My formula for a cracker Kiwi Christmas is to give a nod to ‘the old country’ but to use the best local produce and wines. Crackers are essential, a richly decorated Christmas tree is a must, smoked ham’s a good idea and even a little Christmas pud. Apart from that, ‘fresh and crunchy’ dominates my Christmas Day menu.
1 For an aperitif
Every dinner party host will agree that a glass of something refreshing on arrival is absolutely essential. Sparkling wine is a perfect choice. Pink sparkling wine is even better because it’s got the ‘Christmas factor’. You could pay $100-plus for a good rosé Champagne, but my advice is to buy Lindauer Rosé, $12 (on special) instead and spend the difference on really good Christmas crackers.
Lindauer Rosé is the perfect aperitif.
If you want to dress up the wine, drop a strawberry in each glass. The wine is crisp, refreshingly dry and flavoursome, with subtle, crushed strawberry characters. Best of all, it will go with just about any canapés you care to serve.
2 For your entrée
I like a little spice with the entrée, like Thai fish cakes or prawns with a sweet chilli dressing. They can be pre-prepared and deliver plenty of flavour without being too heavy. There’s a hint of underlying sweetness in both, so choose a wine that has a little sweetness but will taste less sweet with food. A good match is Dashwood Marlborough Pinot Gris 2016, $12 – it’s a soft and fruity crowd-pleaser.
Try the Dashwood Marlborough Pinot Gris or Nautilus Albariño Marlborough 2016 with your entrées.
A more adventurous option is Nautilus Albariño Marlborough 2016, $31. Albariño is a Spanish variety that I believe has a great future in this country. It’s a refreshing and quite textural dry white wine with sea air and citrus flavours.
3 For the main course
Ham off the bone served with a crunchy summer salad combines seasonal with sensible. I buy ham on the bone to be glazed and served hot on Christmas Day. It’s a little bit of work on the day, but the leftover ham provides a time-saving resource for the next week or two.
Akarua Rua Pinot Noir 2016 Central Otago pairs perfectly with ham on the bone.
Pinot noir is an obvious wine match. Choose a moderately light, crisp wine that can be slightly chilled to introduce a pleasing tactile and refreshing dimension. My favourite good value pinot noir is Akarua Rua Pinot Noir 2016 Central Otago, $25. The second label pinot noir made by this high-flying winery punches well above its weight and makes a great match with smoked ham.
4 For dessert
You might find that dessert is a course too far on Christmas Day, although there’s often always room for a good old Kiwi pavlova decorated with slices of kiwifruit. I like to finish the meal with fizz, in this case Gancia Asti Spumante, $18.
Gancia Asti Spumante is fizzy, thirst-quenching and perfect for dessert.
I have a special place in my heart for the thirst-quenching properties of a well-chilled Asti and I enjoyed more than a few glasses while camping in the town of Asti in northern Italy. It was mid-summer and very sticky but you could buy freezing cold Asti by the glass from a store near the campground. Asti is the world’s most thirst-quenching wine. Try it and see.
Feature photography by: Chris L Jones/bauersyndication.com.au
