English wine pairings for Christmas
The most wonderful feasting occasion of the year is nearly upon us, and whilst the focus may be on the turkey and the trimmings, we like to keep our meal centred around the real stars of the show - the wine. If you’re looking to buy more locally this year, then of course we’d recommend diving into the world of English wine to accompany your Christmas dinner.
At Radlow Hundred, we have a selection of still small-batch wine, made with grapes, Solaris and Rondo, which were carefully matched to the Herefordshire soil. Below, we’ve suggested a few of our favourite pairings with the Radlow Hundred 2022 vintages for festive feasting:
The Night Before
We’d recommend our Rosé for something a little different this year. Blended using our Rondo and Solaris grapes, alluring berry aromas burst through with hints of green tea. Refreshing strawberry flavours balance the sweetness with a medium dry finish. At a time of year when we can all get a little fatigued with red wine, we like to mix things up the night before with a refreshing rosé.
Enjoy a glass of our Rosé alongside your seafood Christmas Eve platters, such as salmon blinis or a roast ham.
Christmas Day
For wine for Christmas dinner, it has to be our Solaris and Rondo. Our Solaris 2022 is crisp and exceptionally fruity. Honeydew melon is enlivened by the natural citrus of the late ripening wine. With hints of honey and lemon, an enticingly dry palate gives way to a delicate clean finish. Delicious alongside a plate of turkey, with enough flavour to complement, but not overpower, the meat.
To finish, we’d crack open a bottle of our Rondo 2022. One of the few Rondo bottlings available from England, it’s perfect alongside decadent desserts and showstopping puds. With delicate hints of vanilla, dark cherries and a damson nose, our Rondo 2022 is a medium bodied wine. Dark currents and a hint of pepper lifts the cherry flavour whilst a gentle oaked edge and light tannins bring this single variety wine to a playful finish. This is outstanding alongside a Black Forest Trifle or chocolate Croquembouche.
Our wine is proudly grown in Herefordshire. The vineyard falls within the beautiful rolling landscape of Herefordshire, previously known as Radlow Hundred, an administrative area noted in the Domesday Book. We’ve been farming for eight generations and planted vines to preserve the future of farming at the estate, mindful of the changes of the natural environment.
Take home a bottle of Radlow Hundred this Christmas, and make sure you share your pairings with us on our social channels @RadlowHundred. We’d love to see which creations you make in the kitchen this Christmas that match perfectly with our collection.