Wines for Christmas Day

Christmas Day 2013: amazing.

One of the first jobs of the day is to get ready the wines that we shall drink with our Christmas Dinner. Here are what I have chosen for this year. The Hattenheimer Auslese is what we shall drink while we open presents later on, the St Aubin is to go with Smoked Salmon and Bressaola, and the Pichon-Longueville (1994, so nearly 20 years old now, and I think at its peak) will go with our roast goose. Lurking to the right is a decanter containing the 1963 Port (see entry for last Sunday) that my son Andrew and I have already separated from the heavy "crust" that has developed over 50 years!

After a good breakfast of Heston bacon, scrambled eggs and fresh-baked croissants we set about restoring or appetites by taking a walk in the local park (just behind our house). Here are my son and daughter-in-law on this Christmas morning.

On our return, we get at the presents. Here they are under the tree. Note that a "variac" is used to set the brightness of the small tree lights...

Brenda begins to distribute the presents until each person has his or her pile. Here is one of the very interesting presents that Andrew and Beth brought me from the USA: doctored and spiced American bourbons.

Now the table is set for the meal, with the decanted Pichon-Longueville already in place!

Perfectly cooked goose! Along with other vegetables, it will be served with superb roast potatoes cooked by Andrew, as he has a special recipe and a special knack for making them wonderfully crispy on the outside, and fluffy and perfect inside. Of course, the goose fat helps... Finally comes the flaming pudding — don't forget that I am a pyromaniac, and almost a licensed one as a part-time combustion chemist.

You may see further photographs from this day and the surrounding ones in this mini-gallery.