How To Match Christmas Food With Wine

So you've stocked the fridge with bubbly and someone's brought a bottle of rose, and hold on, Aunty Mary will only drink Shiraz. How do you match Christmas food and wine? Easy, just follow our dish-by-dish pairing guide.

Canapés
Most finger foods go well with sparkling wine or Champagne. Our tip? Have a few extra bottles of bubbly in the ice bucket as it always goes down quicker than you plan.

Seafood
Try a refreshing riesling or sauvignon blanc.

Creamy pasta and chicken
Verdelho or viognier have lovely textures that match white meat and cream-based entrees.

Christmas ham
A buttery chardonnay that's not too heavy on the oak is a great partner for sweet, succulent ham.

Roast pork or turducken
Merlot or tempranillo pair well with roasted white meat.

Roast beef
Open up a bottle of Shiraz before the meal and let this heavy hitter breathe, then sit back and enjoy the feast!

Vegetarian dishes and salads
Rose is amazing with summer vegetables, herbs and stir-fried greens.

Christmas pudding
Young ports aren't as cloying as more mature vintages, but still allow you to relish the sumptuous fruit and spice flavours of traditional pudding.

Cheese plate
Gewürztraminer has lovely aromatics that pair beautifully with the richness of cheese.

Pavlova and summer desserts
A dry Champagne goes hand-in-hand with summer fruit, light pastries and pavlova.