Wine With Leslie: Christmas drinks selected for you
Leslie's Christmas drink selection this year is largely centred on affordable luxury and wines and spirits that are flavour focused and ‘spark joy’
For most of us, Christmas 2020 cannot come soon enough, many essential workers will hopefully get a break and those of us stuck at home can hopefully put away the laptop for a few days.
My selections for Christmas drinks this year are largely centred on affordable luxury and wines and spirits that are flavour focused and ‘spark joy’ as a certain Japanese wardrobe botherer might say.
For non drinkers there are more options than ever and quality is improving —but unfortunately, the removal of alcohol is always going to compromise taste and texture. I recommend the Leitz ‘Ein Zwei Zero’ range (JJ O’Driscolls, O’Donovans, Matsons, 1601, Vintry) or the recently introduced McGuigan Zero which can be found in Tesco and multiples. For beer, I’m not a fan of non-alcoholic pilsner as it lacks body so instead, I’d opt for Wicklow Wolf Hopped Ale or Yellowbelly Designated Driver Hopped Soda. My top non-alcoholic pick however is Stonewell Cider.
Bradleys, Matsons, O’Briens, No.21, Ardkeen, Drinkstore.ie, stonewellcider.com/shop/
Fermented slowly so naturally low ABV with any remaining alcohol removed through reverse osmosis. A little apple juice is added to create balance and a tart, crisp fruitiness that is a fine match for turkey and ham.
Champagne or good quality Cava or Prosecco is the one drink that suits every occasion; suitable for funerals and weddings, as an aperitif, for your starter, and the perfect match for gift giving. In my house, a good Cava or medium-priced Champagne is always opened with our late breakfast (we eat Christhmas dinner in late afternoon). If Mimosas are required go for supermarket €20 Champagne such as Aldi’s Veuve Monsigny and mix half-orange juice to half-fizz or as you prefer.
The good Champagne is opened with gift-giving and prior to dinner it is also served with our starter — a smoked salmon quiche from an old Sophie Grigson recipe (worth a Google). I chose this starter more than 20 years ago precisely because it matches Champagne — the biscuity flavours match the shortcrust pastry and the fizz and acidity cut through the richness of the salmon. Fizz also makes a great match for terrines or paté. Champagnes I particularly like include Roederer, Bollinger, Charles Heidsieck & Pol Roger. Piper Heidsieck (€55) and Tattinger (€40 in O’Briens) are my value picks.
If you are on a budget this year opt for Prosecco Frizzante as all full-fizz Spumante Prosecco is taxed at double rates like Cava and Champagne.
Mannings Emporium, Organico Bantry, Quay Co-Op, Vintry, Toons Bridge Shops, marypawlewines.com
This is my top pick: peachy and fresh with a citrus apple freshness.
Mannings Emporium, Clontarf Wines, Jus de Vine, Green Man Wine (greenmanwines.ie), Baggot St. Wines (baggotstreetwines.com)
Raventós is a family-owned producer in Penedés since at least 1497 with the 21st generation now in charge. Despite being instrumental in creating Cava they recently created their own DO ‘Conca del Riu Anoia’ exclusively for organic sparkling wines in their corner of Catalonia. This is packed with persistent tiny bubbles, aromas of creamy lemon and smoke, supple on the palate with lemon peel and crisp fresh lime mixed with shortcrust pastry with a saline note on the finish.
Turkey can be matched by a dozen different styles of wine but bright juicy Beaujolais and Pinot Noir are particularly good. If you are short of cash head to Aldi or Lidl who both have Pinot Noir under a tenner. If you can stretch a bit I’m recommending a couple of minimal intervention reds from small producers.
Bradleys, World Wide Wines, 64 Wines, Clontarf Wines, Green Man Wines, stationtostationwine.ie, Whelehans whelehanswines.ie
An appropriate wine for 2020 —‘The Curse’ — from a secluded 780m old-vine biodynamic & organic vineyard and named in tribute to the difficulty in getting there and working the vines between the cliffs and canyons. Despite the name, this is joyous — perfumed bright plum and blackberry fruits, supple and juicy. Buy two bottles!
JJ O’Driscolls, Bradleys, World Wide Wines, Greenman Wines, Le Caveau.ie
For anyone whose bank hasn’t been kind this difficult year — this wine is dedicated to bankers. Minimal interference, zero added sulphur this is fresh juicy and floral with delightful purity and pleasing soft fruits.
From picturesque Monterrei in Galicia, this is from the wonderfully expressive Godello grape which has great complexity for the low price, confit pear and apple fruits on the palate with a pleasing creamy texture balanced by acidity and stony freshness that can even cope with brussels sprouts.
Sweet things are good!
A complete steal, made from late harvest Sylvaner grapes grown in the Rhinessen sub-region of Bechtheim (near Worms).
Honey and lemon curd aromas which follow through on the palate but with a pleasing crisp lively freshness — perfect for crumbly mince pies, lighter puddings or with cheese.
You have to have a bottle of Port at Christmas (and all year round in my house).
This has been aged in old oak for an average of 10 years and has fine dried fig, sultana, and raisin flavours with a crisp finish. Serve cool with rich Christmas pudding for best results.
Widely available, SuperValu, O’Briens, Independents, John Lewis in Britain
I’ve never featured Coole Swan before and I should have. Made by the Brady family in Co Meath using just three ingredients — single malt Irish whiskey, Belgian white chocolate and fresh Irish cream, all of which sing from the glass and pop on the palate with the whiskey kicking through the cream and chocolate to provide balance. Delicious.
Given that we most likely used peat to malt barley originally we should embrace the new peated styles of Irish Whiskey.
This is bourbon and sauternes cask-aged and has creamy peat and honeyed spice aromas and a clean but punchy palate with lingering peat and apple syrup flavours.
