PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

December and January are mainly about celebrating Christmas, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Eve with loved ones. At Christmas we commemorate the birth of Jesus. Interestingly, the word ‘wine’ appears 172 times in the Bible, where it symbolizes prosperity and progress. As a young company, we value sustainability and this year we are introducing beautiful wooden gift boxes from Italy. Our company supports an ecosystem that plants several trees for every tree that is cut down. In addition, we offer glasses made from recycled wine bottles. Both initiatives fit perfectly within our values ​​and standards for the future of our planet.

Did you know that we offer a wide range of non-alcoholic drinks? We invite you to enjoy both reading and tasting pleasure.

On behalf of the entire Santé team, we wish you a festive time!

APERITIF

There's nothing more fun during the holidays than enjoying a glass of champagne or a nice glass of bubbly with friends and family, toasting with the wise word 'Santé'.

LEQUART BLANC DE NOIRS EXTRA BRUT

This champagne was composed by Laurent Lequart, Dries and Benoît. We resolutely chose an extra Brut, composed of 100% pinot meunier grapes. This champagne is fine and dry and is therefore ideal to enjoy as an aperitif. The fine pearls ensure that the taste buds are stimulated and our hunger is aroused.

Crémant de Jura Bourdy “Blanc de Blancs” Brut

Fine Crémant based on 100% Chardonnay grapes. The Bourdy family has now started the 16th generation as a family domain. This fine bubble is a delight for the taste palette. Ideal with oysters, rillette of smoked eel/trout or simply to share with each other and to toast.

TIPS FROM BENOÎT:

- Place the champagne or crémant in the refrigerator 2 hours in advance.

- When opening, keep the cork away from your guests (safety).

- Remove the cork and muselet from the bottle together.

- Gently turn the bottle and with a light counter-pressure you can elegantly unscrew the cork.

- Dry the bottle thoroughly before opening

- Serve in a champagne glass

PARTY DISHES

DEER WITH GAME SAUCE, CARAMELIZED CHICORY AND WILDFLOWER MUSHROOMS

Tips/facts from Benoît:

- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees

- season the meat with salt and pepper beforehand

- fry the meat in the pan on both sides

- Then place it in the oven for another 4 minutes, with a knob of butter.

Wine suggestion:

Red: Domaine les Davids 100% syrah Vaucluse France.

Red: La Madrugada cabernet franc Mendoza Argentina

CHRISTMAS TURKEY WITH WINTER GARNITURES

Tips/facts from Benoît:

- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees

- Crust the turkey in the oven and then turn the oven to 170 degrees

- Regularly pour the roasting juices over the turkey for a crispy crust

- Allow for a cooking time of 40 minutes per kg (weigh your turkey in advance to determine this)

- After roasting, remove from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes

- Use the gravy for your sauce and mix with kitchen cream and finish with some chilled butter cubes. Freshly fried Parisian mushrooms in the sauce and season with salt and pepper according to personal taste.

- As a classic garnish you can choose croquettes, chicory, apple with cranberries

- Make sure you put everything on oven dishes as much as possible, so you can party with your guests

Wine suggestion:

Red: Marc Josten pinot noir Ahr Germany

Red: Domaine Lou Doumont pinot noir Burgundy France (only available in our physical store)

WILD RAGOUT WITH FRESH CROQUETTES

Tips/facts from Benoît:

- choose quality game that improves the taste

- season the meat with salt and pepper beforehand

- simmer for 2 hours on a low heat

- bake the fresh croquettes for 4 to 5 minutes at 175 degrees

Wine suggestion:

Red: Nittardi Casanuova di Nittardi 'Vigna Doghessa' Tuscany Italy

Red : Raymond Usseglio 'Les Claux' Côte du Rhône France

RACLETTE

Tips/facts from Benoît:

- choose semi-soft cheeses such as a Swiss Gruyère

- Provide 200 gr per person

- heat your device for about 15 minutes before use

- in addition to the cheese, you can also provide baguettes and charcuterie

- did you know that the word raclette comes from the French word Racler, which means to scrape

- The recipe originated in 1574 in the Swiss canton of Valais

Wine suggestion:

White: Jean Bourdy savagnin Jura France

Red: Vino Prior Lucas Habemus tinto Bairrada Portugal

GOURMET

Tips/facts from Benoît:

- choose quality meat, fish or vegetarian alternatives

- provide enough vegetables (mushrooms, peppers, cherry tomatoes, green asparagus, etc.)

- different sauces on the table (garlic sauce, cocktail sauce or whatever you want)

- It is nice to provide salad with pesto and mozzarella, for example)

- Some French bread and a boiled baby potato are a must

- Some fat (olive oil and butter) to grease the pans

- Preheat your appliance for 15 minutes and sprinkle the top plate with some salt to prevent sticking.

Wine suggestion:

white: Bodegas Pardevalles Carroléon Blanco Barricca Castilla y Léon Spain

red: Corte Sant'Alda Valpolicella Veneto Italy

FONDUE

Tips/facts from Benoît:

• The word fondue comes from the French 'Fondre'
• The cheeses that were made in the summer and hard in the winter were melted into a kind of cheese soup, together with some milk and kirsch
• We have cheese fondue (melted cheese + baguette), meat fondue and fish fondue, both fried in warm grape seed oil etc.
• Heat the oil to 180 degrees and fill the pot about ⅓ full
• Make sure your meat pieces are not too large, so that they can cook evenly.

Wine suggestion:

cheese fondue: Thierry Drouin Mâcon-Villages Burgundy France

meat fondue: Nittardi Ad astra Maremma Tuscany Italy

fish fondue: Aurore Dezat Sancerre 'Les Chasseignes' Loire France

BAKED SCALLOPS WITH RISOTTO

Tips/facts from Benoît:

• Buy your scallops at a local specialist fishmonger
• Fry these very briefly in hot oil, on a plate or grilling is also an option
• Place this in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for a maximum of 3 to 5 minutes.
• Stew your risotto in some butter, shallot and a clove of garlic
• Add some fish stock little by little until the risotto is al dente
• Fry the wild mushrooms in some shallot and butter and add some finely chopped chives after frying
• Let the mushrooms drain on some kitchen paper
• Serve this alongside the risotto so you can fully enjoy this delicacy

Wine suggestion:

White: Stift Göttweig Pfaffenberg riesling Kremstal Austria

White : Maison Lou Doumont Bourgogne blanc France (only available in our physical store)

Christmas card/Ice cream cake

Tips/facts from Benoît:

• store the cake in a dry place
• The ice cream cake in the freezer (remove 20 minutes before use)
• For the ice cream cake, soak your knife under warm water and dry it, then cut it immediately

Wine suggestion:

White : Châteu Montdoyen 'Femme je vous aime' Monbazillac South West France

With this blog we want to give you some inspiration for the upcoming holidays. Of course you may have a wonderful family recipe or you are going to pick something up from your caterer. We are happy to help you with the perfect wine combination, welcome to our store or webshop. As sommeliers we go that extra mile to ensure you and your guests can enjoy our fine wines without any worries during the holidays.

Cheers! Cheers! Cheers!

Let the party begin 🙂