The best food and wine pairings with Swiss Christmas classics

Marc Almert, how can a guest score points with you when it comes to choosing a wine?

I like the person serving the wine to be able to tell a story about it. Maybe they were at an open cellar day or met the family who produce the wine. A personal connection with wine is always exciting.

What about an event like Christmas?

Before the festive season, we often think a lot about what we're going to eat. I think it's lovely that the host or hostess thinks just as much about what there will be to drink. And not just by buying a bottle at the supermarket at the last minute.

What is the golden rule for choosing a wine to accompany a dish?

You shouldn't serve a light wine with a heavy dish, and vice versa. It's difficult to drink a light, fruity Chasselas with an intense stew. If either the dish or the wine is too dominant, the other goes unnoticed. The wine and the dish should complement or even enhance each other.

Do you have any other advice?

You need to think about who you're expecting for Christmas. If the family is made up of wine lovers, I can suggest more specific wines, such as a natural wine. If it's a mixed group, I'd choose wines that appeal to a wide audience.

What's your best advice for food and wine pairings?

Don't let yourself be boxed in! The best advice I've ever received is to have a glass of wine and taste everything in the fridge. Whether it's a piece of cheese, ham, yoghurt, fruit or a carrot. That way, you quickly realise what works and what doesn't.

What are the most common food and wine pairing mistakes?

First of all, at Christmas, many people turn up the heat, which leads them to serve red wines too warm. They should therefore be put in the fridge briefly before serving. What's more, the wine should be served in a glass large enough to allow it to express itself. When it comes to food and wine matching, you can't really go wrong. There's a tendency to over-complicate things.

Let's take a few Swiss Christmas classics. What wine would you recommend for a Chinese fondue?

If you prefer white wine, I find Petite Arvine interesting, because it brings roundness and a certain herbaceous note. If you prefer red wine, I'd opt for a Syrah or a Cornalin.

What goes well with smoked salmon starters?

If you add crème fraîche to the salmon, I find Chardonnay very pleasant, for example from the Bündner Herrschaft. If you prefer them more full-bodied, Pinot Blanc or Pinot Gris may be interesting.

Tenderloin or ham en croûte are also very popular – which wine goes well with them?

Pinot Noir, especially if it has been lightly aged in barrel, could be a perfect match. I can also imagine a Humagne Rouge.

What dish do you serve Swiss sparkling wine with?

It goes well with shellfish-based starters, such as prawns. A sparkling wine can also be a surprising choice to accompany a terrine or pâté.

What do you serve Chasselas Vaudois with?

The classics are raclette or cheese fondue, but it can be combined with many other dishes. For example, a dish of earthy mushrooms. It goes perfectly with fish in sauce. And with light, toasty aromas, a ripe Chasselas is ideal.

What dish would you serve with a Pinot Noir from German-speaking Switzerland?

I can imagine the filet en croûte mentioned earlier. Or a classic Christmas bird.

And with a Petite Arvine from the Valais?

A starter that needs a little more flavour. Salmon or caviar, for example, if you want something very refined. It also goes well with dishes with fruity notes, such as a fruit salad.

What would you pair a Ticino Merlot with?

Grilled meat, fillet or steak, especially if the Merlot has been lightly matured in barrels.

With an Œil de Perdrix from the Three Lakes region?

If it's a light, young version, Œil de Perdrix is perfect as an aperitif. If it's fuller-bodied, it goes well with fish starters or vegetarian dishes.

And with a Gamay from Geneva?

Gamay is ideal for drinking red wine with fish - it's sufficiently fresh and low in tannin. It also goes well with light poultry dishes, such as chicken.

Do you have a tip for an unexpected pairing?

The many Swiss grape varieties are a real treasure trove. You could serve a Zurich Räuschling as an aperitif, a Completer with a strong fish dish or a Cornalin with a spicy meat dish. These rare grape varieties are full of surprises.

What wine do you personally drink at Christmas?

To open presents, I think sparkling wine is great. I particularly like the lightly barrique single-vineyard sparkling wines from Valais or Grisons. What I drink more often at Christmas than usual is sweet wine, for example with a good dessert or cheese platter.

Is it absolutely necessary to choose an exceptional wine for the festive season?

For a large table, it's certainly preferable for the wine not to be too expensive. Nobody should feel that they have to spend a lot of money on wine and have to find the right match. Christmas is all about conviviality, and we shouldn't complicate things unnecessarily.