Choose a Wine for Christmas?

September 18, 2025

The holiday season is fast approaching.

Do you want to create perfect pairings between your dishes and your wines?

We will guide you in choosing the right bottles.

From our cellar in the 10th arrondissement, we see the same questions come up every year:
👉 How to pair oysters with the right white wine?
👉 What red wine to serve with turkey?

And most importantly, how to surprise your guests without breaking the bank?

We have selected our best tips to assist you.
Because Christmas is coming soon and you have to go all out 🎄

The Aperitif: Set the tone for your evening

Sparkling wines remain your best asset to start the evening.
A Crémant de Loire or Burgundy works wonders with your foie gras toasts.
We often prefer these sparkling wines to Champagnes for their value for money: they bring that tangy freshness that awakens the taste buds.

For your seafood appetizers, consider Muscadet sur lie.
This dry white wine pairs perfectly with the iodine of shellfish.
A Chablis can also make a splash if you want to impress.

Are you serving foie gras as an appetizer?
Sauternes remains a timeless classic.

But have you ever thought of a light red like a Morgon with your foie gras?
The pairing may seem daring, but it works perfectly.
The supple tannins of Gamay complement the richness of foie gras without overpowering it.

Now that your guests are won over from the aperitif, let's move on to the serious stuff with the starters.

Starters

Oysters require a wine that respects their delicacy.
A Sancerre or a Pouilly-Fumé reveal the full complexity of these mollusks.
These Loire Sauvignons bring a minerality that harmonizes with the ocean.

Do you prefer to stick with safe bets?
Muscadet remains our number one recommendation for oysters.
This dry white wine from the Nantes region is made to accompany seafood.
Its lightness and freshness highlight without masking.

For your smoked salmon, we recommend a Bouzeron.
This unoaked Chardonnay pairs perfectly with smoked fish.
The acidity of the wine beautifully balances the fattiness of smoked salmon.

An Alsatian Riesling can also create surprising pairings.
Its citrus notes and liveliness perfectly complement smoked flavors.

Are you serving scallops?
A Meursault or a Pouilly Fuissé will sublimate these shellfish.
These white Burgundies bring the necessary roundness without heaviness.

After these refined starters, your guests are ready for the main course.

The main course

Turkey remains the star of Christmas tables.
For this poultry, we recommend a supple and elegant red.
A Pinot Noir from Burgundy Village reveals all its assets.
Its fine tannins and red fruit aromas harmonize perfectly.

You can also opt for a full-bodied white.
A Chardonnay from Meursault or Saint-Aubin divinely accompanies turkey.
The butteriness and minerality of these wines complement the tender flesh of the poultry.

Is game your dish of choice?
These powerful meats demand wines with character.
A Châteauneuf-du-Pape or a Saint-Émilion Grand Cru are natural choices.
These tannic and complex reds stand up to the wild flavors.

For venison or wild boar, also consider wines from the Northern Rhône.
A Côte-Rôtie or a Crozes-Hermitage bring the necessary power.
Their structured tannins and spice aromas sublimate these exceptional meats.

Does duck hold a special place on your table?
This waterfowl requires a wine with fruit and freshness.
An Alsatian Pinot Noir or a red Sancerre works wonders.
These light but expressive reds respect the delicacy of the duck.

Cheeses

The cheese board tests your pairing skills.
Each cheese family requires a different approach.

For your pressed cheeses like Comté or Beaufort, think red.
A Côtes du Rhône Villages or a red Burgundy are natural choices.
These structured wines stand up to the intensity of these aged cheeses.

Your bloomy rind cheeses deserve more delicacy.
A Camembert or a Brie pair perfectly with a brut Champagne.
The bubbles cleanse the palate and reveal the milky flavors.
A white Burgundy wine like a Chablis also works very well.

For goat cheeses, our advice remains simple.
A Sancerre blanc or a Pouilly-Fumé create the perfect pairing.
These Loire Sauvignons share an acidity that complements goat cheese.

Are you serving blues like Roquefort?
These powerful cheeses demand sweet or fortified wines.
A Sauternes, a Banyuls, or even a red Port create surprising harmonies.
The sweetness of these wines balances the pungency of blue cheeses.

The meal is coming to an end, now for the much-anticipated sweet moment.

Desserts: end on a high note

The Christmas log requires a wine that respects its delicacy.
For a chocolate log, we recommend a red Banyuls.
This natural sweet wine from Roussillon harmonizes perfectly with cocoa.
Its aromas of candied fruit and spices complement the chocolate flavors.

Is your log fruit-based?
A Coteaux du Layon or a Quarts de Chaume would be good choices.
These sweet Loire wines bring the necessary fruity freshness.
Their notes of citrus and honey sublimate fruit desserts.

For your more traditional desserts like apple pie, think differently.
An Italian Moscato d'Asti creates delicious pairings.
This lightly sparkling and sweet wine respects the delicacy of your pastries.

Are you finishing with chocolate treats?
An amber Rivesaltes or an old Tawny Port are essential.
These aged fortified wines bring notes of dried fruit and caramel.
They create complex harmonies with dark chocolate.
Now that your menu is perfectly paired, let's talk about gifts.

Gifting wine: our ideas to make an impression

Choosing a bottle as a gift requires thought.

Do you want to please without knowing the person's precise tastes?
A Champagne remains the ultimate safe bet because it always pleases and suits all occasions.

For confirmed connoisseurs, consider exceptional vintages.
A bottle from the recipient's birth year creates emotion.

We always keep a few old bottles for these special occasions.
A Bordeaux from 1990 or a Burgundy from 1985 make lasting memories.
And if you want to do even more, a magnum is a very good option.

Wine experiences can also be an opportunity to share a second moment after Christmas Eve.
We also offer thematic tastings in our cellar.
These moments of learning and sharing create lasting memories.