So another year has been and almost gone. But before we can welcome 2019 and all that it has to bring, we have one more item of business to get out of the way in 2018.
We’re talking about Christmas of course.
Jolly Old St. Nick is already getting the presents ready for all the good boys and girls (and a few lumps of coal for the bad) ready. But for all of the bigger boys and girls out there, Christmas brings with it the opportunity to indulge in too much food and perhaps just a smidgen more wine than you’d normally drink.
And that brings us to the question that we aim to answer in this article.
What wines should you drink for Christmas 2018?
Let’s get the obvious answer out of the way first. The best Italian wine for anybody to enjoy at Christmas is the wine that you love most. If you have a bottle that you’ve been saving for the occasion, or have a Christmas favourite that you always drink, then you should go right ahead and crack the bottle open.
But if you’re looking for a few suggestions, here are a couple of the standout wines from this year that would look right at home next to your Christmas meal.
Ruinart Dom Ruinart Champagne 2006
Christmas is a celebration of some many things.
It’s a celebration of the life of Jesus Christ, who inspired so many to do so much good in the world.
It’s a celebration of the year that has been and a promise to bring about new hope in the year to come.
And perhaps most importantly of all, Christmas is a celebration of the time that we spend with family and friends.
And when we think of celebrations, Champagne is the first wine to come to mind.
So, which one should you choose this year? Pretty much any Champagne will do the job for Christmas, but we’re going to recommend one that’s perhaps a touch pricey.
But it’s Christmas, which means it’s the perfect time of year to push the boat at a little bit.
The Ruinart Dom Ruinart Champagne 2006 is a stunning Champagne that the team at Xtrawine have already given a rating of 93/100. That goes alongside all of the other 90+ ratings it’s received from a host of other publications and websites.
Simply put, it’s a gorgeous wine that will look right at home on the dinner table this Christmas.
If you’re looking for an amazing still white wine this Christmas, you can’t go wrong with the Planeta Etna Bianco 2017. And unlike our Champagne suggestion, this Italian white wine is affordable for practically any budget.
What makes this wine stand out for us is how well it goes with fish. If you’re going to indulge in the Feast of the Seven Fishes this Christmas Eve, there can be few better wines to go alongside your seafood dishes.
The wine is made entirely using the Carricante grape, which is native to Sicily. It also has a beautiful mineral taste to it that makes it reminiscent of Chardonnay while having a personality all of its own.
Perhaps most importantly, it also has a 93/100 rating from Xtrawine, alongside a host of high ratings from other publications.
As a little bonus, the wine also works very well with ham and turkey, which means you can enjoy it over the course of the entire Christmas holiday.
Romano Dal Forno Amarone Monte Lodoletta 2011
From a wonderful budget option, we come to an Italian red wine that again pushes the boat out a little when it comes to price.
But we promise that one sip of this wine will reveal exactly where all of that money went.
The Romano Dal Forno Amarone Monte Lodoletta 2011 carries a 95/100 rating from the team at Xtrawine. And the plaudits don’t stop there. Practically every single publication that has reviewed this wine has named it as one of the very best to emerge from Italy in 2011.
And now that it’s 2018, this wine has aged perfectly to the point where it’s perfect for your Christmas meal.
Amarone is a gorgeously smooth Italian red that offers complexity without being overbearing. This makes it a great wine both for connoisseurs and those who perhaps don’t drink wine all that often.
The wine also goes very well with both red meats and game, which means it’s versatile enough to complement most Christmas meals.
Scubla Colli Orientali del Friuli Cratis Verduzzo Passito
After all of the savoury food you’ll eat during your Christmas meal, it’s nice to sit down with a tasty dessert and a glass of something nice and sweet to round out the meal.
That’s where the Scubla Colli Orientali del Friuli Cratis Verduzzo Passito 0.375L 2014 is perfect. This wine, which is made using fermented grapes, comes in small bottles that are ideal for a single serving alongside a sweet treat.
Its fruity notes hide just a whiff of caramel on the bouquet, which shows you just why this is such a popular dessert wine. We also find that it goes very well with the little cheeses and fois gras that many enjoy after eating their Christmas meal.
This wine also carries the highest rating of the wines out this list, as Xtrawine gave it a 96/100 rating when we reviewed it.
It also has a very reasonable price tag when you consider the fact that only 3,000 bottles were made. This is the ideal wine to choose if you’re looking for something a little bit different this year.
The Final Word
Like we said at the top of this article, the best wine to enjoy this Christmas is whatever wine you choose.
But in this list, you have a number of wines that we think represent good value and amazing quality. Each of these wines has something to add to your Christmas meal and they all make wonderful gifts.
