Well, we have 13 days until Christmas and the staff parties are happening in full force. Along with staff functions, this is time when we host dinner parties with friends and relatives who we’ve been out-of-touch with. Probably the easiest dinner party to have is one that is casual, appetizer focused making it easier to choose wines and more importantly, socialize with our friends. Just purchase a selection of some of your favourite wines.

Over the year, I have listed many wines that you could choose from. To re-cap, here are just a few without tasting notes. Those you can look up yourself.

• 2006 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Schlossberg Auslese Riesling ($120)
• NV Blue Mountain Brut ($30)
• 2010 Masi Passo Doble ($17)
• 2011 Viña Chocalán Sauvignon Blanc ($16)
• 2007 Graham Beck Shiraz ($16)
• 2010 Meyer Pinot Noir ($29)
• 2010 Orofino Pinot Noir ($38)
• 2007 Saint Prefert Châteauneuf-du-Pape ($66)

The basic food-pairing guide that assists us throughout the year also works when deciding which wines are best suited to Christmas fare.

Select light-bodied wines to pair with lighter-styled food and fuller-bodied wines with heartier, more flavourful dishes. A Pinot Noir works beautifully with salmon because you are matching a lighter food to a light wine.

One of the main considerations when pairing wines with food is to think about how the meal is going to be prepared. Look at whatever sauce is use, any seasonings or what the principal flavour of the dish is.

It is always great to start Christmas day with a bubble, and a perfect choice is the NV Cuvee Jean Louis Blanc de Blanc ($15).  A blend of Chenin Blanc, Ugni Blanc and various other grapes from the Loire Valley, Charentes, and PACA region (Provence-Alps-Côte d’Azur), which change each year to ensure that the style remains consistent. Look for a bright aroma of apple and peach with the slightest hint of grapefruit, followed by a richness in the mouth reminiscent of spiced apples. Finishes strong with a slightly peppery zest. Have it with Eggs Benedict for brunch. Mmmmm!!

As friends and relatives start to arrive for dinner, there is no wine better suited to welcome your guests than Champagne. A Best Buy Champagne pick is the NV Chanoine Grande Reserve Brut ($50).  The fourth oldest Champagne house in the world, founded in 1730, the colour is a light golden yellow with a great mousse, lots of strong, fast-flowing beads in the glass a with aromas of nuts, bread yeast, marzipan, almond, lemon, tart green apple, a hint of lime, good acidity, peppery, rich and clean. Crisp green apple on the mouth-watering finish, this is a good example of a NV champagne with a bit of age to it. Due to its effervescence, the alcohol quickly enters the blood stream, guaranteeing excited, content reactions.

For the main course whether it be Chicken, Goose, Duck or game, the wine needs to match the texture of the meat. Goose, duck and game birds need a wine with substance so look for Cabernets, Shiraz/Syrah or Pinot Noir, depending on the sauce that accompanies the bird. A roast chicken can handle red wine; you just need to adjust any seasonings to match the wine, i.e. add some fresh herbs if you serve a Syrah or a rich sauce for a garnish if serving a Cabernet. A good bet with game birds is the 2006 Brancott “Central Otago” Pinot Noir ($19.90…reduced from $33.90).  The aromas coming out of the glass are pure decadent pleasure with its rich cherry, raspberry, smoke leather, forest floor characteristics and subtle spicy oak.  The texture is pure Burgundian, soft, velvety and rich with a stunningly long, long finish.

I have found that Turkey does not work well with most red wines so I would opt for a Gewurztraminer, Viognier, Pinot Gris or Pinot Blanc. The 2011 Lake Breeze Pinot Gris ($20) would be a logical choice.  A big aromatic wine displaying loads of green apple, pear, apricot, peach, nectarine, melon, fresh citrus and grapefruit characteristics, the palate is fresh and lively with crisp tropical and orchard fruit, spicy white pepper, an unctuous texture and crisp acidity.  If I pick a red, I would go for something light and fruity like Beaujolais.

If beef or lamb is on the menu, then red wine is de rigueur. For the succulent Standing Rib Roast, a Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc or a Syrah will work.

If beef or lamb is on the menu, then red wine is de rigueur. For the succulent Standing Rib Roast, a Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc or a Syrah will work. The 2006 Heathcote Estate Shiraz 2006 (was $52.00; Now: $40.00) is a classic Syrah.  An incredible wine at a terrific price, the fruit is sourced from vines grown in the Cambrian loam soils of Heathcote, Victoria. This is an opaque black crimson colour with aromas of violets, vanilla, spice and blackcurrants, followed by hints of truffles. The palate has great definition, depth and concentration of blackberry, plum, earth, spice and truffle flavours with a fine-grained tannin structure, excellent balance, followed by a long, intense aftertaste of blackberry, spice and licorice.

For dessert, if Christmas or Figgy pudding is on the list, nothing goes better than a glass of port. The Warre’s Warrior Vintage Character ($15/375ml) is an elegant and refined Port with crisp acidity and less sweetness than other Port producers.  It has a medium dark ruby colour, with aromas of blackberries, cassis, mint, fruitcake, brown sugar and a light peppery spice.  The ripe red fruit flavours are long and complex with a relatively dry finish in this sweet, fortified red.  Whatever the dessert, just remember that the wine should be sweeter than the dessert.

When it comes to a cheese course, remember that not all red wines compliment all cheeses. Blue cheese/Stilton certainly works very well with port but it could work equally well with a Sauterne. And goat’s cheese works much better with Sauvignon Blanc than with reds. Soft cheeses like Camembert and Brie should be served with either full flavoured Chardonnays or soft ripe Merlots.

Above all of this, have a very Merry Christmas.