Choosing the best wines to serve with Christmas lunch can send even the most dedicated connoisseur into a spin. Fear not: food & wine editor Emma Sleight and M&S wine expert Elizabeth Kelly have put together their perfect pairings to make your festive feast extra special From Scrooge’s celebratory meal with the Cratchits to feasts for Edwardian nobility at the start of the 20th century, it doesn’t get much more traditional than a roast turkey served with lashings of ruby-red cranberry sauce. The main thing to consider when pairing wine with turkey isn’t so much matching the meat itself but balancing the flavours of everything you have with it, from herb-rich stuffing to buttery sprouts and tangy cranberry sauce. Choose an oaked chardonnay with soft peach and citrus notes to complement the complexity of your Christmas plate – the fruity edge will cut through the sweet and salty side dishes without overpowering the delicate breast meat. “Reds can work with Spanish rioja with the

We Brits are so famous for our love of beef that the French term ‘les rosbifs’ became synonymous with Englishmen in the 18th century – we’ll pretend it was a term of endearment. Today, it’s the dish of choice for American festive tables and is growing in popularity over here, too. It’s easy to go big and bold when matching wine to beef. An elegantly spicy châteauneuf-du-pape is the natural partner for a succulent rib joint. what red wine goes best with indian foodHowever, a rich, tender rump cut calls for something a little more subtle, such as a smooth, rounded primitivo from Puglia.best wine bars nyc 2015 make the most of abuy california wine australia roast joint or rib” A favourite for Easter Sunday lunch and spring feasts, lamb also works well at Christmas – especially when cooked with the classic festive flavours of redcurrants and rosemary in our easy-carve stuffed leg, or slow-cooked with warming winter vegetables like our gastro lamb shanks.

Choose a juicy, berry-rich red with jammy undertones and a slightly higher than average level of acidity that will cut through the fattiness of lamb. You can’t go far wrong with an elegant Bordeaux blend of merlot or the blackcurranty depth of a New World cabernet sauvignon from Australia. “Not a red wine drinker? is a delicious match for Sweet, blush-baked gammon has long been a traditional choice for Boxing Day lunch, but there’s no reason a juicy joint of pork can’t be your Christmas centrepiece. British-bred and outdoor-reared, our pork makes a family-pleasing feast. A plump loin coated in a golden jacket of crackling is best accompanied by a glass of chilled white with a sharp-sweet palate of tropical fruit, like an aged American pinot gris. If you’re serving gammon in a sticky sauce such as our sugar-baked version, choose a wine that will slice through the salty sweetness – try a carmenère, a black cherry-based red with just a touch of spice.

“You can pair red, WHITE or rosé with pork, as long as you I never thought I would say this but I am forever going to make . Then we picked up a 13 pounder to make today but I decided by the time all the pictures are taken and edited it would be Tuesday or Wednesday and that just wouldn't due, since I know a few readers are making this for Thanksgiving and might be thankful for better instructions then my 2011 musings. (If turkey over hangs roasting pan place a cookie sheet underneath to help catch drips.) If you make the mixture ahead of time you'll want to make sure the butter is at room temperature before using so it's easy to spread. Tie Legs together, secure rear skin flap of turkey, and tuck wings under turkey. SUPER JUICY TURKEY BAKED IN CHEESECLOTH AND WHITE WINE prep time:cook time:total time: 1 whole Turkey (Preferable fresh and all natural not injected with any solution.) 1/2 cup Butter, Melted 2 cups Dry White Wine

2 cups Chicken Or Turkey Stock 1 cup Butter, Softened 2 tablespoons Fresh Sage, Stem Removed and Chopped 2 tablespoons Fresh Rosemary, Stem Removed and Chopped 1 tablespoon Fresh Thyme, Stem Removed and Chopped 1 whole Lemon, Zested (Preferably Organic) 4 cloves Garlic, Minced 3 teaspoons Sea Salt 2 yards Cheesecloth, 100% Cotton Lint Free For Cooking (Usually found near the baking twin and baking utensils at the grocery store.) Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Use paper towels and dry turkey well. Place turkey into roasting pan. Add 2 cup water to the bottom of the roasting pan. Combine melted butter white wine and stock in a medium sized saucepan. Combined softened butter, sage, rosemary, thyme, lemon zest, garlic, and sea salt. Mix until well combined. Rub 2/3 of the softened butter and herb mixture under the skin over the turkey breast and drumsticks. Be careful not to rip the skin. Spread remaining butter over the top of turkey skin.

If stuffing turkey, stuff at this time and tie legs together and and secure skin flap in back. If not stuffing add onions, garlic, 1 lemon cut in half, carrots and celery to the cavity of turkey for extra flavor. Tie legs together, secure skin flap in back and tuck wings under turkey. Take cheesecloth and fold large enough to cover top and sides of turkey. Dip cheese cloth into white wine/butter mixture and cover the top and sides of the turkey with cheesecloth. Heat butter/white wine mixture on low to warm and use for basting. When butter white wine mixture runs low use pan juices. Place turkey in oven and baste every 20 minutes until thigh meat registers 180-185 degrees F and if stuffed stuffing needs to register at 165 degrees F. Allow any where from 15 to 20 minutes per pound if stuffed, a little bit less for unstuffed. About 7-7 1/2 hours for a 29 pound turkey. Remove cheesecloth 30-45 minutes before removing from oven and baste well to brown skin. If cheesecloth is sticking baste it well to loosen it from the skin.