Drinking wine at Christmas time

As those of you who live at the bottom of the world along with me know, Christmas time is generally quite hot and therefore requires a very different wine list to our friends in the Northern Hemisphere.

Here are a few of my favourites to drink at Christmas time:

Bubbles, Fizz, Sparkling, Champagne

It is really all the same thing and in my opinion is something that can really be enjoyed all year round and on any occassion (except maybe a wake), however there is truly all the more reason to celebrate when everyone is getting on their festive cheer.

As a self proclaimed francophile I can definitely say that the French Champagne is close to my heart with some of my favourite brands consistently producing quality champagne including Veuve Cliquot, Moet Hennessy, Taittinger and Piper. These can be a little expensive though and are nice to keep for that special occassion or the first bottle for the evening. That said, when I was in Dan Murphy's recently I did purchase a few bottles of Piper for $35 per bottle which was a pretty incredible price! 

They have some great specials on at the moment, so if you can't go past the French stuff I recommend taking your car and stocking up. Dan Murphy's Champagne

For those of us who can only afford one special bottle never fear, local Aussie and other new world wine producers make some delicious bubbles that you won't even notice is not the original stuff. Some goodies include Jansz from Tasmania, Chandon - the little sister of Moet, and Grant Burge. Dan Murphy's Sparkling

White stuff

The Christmas parties are definitely in full swing now and the weekday lunches are beginning to fill up which is one of the best parts of the year. But what to drink? Generally I try to keep it light when eating out at a restaurant, especially when I have to go back to my desk and attempt to be productive in the afternoon. As a basic rule I usually pair light food with a light wine to try and make the flavour balance equal.

Wines that always come back in when summer comes knocking include a young Riesling such as the Pewsey Vale from the Eden Valley. This is a seriously easy drinking wine that subtly demonstrates the flavours without being too overpowering as I can sometimes find Riesling. I had this one last Friday at the new Merivale hot spot Mr Wong. It went superbly with our steamed ginger fish. I have also always loved a Pinot Gris but it is something that I am finding is becoming more and more brutalised as every Tom, Dick and Harry gets on the Pinot Gris train for a ride. Be careful when choosing this one and make sure that you get some advice if you don't have an idea of what you want. Some of the poor quality versions can taste watered down and tasteless.

Slurpable Red

The 'slurpable red' is a favourite term of my boyfriend who pretty much calls any resaonably priced tasty wine by this name. I quite like it myself as it says to me that I can have more than one glass when I am out without fear that I look like I am from the Twilight movies with blood-sucking teeth. No favourite brands at the moment but definitely feeling the medium bodied slurpable-ness of my friend Merlot.

Enjoy the festive season and until next time have a glass for me. Alex Mac!

Wine Etiquette - Drinking it right

Etiquette is generally something that you learn in school or from your parents that speaks to how one should behave in certain social occasions. However over time these become skewed and it can sometimes be difficult to decipher what is actually good manners, what is completely pretentious and then what is just plain silly. I thought it would be fun to do a little research and make sure that my wine etiquette skills are up to scratch before frequenting the parties of the silly season. This is what I found out... 

1. Fill 'er up!

When pouring yourself a glass of wine it is proper to fill a red wine glass 1/3 full, a white wine glass 1/2 full and a champagne flute 3/4 full. You can always go back for more... I know what you are thinking!

2. Glass grabber

Hold the glass by the stem for all types of wine. This prevents you warming white wine that should be served chilled and also stops you leaving smudgy fingerprints at the top of your glass. I learnt this one the hard way, having to change a smudgy glass half way through a business lunch. Eeek. Let's just say whatever the reason it is always better to hold by the stem.

3. Too many wines, what to drink first?

When drinking wine it is always best to start with the lightest wine first starting from the lightest of whites to the heaviest reds. If you don't know which variety is lighter then go by the colour of the wine. Generally speaking the lighter the colour in both white and red the lighter the wine will be. The reason you do this, is because as the wines become heavier so do the flavours and it will be very difficult to go backwards to taste the subtler flavours.

4. Hostess with the mostess

It is the host's job to make sure that the glasses of all the guests stay full, so grab that bottle and mingle with those party goers!

5. Would you like to try the wine?

The waiter will generally pour a small amount of wine into the glass of the person who ordered the bottle. This is so you can make sure that the wine is not corked, NOT for you to taste it and see if you don't like it. Wine that is stored under screw cap is almost never corked (because there is no cork) so you can just tell the waiter that it will be fine if you prefer not to go through the motions.

6. Merci beaucoup!

When someone brings an expensive bottle of wine to a dinner party you are hosting it is bad manners to put it on your wine rack and keep for your self. It is much better to graciously accept the wine and say how well it will go with whatever dish it best matches. If you are concerned about the wine that your guests bring match the wine why not let them know that you will be cooking?

7. You don't know what you don't know...

When you are at a restaurant ask the sommelier their advice. It is their job to create a wine list that specifically goes with the menu. They have tasted every wine on the list and will be able to help you find something that will suit what you are going to eat to your taste in wine.

I hope these little tips help you through the party season with a spring of confidence in your step.

Until next time. Have a glass for me. Alex Mac x

Other blogs to check out about Wine Etiquette:

A CUP OF JO - Super fun blog

Winery2U - First time here but some interesting tips and wineries to visit