BIRMINGHAM WINE WEEKEND
THE JOURNAL
The Ultimate Christmas Wine List
With Christmas just around the corner we caught up with our three favourite wine merchants in Birmingham to get their recommendations on the perfect pairings for some popular festive dishes. So, if you’ve been wondering what to serve with that turkey dinner or if you’re desperate to crack that cheese board pairing – look no further…
Our first recommendation comes from new venue on the block, Vagabond. We caught up with their wine maker, Jose Quintana and asked him to give us the perfect start to our Christmas dinner – the ultimate wine to pair with a classic prawn cocktail starter. Here’s what he recommended:
JOSE QUINTANA
Winemaker, VAGABOND
Vagabond Winery, Bacchus 2019
‘A crisp, zesty aromatic white wine. Refreshing acidity with citrus and floral characteristics that pair perfectly with seafood so would compliment a prawn cocktail starter. Made in our own urban winery here in Vagabond at Battersea Power Station with grapes from Oxfordshire, the wine is fermented cool to retain freshness and purity and aged on lees to add texture and depth.’
For the main event (the all important turkey dinner), we asked Chris Connolly of Connolly’s Wine Merchants to give us a couple of options, one red and one white.
Chris’ red wine recommendation is:
Chris Connolly
Connolly’s Wines
47N, Bourgogne Pinot Noir, Cuvée Speciale, Marchand Tawse 2018
‘It’s a truth universally acknowledged, that turkeys, having lost the vote vis-à-vis Christmas, would, on reflection, choose to spend their final, triumphal moments in the company of decent red Burgundy ahead of almost any other wine. Alternative Pinot Noirs may well challenge said primacy from time to time but, when it comes down to it, the fresh, cleansing acidity, lighter tannins and gorgeous, bright red fruit flavours that Burgundy offers are the perfect foil to the more delicate flavours of turkey. The only problem for most of us are the eye-watering prices sought for the region’s more famous labels which is what makes this such a steal. Sourcing tiny parcels of wine – a barrel here, half a barrel there – volumes that are not necessarily commercially viable, Pascal Marchand has blended a wonderfully characterful wine that positively screams Burgundy but which remains accessible and affordable.’
Not for you? Well here’s an alternative if you fancy trying something a little different:
Neuburger Exempel, Andreas Gsellmann 2016
‘This is a slightly more left-field suggestion but one which I really love and which will be fabulous with turkey. Neuburger is one of Austria’s more obscure grapes and is frequently used to make sweeter wines but here, in the hands of Andreas Gsellmann, it is vinified as a drier style altogether; given 7 days of skin contact which adds texture and a slight tannic edge but little in terms of colour (a less than orange, orange wine if you like) it then spends 9 months in large oak barrels to add a little more weight and, in the words of Andreas, “energy.” We’ve been working with Andreas and his father Hans since the early part of the century and have seen the transformation as Andreas has gradually taken over wine-making responsibilities, transitioning to Biodynamic methods of viticulture, broadening the range and coming up with leaps of faith such as this which really offers a completely new and different flavour profile.’
Around this time of the year, we often get asked for recommendations of a great sparkling wine for a celebratory toast. For this one we caught up with Paul Creamer at Loki Wine:
PAUL CREAMER
Loki Wine
Paul sent us in the direction of
Champagne Pierre Paillard, ‘Les Parcelles’ Bouzy Grand Cru XVI
‘This stunning new find has taken the whole Loki team and a good number of our customers by storm. This is without doubt the best new Champagne we’ve found over the last few years. It is produced from a blend of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay, grown on cool North facing sites. The wine is brisk and refreshing, with a gorgeous texture and aromas of red apples.’
Paul is declaring this ‘quite possibly the best sub £40 Champagne’.
Whilst you’re there, you might want to bag Paul’s perfect pairing for the Christmas pudding…
Domaine Viranel ‘Gourmandise’
‘This French Vin de Liqueur is produced in the Saint-Chinian appellation and is bursting with aromas of baking spices and dried fruit. It quite literally tastes like Christmas pudding in a glass. It’s produced from a grape called Alicante Bouschet, which is unusual for the fact it has a red pulp as well as skin. It’s also 17.5% which should help the festive cheer along nicely!’
Now we’re certainly not going to tell you which order to serve your courses in but we will finish with a wine that Jose Quintana at Vagabond recommended to us as the perfect accompaniment to your cheese board.
Familie Mantler Blutenreich Zweigelt 2019
‘Invigoratingly fruity with bursting aromas of elderberry and fresh raspberries, this classic Zweigelt is framed with good acidity and structure which makes it an excellent and versatile companion to a Christmas cheese board. Juicy berry fruits matching creamy goats and bries while being intense and heavy-weight enough to stand up to the stronger cheddars and blues.’