BEST CHRISTMAS WINE PAIRINGS IN SINGAPORE

Some Christmas traditions can feel slightly out of place in sunny Singapore – listening to carols about “winter wonderlands” and “frosty snowmen” on Orchard Road while melting in 35-degree tropical heat comes to mind as a particularly surreal experience. But fortunately for wine lovers, the good ol’ tradition of imbibing gallons of delicious grape juice and clearing the cellars for next year’s haul (or whatever Grand Crus Santa’s put in your stocking this year) boasts universal appeal! Whether you’re struggling to assemble the perfect Christmas wine list for your holiday party, agonising over which bottle to bring to a friends’ reunion or simply searching for something that will drown out your in-laws’ incessant questioning during the yearly family get-together, we’ve got your back.

Here are our go-to wine pairing recommendations for Singapore’s Christmas protein staples.

Wine Pairing for Turkey

 Turkey is a fairly lean and dry protein with a subtle flavour. Choosing a wine that’s too full-bodied, like oaky butterbomb Chardonnays or harshly tannic reds, will completely overwhelm this delicate meat. Our top pick for turkey wine pairing is Pinot Noir. Medium-bodied, with silky tannins and fresh red fruit, Pinot Noir is a classic wine and poultry pairing. All the better if it’s Burgundy, as those classic earthy, forest floor flavours are a match made in heaven with the faintly gamey flavour of darker turkey meat. Yes, it’s expensive – but also, it’s Christmas!

Wine Pairing for Roast Beef

We all know that one uncle who only drinks full-bodied, high-octane reds. The biggest compliment he can pay any wine is “SMOOTH!”—by which he means, he can just about tolerate drinking this instead of Chivas Regal. Well, if you’re catering to that crowd, roast beef is the perfect Christmas food pairing for big red wine. Without getting too scientific, red meat works with red wines because the tannins in the wine bind to and soften the fat in the meat, helping to release more flavour. A good Barossa Shiraz or Right Bank Bordeaux always hits the spot with roast beef.

Wine Pairing for Christmas Hams

 When it comes to pairing wines with Christmas hams, the main consideration is sweetness. Even in Singapore where the most important thing about desserts is that they are “not too sweet”, Christmas hams come liberally doused with honey glazes that can make leaner wines taste flat and bland. A full-bodied Viognier from the Northern Rhone, with high alcohol and ripe tropical fruit flavours, can be a great pairing. Alternatively, if you’re looking for a red with just a hint of residual sugar, Valpolicella Ripasso is a great option, offering some of the oomph of an Amarone at a fraction of the price.

Wine Pairing for KFC

 Singaporeans love all things Japanese, so it’s probably no surprise that in recent years, more Singaporeans have been adopting the quixotic Japanese tradition of gathering around the Christmas table to tuck into a bucket of KFC. Yes, it isn’t really a Hallmark Christmas dinner, but you won’t find us turning down fried chicken anytime soon! Champagne and fried chicken is a classic – we favour Pinot-heavy blends (Bollinger NV is a good example, and widely available) which are sufficiently robust to stand up to the liberal spices in Southern fried chicken. But for something a little different, why not try a Chablis that’s seen some lees aging? Lees are the dead yeast cells produced as a byproduct of alcoholic fermentation. Sounds gross, we know – but the end result is delicious. Lees-aging for extended periods impart a whole bevy of delicious bready flavours to the wine, which can be a great complement to fried chicken batter. While lees aging is most associated with Champagne, where it’s mandated by law, an insider’s secret is that it’s widely deployed in Chablis to add weight and texture, particularly in Premier and Grand Cru wines.

 We hope your holiday season will be filled with good cheer, delicious food and amazing wine—see you in 2025!