Taking a gander at 'sauces' for the goose

Dec 12 2008 by Helen Savage, The Journal

IF everyone chose turkey for Christmas dinner, my job would be easy. I could recommend almost anything.

So it’s up to you. All I would have to do is to suggest some of the best buys this year, of which there are more than ever.

But of course, you might prefer fish, or beef, venison, goose or ham. You might be planning a vegetarian or vegan feast. So I thought the best thing I could do would be to recommend a few wines that might go with each of the main possibilities – and, if like us, you’re sticking with turkey, you can take your pick from the whole lot.

You don’t need to serve only dry white with fish. Salmon and many other oily fish are great with rosé or light red, served slightly chilled. Monkfish too can be delicious with red wine. The only rule is that it’s best not to allow one flavour to be drowned out by another. So the adventurous fishy choice might be a light red Pinot Noir that’s fruity and not very tannic – for example, the light, cherry-scented, gently spicy fruit of Blason de Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2007 (£5.99 to £6.99 at Tesco, Asda, the Co-op and Somerfield).

With shellfish and smoked salmon Saint-Bris, the only Sauvignon Blanc made in Burgundy would be great. Simmonet-Febre’s 2007 Saint Bris (£7.99 or £6.49 if you buy two) has a fragrant blackcurrant leaf smell and is dry, crisply refreshing and with a mineral finish.

For fancy fish in a creamy sauce, go for a classic Chardonnay. Montes’s ‘Alpha’ Chardonnay 2006 (£10.99 from Majestic, Tesco and Morrisons) has subtle, ripe, lemon and peachy fruit, with toasty oak, more apparent on the aftertaste than the smell. Or if you don’t like oak, try Blason de Bourgogne’s excellent Saint-Véran 2007 (£9.99 from Tesco or Waitrose). It’s quite rich and nutty, but balanced by apple-like acidity.

There are some who reckon goose is best with a slightly sweet white, in which case try a Pinot Gris from Alsace. I prefer red and would plump for a big-boned Burgundy. Majestic’s Gevrey-Chambertin 1999, from Louis Chave is a gem of a find at £12.99, with its scent of ripe black fruits, raspberries and cherries. Petaluma Shiraz (£17.99 at Majestic, or £14.99 if you buy two) knocked my socks off with its layers of ripe, concentrated brambly, black cherry fruit. It would be splendid with any red meat.

Top red Rioja represents superb value for money and would also be perfect with beef or game. Majestic have an exemplary selection. Try Cune’s classic Viña Real, Gran Reserva 1999 (£19.99) – rich, complex and lingering. If your budget won’t stretch that far, try Rioja JME Selección 2006 (£5.98 at Asda), which has up-front plummy, brambly fruit.

With ham, a Rioja from the same winery – Muriel, Crianza 2004 (£5.99 at Sainsbury’s), which has a more traditional vanilla and strawberry flavour would do the trick, as would an off dry white. Majestic have come up trumps again with Dr Hermann’s Erdener Treppchen Riesling Auslese 1994 (£8.99 or £7.99 if you buy two). Its balance of candied lemon fruit and crisp acidity is near perfect.

Vegetable-based dishes pose a lot of problems for wine. A white wine would be a more reliable bet, but so might be a light rosé. The excellent strawberry scented Chivite Gran Feudo Rosado 2007 from northern Spain (£5.99 at Waitrose) tops the bill along with Muga’s superb pink Rioja (£8.49 at Majestic, or £6.99 if you buy two). These two would also be good with spicy dishes.

When it comes to cheese, stick to the white or the pink, or try a good sherry. Alternatively, join me in a glass of sweet white, most of which is far better with cheese than as a “dessert” wine.

The problem with puddings, especially Christmas pud, is that if sweeter than the wine served with them, the poor old wine will seem less sweet than it really is. I tried Kendermann’s Beerenauslese (£7.99 at Tesco), which is rich and honeyed with a sweet butterscotch flavour.

Wine of the Week

Domaine Sainte Rose, 'La Garrigue' 2005, Majestic, £6.99, or £5.99 if you buy two

Deep, full-bodied red from Languedoc made by expat Brits Charles and Ruth Simpson. It has bags of rich, herby black fruit with licorice, underpinned by silky tannins. Great with red meat or game.

New book

A BOOK that would make great present is Beverley Blanning's Choose the Right Wine, published by Teach Yourself. At £9.99 it's a comprehensive guide to the world of wine. Not only is it beautifully written and keenly observed, it's also packed with sound advice. I particularly like her section on "understanding your own taste", in which she helps you learn: "How to tell if you are a ‘supertaster’ and how your senses can fool you."