We’ve talked about great Filipino food and wine pairings before, but we find there’s really no better time to bust out a bottle of wine than when the family’s all together celebrating Christmas—and in the Philippines, that means plenty of traditional Noche Buena food dishes come out of the kitchen and onto our plates.

We asked our resident wine expert Chie Gaerlan her natural wine picks for all our classic Noche Buena eats, from Christmas ham and macaroni salad to Pinoy spaghetti and bibingka! 

Christmas Ham

Is it really Noche Buena without a round, perfectly-cured Christmas ham in a sweet pineapple glaze? Also called hamon de bola, you can expect every bite to be a bit sweet, smoky, and salty from that cured pork and fruity sauce. Put all these together, and you have something that can be tricky to pair with wine, with different aspects calling for both a red and a white.

“When in doubt, orange wine gets you the best of both worlds and actually makes a great pairing with hamon de bola,” explains Chie. “These are basically white wines made like reds, so they have enough tannins to stand up to the pork, but also have the acidity of a white. Even more uniquely, it’ll often have spice notes, which go well with the mix often used for hamon.” 

Must-Try Wine Pairing for Christmas Ham: Metamorphika Muscat Orange 2022

Queso de Bola

Christmas ham isn’t the only thing round in a Noche Buena spread: there’s also queso de bola, the Filipino style of Edam cheese, made into a ball and coated in bright red wax. It’s nutty and salty, with a semi-hard texture good for snacking on its own when midnight strikes or sliced between some hamon de bola and pandesal on Christmas morning.

That said, it’s a versatile cheese that works well with many different wines. To really bring out its best, however, Chie recommends a good pet nat—or petillant natural, the world’s oldest  and wildest style of sparkling wine. She explains, “Our Va-Llena x Jonas Pet Nat in particular has a refreshing acidity that cuts through the fattiness and saltiness of the cheese, but also has some creamy notes to mirror the cheese’s.”

Must-Try Wine Pairing for Quezo de Bola: Va-Llena x Jonas Pet Nat 2022.

Pinoy Spaghetti

It may not be Italian-approved, but Pinoy spaghetti remains one of the Philippines’ ultimate comfort foods, present at every family party or special occasion. Made with hotdogs, tomato sauce, banana ketchup, and ground beef, it’s distinctively sweet and meaty! And while it does have humble origins, you can actually make it shine with the right wine—one that can take both the beef and the sweetness, like a sparkling red or rosé.

“It’s perfect with Vinyes Tortuga’s Juicy,” says Chie. “It’s a fruity, fizzy, light-hearted red that doesn’t take itself too seriously. It has enough punch and a bit of spice to go with our Filipinized version of a spaghetti Bolognese”

Must-Try Wine Pairing for Pinoy Spaghetti: Vinyes Tortuga Juicy 2021.

Lechon

If there was any one Filipino dish synonymous with “celebration,” it is lechon. Nothing gets friends and family excited like a slow-roasted, golden brown, tender-crispy pig—ideally stuffed with herbs and spices for maximum flavor. Already a staple at any birthday and reunion, t’s a shoo-in for any Noche Buena menu. And if you really want to go all out, it’s best with an appropriate wine.

“I would pair this with a light red like the Zeroine GaCha,” says Chie.  “This extremely gluggable red has a refreshing acidity that is the perfect foil for the crispy lechon skin but also has a tinge of herbaceousness which can go well with the lemongrass, garlic, leeks and bay leaves that are usually used to prepare this glorious centerpiece of every Filipino holiday table.”

Must-Try Wine Pairing for Lechon: Zeroine Gacha 2019

Macaroni Salad

You’ll find macaroni salad around the world, but that extra creamy, sweet and savory version whipped up for Christmas gatherings has a special place in our hearts—some with chicken and ham, others with cheese and even crushed pineapple and raisins.

“A lot of macaroni salad can feel heavy on the mouth after a while, so you need something with good acidity that’s still light,” explains Chie. “A wine like Jean-Claude Lapalu’s Beaujolais Villages Blanc could cut through the richness of the cream, while also giving you floral and tropical notes to match the fruit in the salad.

Must-Try Wine Pairing for Pinoy Macaroni Salad: Jean-Claude Lapalu Beaujolais Village Blanc 2020.

Chicken Relleno

While there are many Filipino dishes that are definitely festive, few create a warm feeling of nostalgia the way chicken relleno, also known as chicken galantina, does. Seldom seen in restaurants, it is a holiday centerpiece that’s a serious labor of love (and often a family member’s culinary showcase): a deboned whole chicken is marinated in soy sauce and calamansi, then stuffed with a meaty embutido and hardboiled eggs, before being baked golden.

A showstopper like this deserves a good wine to compliment it—but while many would immediately pull out a white wine, this is a unique dish that calls for a light red.

“Aristotelis ke Anthoula’s Little Red is actually very light and can go with lighter fare,” explains Chie. “It also has red berry notes and a certain zippiness mimicking ketchup, which actually compliments a relleno very well.”

Must-Try Wine Pairing for Chicken Relleno: Aristotelis ke Anthoula Little Red 2023.

Caldereta

For many families, caldereta is a mainstay in their Noche Buena spreads, be it with beef or even the traditional goat. Meaty and made extra hearty with tomatoes, potatoes, olives, and a bit of liver paste, it’s best enjoyed with steaming hot rice—and even a glass of wine, to make things more festive.

Here, the classic red meat with red wine gets its day in the sun. “Andrea Calek’s Chatons de Garde is a wine meant to be enjoyed with something rich, comforting, and slightly spicy,” describes Chie. “This is exactly what you get in a bowl of caldereta. Match made in culinary heaven!”

Must-Try Wine Pairing for Caldereta: Andrea Calek Chatons de Garde 2019.

Bibingka and Puto Bumbong

Though you can get good bibingka and puto bumbong in the Philippines any time of year, everyone knows these kakanin treats are on another level when the holidays come around—even better if you’re picking them up from vendors outside a church after midnight mass! Buttery bibingka cooked over coals in a claypot and fragrant puto bumbong steamed in bamboo are about as Christmassy as food can get. And while one could enjoy this with coffee or classic tsokolate, a glass of the right wine creates a new kind of experience with them.

“I would suggest the Arbois Blanc ‘Les Brulees’,” says Chie. “It has this gunpowder-like minerality and buttery notes that make it a good match with bibingka or freshly-made puto bumbong: a sweet and savory combination that will definitely be a hit after Simbang Gabi!”

Must-Try Wine Pairing for Bibingka and Puto Bumbong: Sas Vins Fabrice Dodane Arbois Blanc “Les Brulees” 2018

Where to buy natural wine in Metro Manila

Looking to make your Noche Buena more special? Natural wine is especially food-friendly, and makes a great pair with many Filipino dishes, especially classics that come out during the holidays. (Super)Natural is the best natural wine store in Metro Manila, with hundreds of different bottles—red, white, orange, rosé, and sparkling—from well-respected vignerons from around the world. That includes makers from famous wine-producing countries like France, Spain, Italy, and Australia to even exciting new regions in Japan, Austria, and the Czech Republic.

Shop natural wine at supernaturalwine.ph. Same-day delivery available for Metro Manila orders placed weekdays before 2 PM.