The Christmas menu is always difficult to decide: tradition or novelty? Local or global? Decorations yes or no? Don't panic: for a delicious and successful Christmas at the table, here are the instructions for use signed by Ghiotto Galfrè!

Christmas is approaching: time for presents, small family gatherings and festive menus to be prepared in advance. Like every year, the choice of dishes to present is always difficult. Do you want to reintroduce traditional classics, experiment or choose something in between? And what about the decorations on the table? And which wines should be served with which dishes? Don't worry: this year, with our advice, Christmas will be Ghiotto and successful. Ready to take notes?

Instructions for a Festive Christmas: 5 things to do for a successful table

1 - What to put (and what not to put) on the table

When the guests arrive at home for Christmas Eve dinner or Christmas lunch, how will you welcome them? There are several schools of thought, which include the use of decorations and elements on the table that help create a more pronounced festive spirit. Our advice? Here it is!

Candles: yes before lunch, no during lunch. Candles look great and set the mood, but if the table isn't huge they can get in the way of plates, glasses, bottles and serving dishes. So yes to candles before lunch, but when you sit down at the table it's best to remove them to make room for the food.

Branches, twigs, pine cones, statuettes: decorative elements on the table can contribute to the atmosphere... as long as leaves and twigs don't end up on the lasagna or in the Giardiniera! Again, yes to a few decorative elements, but they should be minimal. No life-size reindeer statues as a centrepiece, for example!

Colours: whatever colour you want, it's perfect for the Christmas table. The important thing is to have harmony. No blue napkins, green plates, yellow tablecloth and cork coasters, for example! Harmony: choose a few colours and coordinated elements. The table will also be a pleasure to look at.

2 - Resist the temptation of an overly rich menu

It's tough: choosing a few starters is much more difficult than proposing lots of starters! Don't offer too many hors d'oeuvres: choose two or three at the most. Tip? Offer a trio of mushrooms. Choose mushrooms in oil and present them in colourful and inviting variations. Ghiotto Galfrè Whole Porcini mushrooms in oil are perfect: they look good too, are tasty and inviting. A mixture of Moss Mushrooms can be the main ingredient of a vegetable salad, with the addition of shavings of mature cheese. Chopped Porcini mushrooms in oil become a real masterpiece, served on toasted black bread croutons, piadina or pinse.

3 - Eliminate breaks?

You have prepared a Chef's Menu. Truly amazing dishes, impeccably cooked... and you're justifiably proud. Don't get anxious: eliminating breaks between courses can be counterproductive. Spend the right amount of time on each of your dishes so everyone can enjoy them to the full.

4 - The perfect wine for each dish

Serving a good wine to accompany the dishes on your menu is key to making Christmas a success. Here are some rules for serving wines impeccably.

First rule: start with light wines and progressively move on to more challenging ones. As a rule, you could uncork a light white for the aperitif and starters, a fuller-bodied wine for the main courses and the wine with the highest alcohol content for the main courses.

Choose a sweet wine for desserts: if we want to stay in Piedmontese land, a Moscato d'Asti is ideal to accompany dessert.

Last tip: pour structured reds into a decanter at least fifteen minutes before serving.

5 - Add a touch of creativity

We have talked about decorations: the right approach is based on balance. This doesn't mean you have to give up your creativity. Make simple place cards with coloured card and corks, for example. Simply cut the corks lengthwise and make an incision in the middle of each one. We will use this small opening to hold the card on which we have written the name of our guest. In this way you will have a decorative element on the table... and no arguments about seating arrangements!