In order to find an answer for the question what would be the best choice of drinks for Christmas or New Year’s celebration? – you need first of all to decide what are you looking for? To eat a lot of tasty things with no matter what to drink, or to have a smart, intelligent food and drink pairing?
Any Sparkling will be fine
For both cases Sparkling is what we begin with. Take what you like, if you are a beginner and prefer sweet, then no need to recommend brut or extra-brut. Since all wines are good if they are of a fine quality and therefore they have their admirers. We love sparkling symbolically, but also visually. It turns out that sparkling and celebration are a pairing that goes way because of the sound of clinking glasses that overflows in abundance and joy.
Food – wine enemy
With years on traditional New Year’s menu in Moldova and on all post-soviet territory we serve usually such food, as “olivie salad”, “herring under shuba”, or smoked varieties of herring accompanied by green onion, black olives, aspic with garlic, and different pickles. Most of this food will not make a good match with elegant, expensive wines that has to impress with their refined flavors and tastes.
So, such wines associated with specific food is not a reasonable decision, because food full of strong flavors will distort the taste, as salted herring can give metallic taste to the wine and combination with garlic it’s useless to mention. So, wasting money on something that will disappoint it’s not a great idea since purpose of smart food & wine pairing is to enjoy both.
So, what to drink?
You asked. If you are craving for all this “wrong”, but tasty to your senses food, then you can choose strong alcohol, such as vodka with a clear, neutral taste. In the same segment there is a big choice, but the divines or cognac are also unsuitable, because it’s difficult to appreciate their bouquet. Generally speaking, divines and cognac usually are served after the meal along with dessert, coffee or cigars. And of course if you didn’t have dishes with garlic or smoked fish, that can cover your tasting receptors.
Eat less, eat better
You can try think over New Year’s menu so that some groups of dishes can be combined with one wine, then you will get enogastronomic combinations. Even if there are only two or three types of wine on the table, they will not interfere with each other if you can guide serving order. But also under one condition – there has to be no food ingredients from the list of wine killers. Leave them for regular dinner.
Why to turn the New Year’s Eve into a feast of stomach, since you are not eating usually by nights? It will be better for your health if the menu is not very plentiful, but well planned out. Let some food choices, but with good wines in a perfect combination.
I wish you the first morning of the New Year to wake up in good health!
Translation – Mihaela Bodrug.
