Best Wine for Christmas: Festive Picks

Christmas is a season of indulgence, tradition, and togetherness, and wine plays a central role in holiday celebrations around the world. From the first glass of Champagne on Christmas Eve to the Port poured alongside a cheese board on Boxing Day, the wines you choose help define the character of the holiday. Whether you are hosting a formal Christmas dinner, contributing a bottle to a family gathering, or selecting gifts for wine-loving friends, this guide covers everything you need to make the season bright.

The Spirit of Christmas Wine

Christmas wine should feel festive. This is not the time for austere, intellectual wines that require deep contemplation. The holidays call for bottles that are generous, warming, and celebratory. Rich reds that fill the room with their aroma, sparkling wines that mark the moment of togetherness, and sweet wines that bring dessert to a glorious conclusion all have their place at the Christmas table.

The diversity of Christmas meals around the world means there is no single “right” wine for the holiday. A British Christmas dinner centered on roast turkey or goose calls for different wines than an Italian feast of seven fishes or a Scandinavian spread of cured fish and charcuterie. The common thread is choosing wines that match the spirit of generosity and warmth that defines the season.

Best Red Wines for Christmas Dinner

Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux Blends: For Roast Beef

If your Christmas table features a grand standing rib roast or beef Wellington, a structured Cabernet Sauvignon or Bordeaux blend is the classic pairing. The tannins in the wine interact with the proteins and fats in the beef, softening on the palate and allowing the wine’s cassis, cedar, and tobacco flavors to shine.

Left-bank Bordeaux from appellations like Haut-Medoc, Saint-Julien, or Pauillac offers the structure and complexity worthy of a holiday centerpiece. For New World options, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon brings riper fruit and plushier tannins that many guests find immediately appealing.

Nebbiolo: Barolo for a Truly Special Occasion

If Christmas is the one meal where you pull out all the stops, Barolo or Barbaresco from Piedmont delivers an experience that matches the grandeur of the occasion. The haunting aromas of rose petal, tar, dried cherry, and truffle are unlike anything else in the wine world. These wines demand food, and a rich braised meat or truffle-laced pasta is the perfect stage.

Open your Barolo an hour or two before serving, or decant it generously. Young Nebbiolo’s formidable tannins soften dramatically with air, revealing the elegance beneath the structure.

Rioja Reserva and Gran Reserva: Spanish Elegance

Aged Rioja brings a different kind of luxury to the Christmas table. Extended aging in oak and bottle gives Reserva and Gran Reserva wines their signature blend of dried fruit, vanilla, leather, and spice. These wines are smooth, complex, and deeply satisfying alongside roasted meats, especially lamb.

The value proposition of aged Rioja is remarkable. A Gran Reserva with ten or more years of aging can be found for a fraction of what a similarly aged Bordeaux or Burgundy would cost, making it an excellent choice for hosts who want to serve something special without overextending the budget.

Grenache-based Blends: Warmth for Cold Nights

Chateauneuf-du-Pape and other southern Rhone blends bring a warmth and spice that feels inherently seasonal. The combination of Grenache’s ripe fruit with the garrigue herbs (thyme, rosemary, lavender) that characterize these wines mirrors the aromatic herbs used in holiday cooking. A Chateauneuf-du-Pape served alongside roast goose or herb-crusted lamb is a match made in holiday heaven.

Sparkling Wine for Christmas Celebrations

Champagne: The Sound of Celebration

The pop of a Champagne cork is one of the defining sounds of the holiday season. Whether you serve it as guests arrive on Christmas Eve, with the main course, or as a toast before dessert, Champagne elevates the moment.

For Christmas, consider stepping beyond non-vintage brut to a vintage Champagne or a blanc de noirs. Vintage Champagnes offer the toasty, complex depth that comes from extended aging, while blanc de noirs (made from Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier) brings a richness and red-fruit character that pairs beautifully with holiday food.

Rose Champagne is another festive choice, bringing both visual beauty and a slightly more vinous character that works as well at the table as it does as an aperitif.

Franciacorta and English Sparkling: Alternatives Worth Exploring

Italy’s Franciacorta, made using the same method as Champagne, offers excellent quality and a distinct character with notes of almond and citrus. English sparkling wine has also emerged as a serious contender, with producers in Sussex and Kent making wines that rival Champagne for finesse and complexity.

Fortified and Dessert Wines for the Holiday Season

Port: A Christmas Classic

Port and Christmas are inseparable in many traditions. A tawny Port, with its caramel, walnut, and orange peel flavors, is sublime alongside mince pies, Christmas pudding, or a cheese board featuring Stilton. A ten- or twenty-year tawny strikes the ideal balance between complexity and accessibility.

Vintage Port, while magnificent, requires planning. It needs to be decanted carefully and ideally drunk within a day of opening. If you have a bottle of vintage Port from a meaningful year, Christmas is the occasion to open it.

Ruby Port and Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) Port offer more immediate, fruit-forward pleasure at friendlier price points. They pair well with chocolate desserts and blue cheese.

Sauternes and Late-Harvest Wines

A golden glass of Sauternes alongside foie gras or a rich dessert is one of the great luxury pairings. The honeyed apricot, marmalade, and spice flavors of Sauternes feel inherently festive. If Sauternes exceeds the budget, look to Monbazillac or late-harvest Riesling from Alsace for similar indulgence at lower prices.

Vin Santo: Italian Holiday Tradition

In Italian households, Christmas often ends with Vin Santo and cantucci (almond biscotti). This oxidative Tuscan dessert wine, with its amber color and flavors of dried fig, caramel, and toasted nuts, is a beautiful way to close a holiday meal.

Christmas Wine for Different Occasions

Christmas Eve Dinner

Many families celebrate with a lighter meal on Christmas Eve, often featuring seafood. A crisp white wine like Chablis, Vermentino, or a dry Riesling pairs beautifully with fish and shellfish. If you want bubbles, a Champagne or Cremant sets the tone for the festivities ahead.

Christmas Day Lunch or Dinner

This is the main event, and the wine should match. Offer at least two options: a structured red for the main course (Bordeaux, Barolo, or Rioja Reserva) and a lighter alternative (Pinot Noir, Beaujolais, or Chardonnay) for those who prefer something gentler. Have a bottle of Port or dessert wine ready for pudding.

Boxing Day and Leftovers

The day after Christmas calls for relaxed, easygoing wines. Turkey sandwiches, cold cuts, and reheated leftovers pair well with a simple Cotes du Rhone, a Beaujolais, or a dry rose. Nothing fancy, just comforting.

Holiday Parties and Open Houses

For casual entertaining, set out a selection: one red, one white, and one sparkling. Cava or Prosecco keeps the bubbly flowing without blowing the budget, a Grenache-based red is crowd-friendly, and a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio covers lighter palates.

Christmas Wine Gifting Guide

For the Collector

A bottle from a prestigious vintage of Bordeaux, Barolo, or vintage Port makes a meaningful gift. Adding a personal note about why you chose that particular wine elevates the gesture.

For the Enthusiast

Look for a wine from a region or style they have not yet explored. A Grand Cru Alsace Riesling, a Priorat from Spain, or a Barossa Valley Shiraz from a top producer shows thoughtfulness and introduces them to something new.

For the Casual Drinker

A beautifully packaged Champagne, a premium Prosecco, or a well-made Cotes du Rhone in a gift bag with a pair of quality wine glasses is always well received.

Stocking Your Christmas Wine

For a Christmas dinner for eight to ten guests, plan on:

• 1-2 bottles Champagne or sparkling wine for aperitif
• 2-3 bottles of red wine for the main course
• 1 bottle of white wine as an alternative
• 1 bottle of Port or dessert wine

Buy one or two extra bottles beyond what you think you need. Christmas has a way of extending beyond the planned timetable, and running out of wine during the holidays is a regret nobody needs.

Make Christmas Wine Easy with Sommo

Shopping for Christmas wine should feel like part of the celebration, not a chore. The Sommo app puts expert-level wine knowledge in your pocket. Scan any bottle in the shop to instantly see its flavor profile, ideal food pairings, and whether it is worth the price. Save your holiday favorites in your wine journal so you can recreate the magic next year.

Sommo’s learning modules are also a wonderful gift for the curious wine drinker in your life. Download Sommo and give the gift of wine knowledge this holiday season.