Which wine with carpaccio? Christmas dinner wine advice

Wine advice

Prices are indications per bottle; they vary by shop.

Smart up to €10

Light Italian red

Valpolicella (corvina)

Cherry fruit, little tannin.

Dry rosé

Rosé from Provence

Fresh, works with lemon and rocket.

Generous €10 to €25

Alsace pinot noir

Pinot noir from Alsace

Light, fresh and soft.

Italian sparkling wine

Franciacorta brut

Bubbles and acidity with the salty Parmesan.

All out from €25

Champagne

Champagne brut

Fresh and salt-friendly.

Red Burgundy

Village red Burgundy

Elegant, with fine tannins.

Why this wine?

Parmesan and beef bring umami and salt, rocket is bitter and lemon sharp. Bitterness and umami make tannin harsher, so choose a light red with little tannin, or a fresh rosé or sparkling wine.

What matters here

Umami makes wine taste more bitter, more astringent and less fruity. Young, fruity, low-tannin wine works best; salt in the dish helps.
Salt makes wine softer and fuller, and less bitter or astringent: salty dishes are easy to match.
Bitterness in food intensifies bitterness and tannin in the wine.
Acidity in food softens the acidity of the wine, which then seems sweeter and fruitier. A sharp dish does need a wine with enough acidity.

Better not

A firm, tannic red: rocket and Parmesan make it bitter and harsh.

← All Christmas dishes

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Wine with carpaccio