Giovanni Morelli recommends a selection of fine wines to match what is undoubtedly the biggest and most important meal of the year — the gut-busting feast that we all enjoy on Christmas Day.
The best kind of wine is that which is pleasant to him that drinks it.” – Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historiae.
One of the best-known works that inspired artists in the Renaissance was the Laocoön. The statue, described by Pliny, was probably originally commissioned for the home of a wealthy Roman. It was unearthed in 1506 near the site of the Golden House (Domus Aurea) of the Emperor Nero. It was acquired by Pope Julius II, and placed in the Belvedere Gardens at the Vatican Museum.
Gaius Plinius Cecilius Secundus, known as Pliny the Elder, was a Roman scholar, encyclopaedist and nationalist who was born in Como, an area well-known to many of you. He received an education in literature and oratory and at the age of 23, began a military career serving under Pomponius Secundus. He was Legal Advocate during the reign of Nero and despite active public life, he was the author of at least 75 books. His most famous work, Historia Naturalis, published in AD 77 comprised 37 books containing all the Romans knew about the natural world in the fields of, astronomy, geography, zoology, botany, mineralogy, medicine, metallurgy and agriculture.
h4. Super-specialisation
He obviously liked a glass of wine or two! I suppose his life underpins the expression ‘ask a busy man’. So, in our age of super-specialisation, it is gratifying to think back on the polymath and ‘Renaissance man’. That term seems to be an insult now, but surely that is a reflection of the reductive world in which we live.
Even a Renaissance man or woman has to engage with Christmas. The commercial aspect is now dominant, but I still consider the carol service in St Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin on Christmas Eve as the beginning of the festive season.
Regarding Christmas Day itself, I am quite traditional. I will have wild smoked salmon with lemon and brown bread. I have never been convinced that embellishments have anything to recommend them — except perhaps a sprig of dill. Try to get a thick piece of smoked salmon, so that you can cut across the grain and avoid slicing. This way, you preserve the texture of the fish and it tastes better.
I’ll wash it down with sparkling wine, a Ca’ del Bosco from Franciacorta (Chardonnay/Pinot Noir) in Lombardy. Unfortunately, this wine is not available in Ireland so I’ll recommend the Graham Beck, Brut (see IMT, 3 Oct, www.imt.ie/lifestyle/2008/10/a_bottle_by_any_other_name.html). For something cheaper, try Jacob’s Creek, Chardonnay/Pinot Noir Brut Cuvée (€13.50 from Dunnes Stores).
If you are looking for a Prosecco, try Tesco where for about €16, they have one bottled by Bisol (one of the best Prosecco makers in Italy). If you want a still wine, try the Inama Soave Classico 2007 at about €15 (available in many wine shops). I’ll follow this with traditional turkey, with bread-and-herb stuffing, and smoked ham. I always recommend a wine from the southern Rhône valley with turkey. There is still great value out there. Guigal, Charputier and Jaboulet, although mass produced, are always reliable.
The Côtes du Rhône Villages 2007, Plan de Dieu from Ferraton Père et Fils is superb from O’Briens at €13.49. The Gigondas 2004 from Moulin de la Gardette available from Cellars and the Big Wine Warehouse on the Naas Road is very tasty but will cost you €22.50.
Look out for Côtes du Rhône from Domaine Alary. These wines are imported by Tyrrell and are excellent examples of superb wines for a decent price.
h4. Colle Morino
An alternative is Colle Morino, a beautiful Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. It won’t break the bank and it’s one of the best I have tasted. If you want to stay below €10 I still think that Heron’s Nest is fantastic value. From Dunnes Stores, it is a Pinotage/Cabernet Sauvignon blend. I tried it out on Chiara in a blind tasting, and she thought it was excellent.
h4. Wine and cheese
I’m not a great Christmas pudding man, so I usually go for a cheese board. If you can get your hands — or should I say lips — on a bottle of Vin Santo, serve it well chilled with the cheese. Avoid cheap Sauternes as they are sickly, so you’ll have to pay about €50 for a decent one.
For the wine drinker who has everything, try the new rabbit corkscrew as a Christmas present. To make you feel better, the Resveratrol story continues to run and run. David Sinclair’s group from Harvard, publishing in Cell recently, thinks that Resveratrol (found in large quantities in red wine) may help to stabilise chromosomes and prevent or postpone ageing!
It now looks as if there may be a number of compounds which mimic Resveratrol and could be developed for human use. In the meantime, I’ll have my glass or two of red wine daily.
A happy Christmas to you all and enjoy everything in moderation!
Ciao until 2009, Giovanni.
About Gary Culliton
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