I may be strung up by the feet, turkey-fashion, from a grand old iron lamp-post in Bordeaux for unpardonable impudence, but here goes anyway. I'm not convinced about the traditional choice of claret for the bird. Turkey can be a dry old thing, even when not forgotten in the oven as the neighbours' drinks party overruns. Red Bordeaux, memorable though it may sometimes be, also tends to be pretty dry. The result? A mouthful that may taste curiously close to butchers' sawdust. Traditionalists might be better off with Burgundy or something rich and dark from the Rhone. The rest of us restless pleasure-seekers may see this as the year to doll up the Christmas dinner with exciting wines from the New World.
It's all about sunshine - a cheerful thought. Riper grapes make the red wines of Australia and the Americas a little sweeter, softer, rather less austere than those from the wine crucible of Europe. In the best quality bottlings, that ripe fruit comes through in intense, lush wines that have the double advantage of appealing to all and sundry and making the turkey taste better.
My number one nomination is Shiraz: its opulent, spicy fruit seems a far more natural partner for the bird than mere cranberry sauce. I like to think it may be enjoyed more here on Christmas Day than in its homeland. In their blistering December heat, the Aussies reach for sparkling Shiraz, a purple-red fizz like a second cousin twice removed of the real thing. We, meanwhile, can lap up the more familiar full-bodied version - powerful, rich, warming and precisely what we need.
But, whether you choose from Australia or California, Chile, Argentina or South Africa, there are plenty of other turkey-enhancers. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, even Zinfandel with its sweet, concentrated berry character, can bring out the best in the dear old bird and taste terrific - without inflating your entire Christmas budget to the indecent extent now true of good Bordeaux.
The other thing to bear in mind is that, the more innovative you are with your menu, in a modern global-cuisine kind of way (see John McKenna's inspired suggestions opposite), the better these wines will serve you. New World wines, on the whole, suit new
wave food. Their easy, approachable style gives them the kind of inbuilt versatility that's needed to blend happily with assertive flavours, often in complex combinations.
The notion of flexibility brings us on to the first course and its liquid requirements. Smoked salmon still seems to be the favourite in many households - but often it may appear with a couple of alternatives, so that pescaphobes don't go hungry. What wine is most likely to suit the salmon and pretty well anything else offered alongside it? You won't go far wrong with a New World Chardonnay, with light to medium oak to suit the salmon's woodsmoke tang, but also with the sort of acidity that mimics a squeeze of lemon.
Here's what Kathryn McWhirter has to say in Sainsbury's Pocket Food & Wine Guide: "Oaked California Chardonnay (the subtler the style the better) is a wonderful accompaniment to smoked salmon - the oak, the grape flavour and the buttery character of malolactic fermentation all blend in perfectly . . . Australian Chardonnays tend to be too brightly fruity." There are, however, some from New Zealand, South Africa and the cooler parts of Chile which should also do the trick. The other useful point to bear in mind about these middleweight New World Chardonnays is that white-wine-only drinkers can enjoy them with the turkey, too.
The same advice applies to the Christmas dinner wine as to the cooking. Don't get too steamed up about it. Although I've included a few gold-plated suggestions for tigers with cash to splash around, there's no need to spend a fortune in order to have something thoroughly enjoyable to drink. In fact, with elements of over-excitement, chaos and fatigue fighting for a place at most Christmas tables, the subtleties of very fine wines may turn out to be even more elusive than Santa. The main emphasis, in the list below, is on wines that will do the dinner justice at a reasonable price. With those things in their favour, they'll make foolproof last-minute presents too.
New World winners for the dinner
Flexible first-course whites
Wente Riva Ranch Reserve Chardonnay 1994 (Dunnes Stores, £6.99). Wondering whether this Californian might have peaked, I tried it a few evenings ago with smoked salmon and was proved a doubting idiot. A splendid match, buttery and gently oaky, with a lingering finish. Good value.
Veramonte Casablanca Valley Chardonnay 1996 (Oddbins £8.49) A wine with a split personality - made in Chile for a Californain winery - but it's all about harmony and quality. With a yeasty, mineral impact that's almost Burgundian, it develops into creamy richness with a firm, quite oaky and impressively long finish.
Villa Maria Private Bin Gis- borne Chardonnay 1996 (Vintry, Carvills, Gibneys and Shiels Malahide, Bennetts Howth, Martins Fairview, Gate Bar Limerick, Galvins Cork and other outlets, £8- £8.50). A true middleof-theroader from New Zealand, quite restrained compared with its opposite numbers in the rest of the New World but softer and riper than the old world cousins. A light brown sugar toastiness gives it smoked salmon cred.
Sebastiani Sonoma County Chardonnay 1995 (some Superquinns & SuperValus, Mortons, Deveneys Rosemount, Gibneys Malahide, usually £8.99). Back to California for another lightly toasted, creamy delight, with subtle, lingering flavours. Very appealing, very impressive. Look for the label with the big black S.
Olivet Lane Estate Russian River Valley Chardonnay, Pelligrini, 1993 (McCabes, £12.99). A super example of a mature Californian Chardonnay from a much vaunted cool-climate area. There's plenty of spicy oak here, beautifully integrated into a smooth, satisfying, stylish wine.
Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay 1996 (Foleys, Cooneys, Deveneys Balally, McCabes, Pielows Enniskerry, usually about £13.50; also Direct Wine Shipments Belfast). California shows Burgundy isn't a million miles away! This unusually reserved, minerally north American exerts a hold through lovely, lemony freshness, subtle spice and amazing length.
Pluck some bird-friendly reds
Peter Lehmann The Barossa Shiraz 1995 (Superquinn, Bennetts Howth, Lord Mayor Swords, SuperValu Killiney & Deansgrange, McCabes, Londis Liberties and other outlets, usually £7.99). Lehmann's Vine Vale Shiraz is amazing value at £5.99. For £2 more, you get this richer, rounder, more polished wine - also a cracking bargain. See Bottles of the Week.
Cline Ancient Vines Zinfandel 1995 (McCabes, £13.99. Here's a turkey-improver and a talking point: you can tell the maiden aunts the moment has come to embrace Zin and enjoy it. A terrifically flavoursome rendering of California's characterful native grape - lashings of dark berries, cloves and pepper with that hint of sweetness in the finish that benefits the bird.
St Hallett Old Block Barossa Valley Shiraz 1993 (Dunnes Stores Cornelscourt, St Stephen's Green, Blanchardstown, Donaghmede, Galway, Douglas Cork, £13.49). A great old favourite of mine - classic Australian Shiraz in the traditional Barossa style, rich and rewardingly complex. Supply is sadly limited: grab it while you can . . . Long Gully Pinot Noir, Yarra Valley, 1995 (Verlings, £13.99). New World Pinot is a good choice for anybody who finds Shiraz a bit blockbusterish. This one's sweetly seductive, with juicy cherry fruit perked up by a nice dart of pepper.
Wolf Blass Show Reserve Barossa Valley Old Vine Shiraz 1993 (Exclusive to Molloys, £14.99; delivery service nationwide, with a charge of £3 a bottle, £5 a case, tel 01 862 2467). At first you may think you've hit the dessert stage with a typically Blass big helping of blackberries, chocolate and cream, but a savoury element soon emerges in this powerfully structured wine from vines as old as your granny. If the turkey tastes as succulent, you'll be lucky. See Bottles of the Week. Yalumba Octavius Old Vine Shiraz 1992 (Terroirs, Foleys, Octavius Sligo, usually about £22). A high-octane treat for all tigers - or anybody else who feels the Christmas table deserves something really special. Australia's oldest family-owned winery decided about a decade ago to make a Shiraz as distinguished as the company history. This is it - a big, black beauty, suitably rich and utterly spellbinding.