Pairing Options and Tips for Christmas

This time, the editorial letter arrives 24 hours early because Christmas is just around the corner. Christmas carols are playing on the speakers. The house already smells of oven preparations. It’s all happiness, but do you already know what you will serve to drink? We often think about beverages at the last moment. No matter what you like –or what you have on hand– we want you to enjoy your dinner to the fullest with some practical pairing tips.Pairing only with wine?There is no food without drink and vice versa. But drink is not synonymous with alcohol either. Pairing can be done with the liquid you like the most. Sommelier Marcos Flores, president of the Pan-American Sommelier Alliance, says that in case of abstinence, the best allies for Christmas dinner are teas, punches, and fresh waters. He recommends pairing romeritos with pu-erh or red tea; the typical bacalao a la Vizcaína with oolong tea; the enchilada leg with hibiscus and ginger water, and the punches with smoked turkey.If you prefer beers, the basic rule is to pair light or amber beers with lighter dishes –salads, purees, bacalao– and choose dark and dense beers for heartier dishes or those that have been baked, such as romeritos with mole, loin, or leg. In both cases, the caramelization notes will be highlighted.Personally, I like to combine Mexican wines made from malbec grapes with pork loin. I really enjoy Guanamé Malbec 2017 for a piece of meat covered in gravy. For a creamy pasta, choose a white with oak like Wente Chardonnay Riva Ranch, and for romeritos, a sparkling rosé that can stand up to the spiciness –like the Spanish cava Roger Goulart Coral Rosé–. The king of the Christmas table, the turkey, should be served alongside a glass of light red made from pinot noir or merlot like Cousiño Macul Antiguas Reservas Merlot, whose light aromas of spices and red fruits will harmonize like Mozart.The glassesIf you are going to serve beer, it is best to pour it into a jar –even that Mason Jar with a handle that you keep in your cupboard– to avoid warming it and keep it cold for longer. Special beer glasses typically have denser glass and a thicker stem so that hands do not transmit heat. In the case of wine, the size of the glass influences the amount of air that enters and oxygenates the wine, thus changing the potency of the aromas and flavors. The more structured and complex a wine is, the wider the glass should be (like a Burgundy glass).If you have two types of glasses, serve white wine in the smaller one and red wine in the larger one or the one with the widest opening. Ideally, serve champagne or sparkling wines in a flute to promote bubble development, but if you don’t have one, a white wine glass will work perfectly. The temperatureCan you imagine a lukewarm shrimp broth like purgatory? A frozen apple pie like winter? There’s no other way: we must consider the temperature in drinks and food. In beers and wines, temperature reveals or hides aromas and flavors. For example, the ideal way to drink a beer with 4 to 6 degrees of alcohol is at a temperature of 3° C. Those that start from 7 degrees should be served between 12 and 14° C. As for wines, I generally like them to be a bit cold. The rule is that sparkling wines should be served at 8° C to enjoy their carbonation (their bubbles). I recommend serving whites between 7 and 11° C, but if they are oaked, serve them at around 10 or 12° C. Light red wines with little aging go well at a temperature of 13 to 14° C. More robust wines like a Bordeaux blend, a Rioja, or a reserve should be left at 17 to 18° C. Do you have a dessert wine or a fortified wine like port? Serve it at 14° C to maintain that sweet balance and structure.  And of course, remember that you are in control. Have a happy Christmas taking care of your body and without excesses. That’s the best way to celebrate!