Wines to drink with turkey curry – Christmas leftovers
From the juicy red fruit of a Spanish Mencía to the exotic spice of Pinot Gris, Fiona Beckett talks you through pairings for turkey leftovers in this classic article from our archive - with new wine recommendations.
If you’ve gone for the traditional turkey in 2021 and are considering how to use those leftovers, then here is some pairing advice, including ideas for matching wines with turkey curry.
Wines with turkey curry: styles to try
- Viognier
- Riesling
- Pinot Gris
- Full-bodied rosé
Wines for turkey leftovers in general
- Chardonnay or Chenin Blanc with creamy dishes
- Pinot Noir, Gamay or Spanish Mencia with cold turkey, pickles and chutney
Scroll down for wine recommendations
Curry is a great, warming choice for this time of year, but remember you’ll be entering a different register wine-wise if you go down this road.
If you crave the zesty flavours of citrus and spice after days of rich eating, you’ll also no doubt fancy a brighter zestier wine.
For me that means an aromatic white wine. Try something like a Viognier if you’ve given the turkey the korma treatment, or a Clare Valley Riesling.
You could also opt for a Pinot Gris from New Zealand’s Marlborough region if you’ve taken it more in a south-east Asian direction with a Thai green curry. The exotic spices in the wine should work wonders.
Off-dry Riesling – with just a touch of sweetness married to the natural acidity of this variety – is also widely regarded by sommeliers as a good match with dishes that have a bit of heat, as this recent Decanter guide on pairing wine with spicy food shows.
Strong, fruity rosés can handle a fair bit of spice, too.
Going cold turkey with wine
Cold Boxing Day turkey is undoubtedly the simplest and the least demanding way you’ll serve leftovers, unless you go into overdrive with the pickles and chutneys.
Without them you should enjoy a youthful red Burgundy or cru Beaujolais.
If chutneys and pickles are in the mix, then a riper, more robustly fruity Pinot Noir from, say, California, Oregon or New Zealand would probably work better.
Or, if you want to break out of the classic mould, try something else exuberantly juicy like a Mencía from Bierzo or an Austrian Blaufränkisch.
Turkey in a creamy sauce
If your turkey is smothered in a creamy sauce, as in a turkey pot pie or that rich retro favourite turkey divan, I’d go for a subtly oaked Chardonnay or rich old vine Chenin Blanc from South Africa. Chardonnay, as I’m sure you all know, loves cream.
And with a turkey hash? Well if you’ve jambalayed it up with a bit of spice and sausage then it’s back to the reds, I reckon. A simple Syrah/Shiraz or a young Rioja should do nicely.
The golden rule
As with so many other dishes, it’s the flavours you put with turkey that dictate the match.
Fiona Beckett’s website is matchingfoodandwine.com. This article was first published in 2016 and updated in December 2021 by Ines Salpico, including new wine tasting notes from Decanter experts (see below).
Decanter Premium is the perfect last-minute gift for wine lovers
Expert reviews of wines to match with turkey curry:
Recommendations by Decanter’s editorial team.
Wines grouped by style and ordered by score, in descending order.
Related articles
Wine with lamb at Christmas
Seasonal buys: best-value wines for Christmas
Dr Loosen, Erdener Treppchen Riesling Kabinett, Mosel, Germany, 2019
93
The flute-shaped bottle looks incredible in magnum format, a real treat for the festive season, even if it is a nightmare to fit in the fridge. This medium-dry wine (44g/L residual sugar) is from vines grown in iron-rich, red slate soils. It’s gorgeously fleshy with peachy, apple and floral notes, but light-footed at the same time. The low alcohol, touch of sweetness and generosity of fruit would make it the perfect pairing for panettone on Christmas morning.
2019
Dr Loosen
Domaine Saint Gayan, L’Oratory, Côtes du Rhône Villages, Sablet, Rhône, France, 2020
92
If you have a white Châteauneuf-du-Pape palate but not a Châteauneuf budget, this luxuriantly creamy, peachy Côtes du Rhône from Sablet should tick all the right boxes. With turkey, the classic white blend of mostly Viognier and Clairette with Bourboulenc, Grenache Blanc and Roussanne is, I think, better than perfumed Viognier alone, having more structure. Delicious now, but worth tucking away a couple of bottles for next Christmas, too.
2020
Domaine Saint GayanCôtes du Rhône Villages
Stepp, Riesling S, Kallstadter Saumagen, Pfalz, Germany, 2020
91
Always a reliable buy from M&S – delicious young and fresh, but will mature gracefully in the cellar too. Nicely dry on the structured palate but packed with candied lemon peel, tangy grapefruit and green mangoes. Mouthwatering acidity cleanses through the long finish. In store only.
2020
Stepp
Alma de Cattleya, Chardonnay, Sonoma County, California, USA, 2019
91
Alma means soul and Cattleya is the national flower of Colombia, birthplace of French-trained winemaker Bibiana González Rave. When on special, this is a great-value Chardonnay, boasting smooth, succulent pear, honeyed peach, vanilla and jasmine notes with caramel popcorn notes from 15 months on lees in French oak barrels.
2019
Alma de CattleyaSonoma County
Marjan Simcic, Classic Pinot Grigio, Goriska Brda, Slovenia, 2019
90
Pink-hued with a nose of ripe peach and yellow apple, plus a touch of flint. Grapefruit and green apple on the palate, backed by dried apricot and cinnamon. Marmalade and melon-like sweetness linger. Aged on its lees for six months.
2019
Marjan Simcic
Lamoresca, Rosato, Sicily, Italy, 2020
92
A truly delicious Rosato with intensity of flavour, tannic grip and taught acidity all in perfect balance. A blend of equal parts Nero d’Avola and Frappato, fermented with a pied de cuve of Zibbibo (Moscato) and then aged for eight months in concrete tanks. It has all the wild fruit forwardness of Nero d’Avola and the fresh tautness of Frappato, lined by subtle herbaceousness and mouth-watering blood-orange zing. Lingering flavours of pomegranate and pink grapefruit, supported by crunchy acidity.
2020
Lamoresca
Alain Graillot, Encinas, Bierzo, Spain, 2016
93
The latest international venture for the northern Rhône’s Graillot family sees Antoine Graillot join Spain’s Raúl Pérez to craft this meaty, pure-fruited Mencía. Wild fennel joins tart plums and cherries on an inky, earthy palate. Elegantly rustic, with sappy tannins and savoury acidity.
2016
Alain Graillot
Jim Barry, Lodge Hill Shiraz, Clare Valley, South Australia, Australia, 2018
92
Perfumed dark cherry and blackcurrant, with vanilla seeds and clove spices on the nose due to 12 months of French oak maturation. An explosion of blueberry juice and cassis on the palate, with wood spices and vanilla, balanced by fresh acidity and soft-grained tannins. An opulent and elegant Shiraz from the Clare Valley, providing great value.
2018
Jim Barry
The Society's, Beaujolais Villages, Burgundy, France, 2020
90
Textbook Beaujolais-Villages made with fruit from five respected growers and blended over Zoom during lockdown – Wine Society buyer Tim Sykes worked remotely with the winemaker, tasting samples at his kitchen table. It just shows what can be achieved with remote working! Ripe black and red fruit flavours with a good freshness and immediate appeal. Good value.
2020
The Society's
Leyda, Reserva Pinot Noir, Leyda Valley, San Antonio, Chile, 2020
89
Elegant and great value Pinot Noir from Valle de Leyda, with vibrant acidity and lovely freshness of fruit. Blackberry, blackcurrant and sour cherry are topped by a hint of dried herbs - all underscored by a mineral backbone. Medium, refreshing finish.
2020
LeydaLeyda Valley
Georg Preisinger, Ried Ungerberg Blaufränkisch, Neusiedlersee, Burgenland, Austria, 2017
89
Pure and elegant example of Blaufränkisch displaying seductive and graceful aromas of ripe cherries, dark plums and blackberry jam. On the palate its attractive fruit is underpinned by round tannins and vibrant freshness. It is soft and juicy with moderate concentration of fruit and attractive savoury complexity.
2017
Georg Preisinger
Tesco, Finest Central Otago Pinot Noir, Central Otago, New Zealand, 2019
89
Villa Maria is the brand behind this Tesco own-label. It's not the most structured or complex Otago Pinot you'll come across, but it's well made, with attractive red berry fruit flavours and oak spice from 10 months in barrel before bottling. Elegant and easy drinking.
2019
Tesco
