday meals ! Whether your turkey is stuffed with chestnuts, with foie gras or white pudding, you will need to pair it with the right wine to fully enjoy it.

Now is the time to put the famous Christmas turkey on the table. What wine to serve to do justice to your recipe cooked with so much care and love ?

Which wine to pair with turkey stuffed with chestnuts ?

Turkey with chestnuts is the most popular recipe for the Christmas holidays. Tender and fleshy, this recipe offers an aromatic richness allowing to drink a red wine with melted tanins. To fully enhance the flavor of chestnuts, fruity and spicy notes are a good solution.

You can easily look into the wines of the Rhone Valley with a Hermitage or a Côte-Rôtie. Generally more affordable, Syrah from Saint-Joseph will also do wonders with its spicy aromas ! Denser than capon or poularde, turkey supports Bordeaux wines of character, with melted tannins, like a Pomerol. A Lalande-de-Pomerol or a Graves-de-Vayres will be perfectly beautiful.

Since this is a festive meal, you can think of the Burgundy Grand Cru like Corton-Charlemagne or pommard, as well as all reasonably tannic red wines.

White wine lovers will not be left out. The flavors and textures of this dish will go wonderfully with a fatty and balanced white wine, like a Meursault or a Chablis Premier or Grand Cru.

What wine to serve with turkey and foie gras ?

Equally complex and aromatic, turkey with foie gras is also a typical dish of the Christmas holidays. The important richness of this dish requires a careful choice of the wine that will be paired with it. The idea is not to go ball in head on a soft wine only because there is foie gras ...

You can pair your foie gras stuffed turkey with a red wine with a certain acidity, such as a red wine from the Loire with the Chinon appellation.. Some of you are lovers of more powerful red wines. In that case, you can choose a Bordeaux wine from the Saint-Emilion appellation with fine and elegant tanins.

You can also choose an oxidative white wine from Jura ! The yellow wine will be perfect to pair this dish ... however, I invite you to suggest a second wine just in case because yellow wine is not appreciated by everyone. (Arbois, château-chalon or Etoile)

Which wine to pair with turkey with white pudding ?

As I often say : "If you have any doubts about which wine to choose, make color pairing". This simple rule is perfectly true here. The texture and flavour of the pudding blend perfectly with the freshness of a white wine. The refreshing aspect of a Chablis from Burgundy, a Pinot Blanc from Alsace or a Pouilly-Fumé from the Loire Valley will be magnificent. If you absolutely want a red wine, choose one that is very light and fruity with a hint of freshness. Don't be closed to a region or appellation. You can opt for a Beaujolais appellation Fleurie or Morgon. Juliénas is a red wine with crunchy fruit aromas that will work very well. It is also possible to choose a Pinot Noir from Burgundy or Alsace.

Jean-Nicolas Mouretin