Nikolaus – or Saint Nicolas, Sinterklaas, Saint Nicolas – traditionally leaves chocolates, fruit and nuts when he visits houses on 6 December but if he were to leave wine instead, what bottles would we like him to leave. We take a look at the traditions surrounding Saint Nicholas Day and suggest some bottles suitable for the occasion.
What is Saint Nicholas Day and how is it celebrated?
Saint Nicholas traditions vary across Europe, with Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, and France each preserving distinct customs rooted in local culture and folklore. In German-speaking countries, he is known as Nikolaus, in the Netherlands, it’s Sinterklaas who comes to visit from Spain, and in parts of France, Saint Nicolas is joined by the villainous Père Fouettard. Children in these countries tend to put out boots they’ve diligently cleaned and polished, which Saint Nicholas fills with the likes of nuts, chocolate, mandarins and little gifts when he visits on either the evening of 5 December or the morning of 6 December depending on the country. In some traditions, the goodwilled Nikolaus is joined by a counterpart who ‘punishes’ naughty children. This is Krampus, a horned figure, in Austria, Knecht Ruprecht in Germany and Père Fouettard in France.
The day marks an important date in the festive calendar for those who celebrate. The varying traditions across European cultures show how each one preserve the legend of Saint Nicholas, who was an early Christian bishop known for his generosity to those in need and his love of children. He is also the patron saint of sailors and this side of him is what’s celebrated in Greece.
What wine would be suitable for Nikolaus to leave?
As a few of us at iDealwine mark Nikolaus ourselves, we thought about the wines that he could bring along with him, if we had been good enough this year.
Wine that goes wonderfully with chocolate
This is a rather broad category, so we’re going to propose a wine for each type of chocolate as we all have our favourites.
Dark chocolate: When chocolate has 70% or more cocoa, you want to avoid wines that are very tannic and dry. So here a lovely Ruby Port would be perfect. It’s rich, sweet, fruity profile complements the intense, slightly bitter chocolate.
Milk chocolate: Shiraz – especially one from Australia – would be the bottle of choice for milk chocolate. The rich jammy red wine with its mild tannins can handle the slightly sweeter milk chocolate.
White chocolate: White chocolate being so sweet and creamy means we’ll need a wine with at least some sweetness. This is why we think a demi-sec rosé Champagne would make the perfect pairing for it. The acidity will keep the palate fresh, and it will not be overpowered by the chocolate’s sweetness. Each bubble will also impart red fruit flavours, which go wonderfully with this type of chocolate.
Bottles of wine to serve with nuts
If you find nuts in your boots after Saint Nicholas has been, there are many options; it all depends on the types of nuts. Almonds or marzipan-based treats would be complemented by an off-dry Riesling because this nut pairs beautifully with aromatic, slightly sweet wines which highlight the almond’s floral and nutty notes. Walnuts and hazelnuts, on the other hand, would call for a Sherry, especially an Amontillado or Oloroso one. This fortified wine is known for its nutty flavours along with touches of caramel which would enhance these nuts.
Say that you have been given a nut and chocolate mix, well, then a decadent Zinfandel is the bottle you’ll want to be reaching for. The chocolate in the mix requires a richer wine with more body and dash of sweetness and this wine serves just that.
Wine pairing ideas for mandarins
Being a bright, sweet and slightly acidic fruit, we would want a wine that complements these aspects of it without being overwhelmed by too much alcohol. This is where a Moscato d’Asti comes into play. It’s a gentle sweet sparkling wine with floral and citrus notes that complement the flavours of the mandarin beautifully. Another option would be a Gewürztraminer. This wine, typically off-dry with flavours of lychee, rose and spices, would match the sweet side of the mandarin and has enough acidity within it to not be overwhelmed by the fruit’s own acidity.
Now, if you were going to take the mandarins left by Nikolaus and use them as the basis for a dessert, a whole new world of wines opens up. For example, we could lean towards Eiswein, late-harvest Riesling such as a Spätlese, or a Sauternes if the dessert is rich enough. If you were to make a mandarin cheesecake, the star pairing would be a Tokaji 5 Puttonyos Aszú as its apricot and orange peel flavours are magical with creamy citrus desserts. Meanwhile, a mandarin pavlova – which could be the perfect dessert over the festive season – calls for bubbles! A demi-sec Champagne or a demi-sec Vouvray from the Loire Valley would be the cherry on top.
Now we just have to wait to see if Saint Nicholas thinks we’ve been good enough to deserve something this December.
