Christmas Pudding With Sparkling Wine

Welcome to Christmas, the festivities are well underway and the countdown is nearing an end, one of the hallmarks of the Christmas Season is Christmas Pudding, loved or hated by the public, it is a part of Christmas that originated from the Medieval times.

Christmas Pudding’s Delicious History

The loved and traditional Christmas Pudding is a hallmark of the British Christmas season, with it then spanning out to a variety of other countries over the years.

Rewinding all the way back to Medieval England, we’ll find the earliest recipes, which normally included dried fruit, breadcrumbs, suet, flour, eggs and spice with either milk or fortified wine. The first time it was referred to as Christmas Pudding was in an 1845 cookery book, by Eliza Acton, it was called Modern Cookery for Private Families.

It has a second name, Plum Pudding, the word Plum referred to what we now call raisin since the 18th century.

Although now widely sold in supermarkets across the country, some households still hold up the tradition with their own family recipes which have been passed down through generations.

The Christmas Pudding (although not called that yet) made its way to America before the War of Independence, the first Christmas Pudding-like recipe was published in a book by Helen Bullock, in 1742, entitled  The Williamsburg Art of Cookery, the recipe included dried fruits, sugar, candied peel, brandy and 12 eggs.

Like most occurrences in history, myths and legends begin to surface, this myth has the Plum Pudding associated with Christmas as far back at Medieval England, with the pudding needing to be created on the 25th Sunday after Trinity, prepared with 13 ingredients representing Christ and the 12 apostles, and then every family member stirs it in turn from east to west to honour the Magi and their journey in that direction.

One unsubstantiated, but still very popular myth is that in 1714, George I of Great Britain, occasionally referred to as the Pudding King, requested that plum pudding be added and served as part of his royal feast on his first Christmas in England.

The Sparkling Wine

They started with the goal to not produce another copy of Champagne, but to stay true to themselves and produce something new and distinctive. They accomplished their mission with their Josipović Sparkling Wines, displaying high quality, with the unique and recognizable characters that they were after, they have three Sparkling Wine labels on offer, with some amazing and easy-to-remember names – Time, Jazz and Tango.

Time uses the Merlot Grape and presents it in a different way, it has a lovely striking ruby red colour and has the great potential to be enjoyed alongside many different Christmas treats over the festive season, pairing wonderfully with Christmas Pudding and offering a delicious combination with roast dinner, with Chicken or Turkey.

Vitis Vinogradarstvo i Vinarstvo – Josipović Time – Tasting Notes

Aroma – “Red berries, raspberries, strawberries, mulled wine, sweet woody spices, earthy, and Christmassy on the aroma.”

Flavour – “A similar expression, sweet woody spices with red berries, cranberries, hints of blackberries as well on the palate, this tastes like a part of Christmas and would pair very nicely with some festive foods.”

Silver Medal Winner in the Spring Fling Category at the Glass of Bubbly Awards 2022

Christmas Pudding with Sparkling Wine

Pairing Experience – “The Sparkling Wine comes in and overlays the Pudding by adding in some lovely red berries and sweet woody spice notes, then near the close the Christmas Pudding comes back into play with those added notes from the Sparkling Wine blending within, enhancing the pudding.”