Little is missing at Christmas and if you are already starting to think about the menu and also time to take care of the wines. Don't wait for the last moment and above all, don't underestimate the role of wines in the success of the Christmas lunch. It is the most important lunch of the year, the one you share with your loved ones. You will have to put the same care you use for the preparation of the dishes also in the choice of labels that will accompany your delicacies. The perfect combination of wine and food creates that gustatory harmony that enhances the palate and will make lunch an unforgettable experience. The great tradition of Italian regional cuisine offers many different traditional menus for Christmas. We will therefore limit ourselves to giving some general advice on wines that are indispensable for treating yourself to a true gourmet party.

appetizers

It is the first wine of lunch, that of the first toast and you cannot go wrong. Whether you have chosen a seafood, vegetable or salami appetizer, start your lunch with a Classic Method sparkling wine: a Franciacorta Satèn or a Franciacorta Extra Brut, a Trento DOC Brut or Dosaggo Zero for purists. If, on the other hand, you want to overdo it, then go for a Champagne Blanc de Blancs . It never disappoints.

First dishes

The variety of first courses of the cuisine of the peninsula is almost infinite. If you think of a pasta with seafood or fish, you can choose a Vermentino di Gallura , a Gavi , a Verdicchio di Matelica , a Falanghina del Sannio and a Soave Classico , for risotto with vegetables, mushrooms or truffle more fragrant wines will be fine Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Muller Thurgau or Sylvaner .

Second courses

If you opt for a seafood menu, you can continue with whites, perhaps a little more structured and intense like a Fiano di Avellino , a Greco di Tufo , a Verdicchio Classico dei Castelli di Jesi or a Collio Bianco . For second courses of meat, on the other hand, if it is boiled, a Barbera d'Asti or a Bonarda from Oltrepò Pavese will do . The roasts and grilled meats go well with a Rosso di Montalcino , a Chianti Classico Gran Selezione or a Brunello di Montalcino . For stews and braised meats choose a Barolo di Serralunga , a Taurasi , an Aglianico del Vulture or a Sagrantino di Montefalco.

Panettone and Pandoro

For leavened desserts the choice is simple: Moscato d'Asti satin cap. The slightly sparkling and non-sparkling version is perfect to accompany Panettone and Pandoro.