Peter McCombie is one of Britain's leading restaurant wine consultants and a respected judge in international wine competitions. Born and raised in New Zealand he has a relaxed, Antipodean approach to wine. He believes good wine can be found almost anywhere and that what is in the glass is much more important than the name on the bottle
It's hard to ignore Champagne or other good quality fizz to kick off Christmas dinner. From the propitious pop of the cork to the festive fizzing of a glass being poured, it appeals to all the senses and makes a great partner for popular starters like smoked salmon and oysters. Other drinks you should consider:
Sherry, also a traditional Christmas tipple, is oddly offered to the non-drinkers, usually in a sweet form. Swap sickly sweet sherry for a crisp Fino or Manzanilla sherry, which work well with all things fishy and a lot else, while the nutty dryness of Amontillado was favoured by the Victorians as a perfect partner for soup, for one very good reason: it works.
Riesling, either dry from the Antipodes or Austria or off-dry from Germany also makes a wonderful appetite sharpener and versatile wine with the first course.
Whatever meat you choose for a main course don't forget to factor in what else is on the plate.
For turkey opt for a rich white wine, like Chardonnay. Think white Burgundy or cool climate New World Chardonnay. Pinot Noir, either from Burgundy, New Zealand or Oregon, is my first choice of red, providing fruitiness and soft tannins. If feeling bold why not try a grown up sparkling red from Australia?
With beef, an aromatic Syrah, perhaps from the Rhone would be my choice.
If you've opted for the more intense flavour of goose you'll want robust flavour to match and firm bite to cut through the richness. Italy is a fabulous treasure trove of possibilities from the familiar - Barolo and Chianti Classico - to the unusual - Aglianico from Taurasi or Etna Rosso.
You've saved room for Christmas pudding but what wine could possibly stand up to that? Deep, dark, unctuous Pedro Ximenez has the power and sweetness to make a perfect partner.