Fizz for sparkling Christmas parties

Your guide to the best wines for the festive season begins here.

If you’re planning on a Christmas drinks party, then bubbles have to be part of the picture. Here are some of my sure fire hits that won’t have your guests looking for the nearest pot plant to empty their drinks into – but which won’t be overly demanding on the pocket either.

I’ve also included some more expensive recommendations that might be a stretch for a party budget, but that I would certainly be happy to sip or to serve on any occasion over Christmas.

Sparkling Chardonnay Crémant du Jura - £7.49, Aldi

This has to be one of the best sparkling wine bargains around – and the fact that is has been included by the Association of Wine Educators as one of their 100 AWEsome Wines 2016 (see http://www.wineeducators.com/100-awesome-wines/ for the full downloadable list) tells you that it punches well above its weight. Light, fresh, fine sparkling wine made in the same way as Champagne from the little-known Jura region in eastern France.

Franciacorta Brut - £8.99, Lidl

This is part of Lidl’s Christmas collection, one of their “when it’s gone it’s gone” selections. It has lovely creamy mousse and appley fruit, a touch riper than Champagne, coming as it does from northern Italy.

Calvet Crémant de Bordeaux Brut Rosé - £11.99, Ocado

Pink bubbles certainly help to make everything more festive and this bottle, made from Cabernet Franc, has a lovely creamy mousse and a refreshing leafy edge to the fruit.

Montes Sparking Angel Brut NV - £15.50, Oddbins

This is a blend of two of the traditional Chamapagne varieties, Pinor Noir and Chardonnay, and is made in the same way as Champagne. But the warmer Chilean climate makes for riper fruit flavours, along with toasty, nutty almond and even a hint of marmalade.

Definition Blanc de Blancs Champagne NV - £19.99 (mix six price), Majestic

I love the pure Chardonnay fruit, mineral finish, and the classic Blanc de Blancs profile of this Majestic own label Champagne. But I really don’t care for the actual label, so this is perhaps best kept in the ice bucket when not being poured.

Greyfriars Rosé Reserve 2013 - £21 from greyfriarsvineyard.co.uk

Keep it local with this award winning traditional method English fizz, made from vines grown on the Hog’s Back south of Guildford. Finely structured with poise and precision.

Furleigh Estate Dorset Coast Special Reserve NV - £22.50, Waitrose

Another English sparkler, this time from Dorset. Aromas of shortbread, peaches and cream lead onto a lively, fruity palate.

Waitrose Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut NV - £22.99, Waitrose

Good depth of flavour, nice linearity and an underlying minerality mean that this Champagne tastes much more expensive than it is.

Champagne Oudinot Brut 2008 - £30, M&S

Like all its wines, this Champagne is exclusive to M&S and delivers rich, savoury, egg-custard and baked apple fruit. The full flavours make this one for the table rather than an aperitif.

Champagne Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs 2007 Grand Cru - £33.99, Waitrose

Really lovely stuff, with pretty fruit, length and elegance, along with those bready, yeasty flavours that denote lengthy ageing on the lees.

Christmas wine survival kit

I won’t dilly dally on the way and instead get straight down to the wine recommendations.

Crisp white wines

Peter Yealands Sauvignon Blanc (£10 from Sainsbury’s and the Co-op), is classic Marlborough, with some tropical fruit, but with a broad seam of acidity that keeps things fresh.

Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé created the original mould for Sauvignon and I like Majestic’s own-label Definition Sancerre 2014 (£17.99 single bottle, £13.49 mixed six price), which ticks all the boxes with its floral-tinged, sweet fruit and herbaceous leafiness. If you’re looking to impress a wine buff (or are one yourself), look for Domaine Vacheron. Their Sancerre 2014 is £19.99 from Waitrose, £18.99 (mixed 6 price £17.09) at Majestic. The Wine Society have Vacheron’s classic Dame Blanche Sancerre 2014 for £15.50.

Don’t forget white Bordeaux; they are predominantly, if not exclusively, Sauvignon Blanc. I have a soft spot for Château Bel Air Perponcher Reserve 2014 (£8.50 from The Wine Society), which is lively, fruity and dry but not at all austere. Le Jardin d’Eolie Sauvignon Blanc 2014 (£5.79, Waitrose) is a good budget option for parties.

Finally, re-acquaint yourself with Vinho Verde from Portugal. Widely available for around £7, Quinta de Azevedo is the classic style: light in alcohol and body, with a hint of soluble aspirin-y spritz. Move up a step in quality and look for single variety Vinho Verde, from the Alvarinho grape. Soalheiro Alvarinho 2014 (£14.50 from The Wine Society) and Quinta de Gomariz Alvarinho 2013 (£13.49, The Wine Reserve in Cobham and independents) offer more in the way of stone fruit, combined with lovely marine-tinged acidity.

Richer white wines

If you’re looking for wines to stand up to Christmas dinner, White Burgundy is the classic: a full style of Chardonnay, usually with some oak ageing. Domaine Maillard Père et Fils 2013 Chorey-lès-Beaune (£19.49, Waitrose) has plenty of Burgundy class, with savoury, leesy flavours balanced with fresh acidity. While you’re in Waitrose, check out Domaine Vincent Prunier Les Vireuils 2013 Meursault (£30.99 Waitrose). Meursault vies for first place in the “wine most likely to disappoint” category, but this is just the thing: big, broad, rich, spicy and leesy.

There are plenty of Chardonnays that deliver the goods from outside Burgundy. Clos des Fous Locura 1 Chardonnay (2013 - £14.99 Waitrose Cellar, 2012 - £12.99 from The Wine Reserve) is a Chilean homage to Burgundy that is not fruity, but certainly multi-faceted. Bergström Old Stones Chardonnay 2012, Oregon (£19.50, The Wine Society, £24.99 The Wine Reserve) would make a delicious partner to turkey and the trimmings – a gunflinty nose, mealy texture and a hint of apple.

Lighter reds

Looking for a party or house red? Terre de mes Ancêtres 2014, Cité de Carcassonne (£5.95 The Wine Society) fits the bill admirably, with generous fruit and herbal undertones.

Pinot Noir comes into its own at Christmas and Burgundy again is the classic, but Chile is great for (relative) bargains that deliver plenty of cherryish fruit, spice and moreish charm – look for Cono Sur 20 Barrels Pinot Noir 2013 (on offer at £17, Morrison’s; £19.99, Waitrose) or Errazuriz Wild Ferment Pinot Noir 2013 (£13, Morrison’s).

Other good non Pinot options: M Signature Fleurie 2014, Beaujolais (£8, Morrison’s) and Cono Sur Bicicleta Merlot 2014 (on offer at £5.25, Sainsbury’s; £7, Morrison’s and Tesco).

Fuller reds

Helderberg Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2013, South Africa (currently on offer at £8, Marks and Spencer) is a delicious, ripe Cabernet that is fantastic value on offer.

Rioja is possibly the most food-friendly style of red wine, thanks to ripe, maturing fruit and the mellowing effect of oak ageing. Rioja Reserva Beronia 2010 (on offer at £9.99 at Waitrose until 29 Dec) has a good balance of fruit and oak.

Proper claret is always going to find favour at Christmas. In Morrison’s look for Château Villa Bel-Air Graves 2011 (£15) and Château Andron-Blanquet 2009, Saint-Estèphe (£20). Caronne Ste-Gemme 2010 (£14.99, £13.49 as part of mixed six at Majestic) is a reliable name; as is Château Vieux Lartigue 2009, Saint Emilion (£16.50, The Wine Society).

The wines of Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France can be hard to negotiate – so much wine, so many appellation names, such variable quality. Here are a couple of useful names that usually guarantee enjoyment: Gérard Bertrand, whose Grand Terroir La Clape 2011 is £12 at Morrison’s. The other is Paul Mas, and his Vinus Grenache Noir 2014 is £8 at Morrison’s. You’ll find more of their wines at Majestic.

Brazin Lodi Old Vines Zinfandel 2012 (£10.25, The Wine Society; £9.74 until 29 Dec at Waitrose). Zinfandel almost defines full bodied – a mass of black fruit, plush tannins and never shy on alcohol. But this also has a lovely poise and is in no way a bruiser.

Fortify yourselves for Sherry

If I say Sherry, what comes to mind? Something sweet, dark and strong? If so, read on as your pre-conceptions are going to take a battering.

Some Sherry styles are sweet, for sure, but there are many dry options. The sweeter styles do make a great end to a meal, but the drier ones can make fine food matches with savoury dishes. In Jerez, Andalucia, whence Sherry hails, there is a saying: “If it swims, serve a Fino; if it flies, serve an Amontillado; if it runs, serve an Oloroso.”

Sherry styles

Manzanilla – the lightest and driest style of Sherry. This pale, almost water white wine is a perfect aperitif – a real palate sharpener. Serve with olives (anchovy stuffed for me).

Fino – still very light and dry, with a little more oomph than Manzanilla. Perfect for party nibbles and tapas style browsing.

Fino and tapas

Amontillado – deeper colour and more nutty, savoury flavours. It all starts life dry, but can be dry, medium or sweet, thanks to the addition of some concentrated grape juice or sweet wine made from sun-dried grapes.  Dry Amontillado is wonderful with roast salted almonds; I like to keep a bottle of medium dry Amontillado in the house in the winter months – a little glass of it is as good as a log fire for keeping off the winter chill.

The rich amber colour of Amontillado

Oloroso – the darkest, deepest-flavoured sherries are Christmas in a bottle. There is dried citrus fruit, nuts, spice and caramel aplenty. Most of what we see in the UK is sweet (and this is not a problem for me) and would happily stand up to Christmas pudding, mince pies, chocolate – you name it. Dry Oloroso is great for game (especially furred game, if the Andalucians have it right).

Palo Cortado – a sort of hybrid style that usually smells like an Amontillado, but tastes like Oloroso.

Recommended sherries

Supermarket own labels are the ones to seek out – they offer fantastic quality and value for money. Waitrose’s Solera Jerezana range is particularly good. If you’d like a “name”, then look no further than Tio Pepe Fino (widely available for around £10) and Matusalem Oloroso (£19 for a half bottle from Waitrose) to make Christmas go with a swing.

Tio Pepe - a classic Fino

Other fortified wines

Madeira

If Sherry suffers from a bad reputation, then Madeira doesn’t have one at all. Don’t save it just for cooking; the sweeter ones have the rich spice and caramel style of Sherry, but with great freshening acidity. Blandy’s are the biggest name in Madeira – but also look out for Barbeito (their Single Harvest is £18.99 from Waitrose), Henriques & Henriques and Justino’s.

French Vin Doux Naturel

An odd misnomer this – Vin Doux Naturel means natural sweet wine, but refers to wines whose fermentation has been halted by adding grape spirit (in the same way as Port). No matter, France is home to a rich hoard of these sweet, fortified treasures. Muscat de Beaumes de Venise is probably the best known, but I am particularly fond of the VDNs of Maury and Rivesaltes.

Mas Amiel is the name to look for in Maury – their deepest purple Vintage Rouge 2013, made from Grenache Noir (£23.50 from Caves de Pyrène in Guildford) is a wonderful match for rich, dark chocolatey things.

Parcé Frères Rivesaltes 1996 (£13.50 a bottle from The Wine Society) is a beautiful amber coloured wine with sweet layers of spice, nuts and preserved fruit and a hint of the medicinal tang the French call rancio (trust me, this is a good thing). Have it with Christmas pudding or try it with the cheese board.

Don't pass (by) the Port

If you’ve ever paid the slightest heed to what I write here, you’ll know I’m a big fan of fortified wines – those still largely unfashionable drinks Sherry, Port and Madeira, plus a myriad of variations on that theme from around the world.

Usually I include a recommendation for one or other of them for Christmas. But I’m trying to do them more justice this year by focusing on them alone, before they get overlooked in the festive frenzy. I’ll start with Port this week and move onto Sherry next time.

Terraced vineyards line the steep sides of the Douro Valley

Port – the bluffer’s guide

Port comes from the Douro valley, northern Portugal. Ripe grapes are harvested, then fermentation gets underway, with plenty of tannin and colour rapidly extracted either by means of foot-treading, or robotic machines doing the same job, or in a kind of mechanised tank.

Traditional stone "lagares" where grapes are foot trodden

The modern version with computer-controlled mechanical "feet"

Fermentation is brought to a premature halt by adding grape spirit; yeasts cannot exist in this high alcohol environment and die off. This results in an intensely fruity, deep purple liquid, quite high in alcohol and sugar.

Tasting Port in the Douro Valley

Different fates that now await the proto-Port:

• -      Wines destined to become vintage Port will spend the next couple of years in large oak barrels, before being bottled while still youthful, deep-coloured, strong and tannic. These Ports can age for decades and over time will become softer, more complex and somewhat lighter in colour. Very generally, this is the only form of Port which will improve with age in the bottle.
• -          Lighter bodied wines will have a brief period of wood maturation, before being bottled as ruby Port – the most basic (and cheapest) form of Port, and the kind of thing we all tend to buy a bottle of at Christmas. They retain a youthful deep purple colour, rich fruit and a spirity character.
• -          Still other wines will be given an extended period of wood ageing, sometimes up to 40 years or more, to produce a tawny Port. These are then bottled, most often as a blend with an average age, sometimes as a single vintage, or colheita Port. The wood ageing gives these Ports a lighter hue and a less winey flavour, with nuts, caramel and spice flavours coming to the fore.
• -          Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) is the product of a single harvest which, as its name suggests, has spent longer in wood (ie bottled later) than vintage Port. An innovation dating from the 1970s, they are not to be confused with true vintage Port, will not improve in bottle and tend towards the character of ruby Port, but with greater depth and complexity.

Ports for Christmas

A bottle of 2011 vintage Port from one of the great houses would make a fine present, but

Vines at Sandeman's Quinta do Seixo

has a long life in bottle ahead of it and shouldn’t be drunk now. For something to enjoy this Christmas search out a single quinta vintage, such as Sandeman’s Quinta do Seixo, Graham’s Quinta dos Malvedos or Taylor’s Quinta de Vargellas (around £30).

Tawny Ports are easy to find nowadays. Graham’s 10 year old (around £20 for a bottle) and Warre’s Otima 10 year old (around £10 for 50cl) are widely available (and generally on offer pre-Christmas). Reddish mahogany colour, with a slightly mellow, caramelly spiciness, a wee nip sitting by the fire (or radiator) on a dark November evening is comforting and warming. You can also try them chilled at the end of a meal.

Taylor's 20 Year Old - with Oporto in the background

If you get a taste for tawny, you’ll find more of what you like in the longer matured versions. I have a fondness for Taylor’s 20 year old (currently around £34 a bottle); Sandeman is renowned for the quality of its tawnies – Waitrose has its 20 year old for £37.50 (though currently on offer for £29.99). Ramos Pinto is a less familiar name, but well worth seeking out as they include small amounts of really old wines in their tawnies, giving great depth and complexity. Their 30 year old (£59.50 from thedrinkshop.co.uk) should give you an idea.

Christmas fizz - your questions answered

Should I buy ready made Bucks Fizz?

Nooooo! The pre-mixed bottles range from toxic to barely acceptable. And how hard can it be to pour fizz into a glass or jug and top up with orange juice? Don't consider putting anything grander in it than the most basic Prosecco or Cava - but do make sure the orange juice is top quality. Freshly squeezed, if you're up to it, would be the most delicious option.

What sort of fizz is best for Christmas Day?

If you are having a glass of something to sip while you open the pressies (I do, don't you?) then something tasty but not hugely expensive would be my preferred option. People will be busy with their presents, poring over the favourites and putting a brave face on for the more "interesting" gifts, so attention will hardly be on what's in their glass. And you don't want anything that you might cry over if it gets knocked flying in the mêlée.

As rosé is an ever-popular option these days, a fresh and flavoursome crémant rosé from the Loire might be just the ticket. Try Langlois-Château Crémant de Loire (£13.15 from thedrinkshop.com and independent merchants). At the budget end of things, Lindauer Special Reserve from New Zealand has a reputation for being a cut above many New World sparklers, as well as great value for money at around the £10 mark at Majestic  and Waitrose. These two would also make great choices for party fizz over the festive period.

A pre-dinner aperitif needs to be light and preferably dry to get the appetite sharpened for the meal ahead. A Blanc de Blancs Champagne (or Blanc de Blancs sparkling wine labelled "traditional method") would be a good option here. If your tastes are for the really dry, then search out Champagne labelled Ultra Brut or Zero Dosage, the absolute driest ones available.

Pudding, whether the traditional steamed variety or other rich treat, should really be matched with something as sweet and weighty as the dessert itself - like an Oloroso Sherry or Australian Liqueur Muscat. But if you don't like that style of wine, or just want to contrast with something lighter and frothy, then a sparkling wine can make another appearance in the form of a Moscato d'Asti, with its featherweight grapey flavours and gentle sparkle. 

If buying fizz as a gift, does it have to be Champagne?

Well no, but there is undoubtedly a cachet attached to the real thing. And if you are faced with the awkward situation of giving a bottle of Champagne to someone who you think knows more about it than you do, what will impress wine buffs?

Billecart-Salmon Rosé is a classic Champagne lover's pink fizz: elegant, restrained and dry (£56.99 from Adnams; £60 from Berry Brothers, bbr.com). Laurent-Perrier Rosé is a bit more bling, but its easy charm means it's sure to be welcomed (£44.97 as part of Majestic’s Mix and Match offer, £40.72 at thedrinkshop.com).

Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve NV (£42 from Berry Brothers; £36.05 from thedrinkshop.com) has long been a favourite amongst wine insiders and they are right back on their best form now, fine and full flavoured in style. One word of warning, there are many Heidsiecks in the Champagne world, so make sure you've picked up the right one.

A non-snobbish Champagne lover would be happy to receive an award winning supermarket own label Champagne - Tesco and Waitrose have both done well in competitions this year and a little online research should point you in the right direction. I particularly liked the Waitrose Blanc de Blancs Brut NV (currently on offer at £19.99 and winner of a Gold medal at the IWSC and Bronze at the IWC) and Waitrose Brut Special Reserve Vintage 2006 (currently £26.99).

What’s hot in the world of Champagne?

Grower Champagnes have become hip this year, so choosing one shows you have your finger on the pulse. But what are they and how do you spot one?

The big name Champagne houses, the grandes marques, usually own some vineyards, but never enough to supply them will all the grapes they require, which they need to buy in from growers across the region.

An increasing number of these more than 15,000 growers are now making their own Champagne from their own vineyards, giving scope for a much more individual, artisanal and, some would say, authentic style of Champagne. But it can be difficult to tell the difference between one of these grower Champagnes, which will have an unfamiliar name on the label, and one of the profusion of unheard of Champagnes that populate supermarket shelves at this time of year.

The biggest clue is price - grower Champagnes are not going to be on offer for half price at £10-12. The concrete proof requires sharp eyesight and a good look at the label.

A bottle of grande marque Champagne will have the letters "NM" and some numbers printed in small type at the bottom of the front label, which stands for "negoçiant manipulant" – an organisation which buys in grapes or wine and makes Champagne. What you are looking for is "RM", for “récoltant manipulant”, meaning someone who harvests grapes and makes wines from their own vineyards.

There are so many offers on Champagne at this time of year. How can you make sure you don't pay over the odds for your Champagne?

A little light internet browsing is all that's required. Check out www.bringabottle.co.uk to see who is offering the best price for your chosen fizz and make use of their historical price chart to judge if a special offer really is special, or just par for the course.

Have a sparkling Christmas!

Time to talk turkey

For me, selecting wines to drink at this time of year is all part of the pleasure of the celebrations to come – but I know that’s not the case for everyone. For many, this is just another task on a very long “to do” list in December. So, if you’re looking for some helpful suggestions, here are my seasonal top tips.

Crowdpleasing wines

Wines for a crowd, anytime wines, wines for guests dropping in for a mince pie and a chat – you need a couple of go-to bottles that will please most palates. Here are some of my favourites.

Zarcillo Riesling, Bio-Bio, Chile - £6.50 from The Wine Society

I love the bracing, generous, limey fruit of this Chilean Riesling – and the price is pretty good too. You could also try Rolf Binder “Highness” Riesling 2013, Eden Valley, South Australia - £10.99 at Waitrose.

Domaine Salvard Cheverny 2013 - £7.95 from The Wine Society, also from independent merchants

This Loire white is mostly tinglingly fresh and zingy Savignon Blanc, with a small amount of Chardonnay which gives more body and substance. It’s one of my ultra-reliable wines that suits cold buffet meals and is great with goats cheese.

Pujalet 2013 Côtes de Gascogne - £5.49 from Waitrose

I enjoyed this crisp, floral, easy drinking white – but then Côtes de Gascogne whites are one of wine’s safe bets, so look for this on the label and you can’t go far wrong. The style is straightforward, widely appealing, the quality pretty uniform and the price very wallet-friendly.

Marquis de Saint Jean Carignan 2013, Vin de France - £6.99 at Waitrose

A dense ink-tinged Carignan which is smooth and fruity; perfect party red. 

Things that go pop

You can’t have Christmas without fizz. If it’s for mixing with orange juice, then choose a basic Brut Cava, which will have no discernible flavour of its own to make you regret making it into a cocktail.

Prosecco marches on, and that’s fine by me, for a quick, welcoming glass of something. For a drink that you might want a second glass of, or to have with food, I’d rather have a good quality sparkling wine or Champagne.

Château de l’Aulée Crémant de Loire NV - £12 from Oddbins

I have a soft spot for Loire crémants, from the Chenin Blanc grape. Most are made by large scale concerns around Saumur and represent great value for money. This one, though, is on a more artisanal scale, made from grapes from a single château. It has lovely, lively appley Chenin fruit, with a hint of honey, but is essentially dry.

Waitrose Blanc de Blancs Brut NV Champagne - £24.99 and Waitrose Brut Special Reserve Vintage 2006 Champagne - £31.99

Supermarkets take pride in the quality of their own-label Champagnes so, if you’re not worried about sullying your festive table with the name of a supermarket, they make great choices at Christmas.  I enjoyed the delicate fruit with a hint of marzipan richness in the Blanc de Blancs, which would make a great aperitif. The 2006 Vintage has more mature autolytic characters and bready, appley spice – one for food.

Serious wines

Wines that can stand up to the big set piece meals of Christmas.

Simonnet-Febvre Chablis Premier Cru Montmains 2013 - £18.99 from Waitrose

Chablis is an archetypally linear, mineral expression of Chardonnay, with none of the rich ripeness of wines from further south in the Côte d’Or or the Mâconnais – and it’s true I wouldn’t want to pitch this against the cornucopia of flavours of a traditional Christmas dinner. However, I do find 2013 Chablis relatively ripe and broad tasting, so it can make a good choice for lighter meals, or salmon-based starters and the like.

Albert Bichot Secret de Famille 2012, Bourgogne Chardonnay - £14.99 from Laithwaite’s

Buying Burgundy can be a quick way to blow a wad of cash on a disappointing wine. One strategy is to look for lesser wines made by reliable producers – and this is a good example. Plain old Bourgogne on the label, the négociant Albert Bichot has access to some parcels of good quality wines from across the region, resulting in satisfyingly rich, expressive Chardonnay with typical Burgundian character. There is also a Secret de Famille Pinot Noir worth searching out.

Bergerie de l’Hortus Blanc Classique 2012 - £13.95 from Berry Brothers and various independent merchants

This is from the delightlfully named Pic Saint Loup area of Languedoc and is an unusual blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Marsanne and Roussanne. With all those varieties, there’s no shortage of flavour. Fruity enough to enjoy on its own; structured enough to cope with turkey and  - I’ve been trying to avoid saying this - all the trimmings.

 Abbots and Delauney Cumulo Nimbus Minervois 2011 - £16.99 from Averys

I know that you can pick up most Minervois for well under a tenner, but you can also get lots for your money if you pay more, such as this richly flavoured blend of Syrah and Carignan. Blueberry and black cherry flavours mingle with some bitter chocolate and good, balancing acidity. If you’re planning a meal involving roast beef or duck, perhaps, this would make a great partner.

Côtes du Rhône Cairanne, Domaine Richaud 2013 - £22.99 from The Wine Reserve Cobham and other independent merchants

Cairanne is one of the Côtes du Rhône villages which have been promoted beyond the standard appellation and are able to use the village name tacked onto the Côtes du Rhône bit. This is serious stuff but, as so often with the southern Rhône, never austere and always with the generosity and ripeness of Grenache from the warm south.

Laithwaite’s Domaine Martin Rasteau 2013 - £13.49, does the same sort of thing, in a more foursquare and slightly rustic way. Also keep your eye out for other southern Rhône villages such as Gigondas, Vacqueyras and Vinsobres.

I see that my list is overwhelmingly French – sometimes the French just do things better. C’est la vie!

Christmas top wine tips and picks

If you’re still casting around for ideas to inspire your wine choices for Christmas, read on. Also read on if you’re one of those people, like me, who has already laid in the necessary, but can’t resist a quick scan of others’ recommendations, to see if they have the good sense to choose the same wines as you would. In which case, we should both probably get out more, but hey, don’t let me stop you reading.

Aperitif

La Noë Muscadet Côtes de Grand Lieu sur lie 2012 - £11.75 from Lea and Sandeman; Château du Cléray Muscadet de Sèvre et Maine sur lie (Sauvion) - £9.99, or £8.99 if you buy two at Majestic

If you spend a bit more than the minimum on Muscadet, you’ll be reminded why it was such a popular style in the first place. The Sauvion has more classic citrus freshness, whereas La Noë’s structure comes not from acidity but with a certain mineral weight, possibly influenced by the granitic soils of the vineyard. Either would make a classy aperitif or fine accompaniment to seafood. 

Christmas Day

Domaine Champalou, Le Portail 2010 - £22.90 from Caves de Pyrène, near Guildford

Feel free to drink white wine if that’s what you fancy with Christmas dinner – and I don’t think it matters a great deal what the meat is (if any). All the flavours we pile up onto one plate mean a couple of things: avoid anything too subtle, which will be overwhelmed (eg Chablis); or too flamboyantly flavoured, which might clash (eg Gewurztraminer). Christmas dinner is often a multi-generational affair too and you don’t want to intimidate those who maybe don’t enjoy wine that much or even drink it for most of the year.

But if you do want to splash out a bit, this is the kind of thing I’d plump for. It is a 100% Chenin Blanc from Vouvray in the Loire which has been given the white Burgundy treatment, with fermentation and ageing in oak barrel for 18 months before bottling. This is not a typical Vouvray, but the Champalou family like this style of wine, so they make it. It fulfills much the same function as would a white Burgundy, or any high quality white with barrel fermentation and ageing characters, but the Chenin grape imparts its own personality, giving hints of fresh ginger and honey in harmony with the spice of the oak.

Craggy Range Te Muna Road Pinot Noir 2011 - £22.50 down to £17.99 if you buy two at Majestic

I am a big fan of Pinot Noir for Christmas dinner: the vibrant red fruit rubs along with rather than fights with the multiple flavours on the plate and there is just a hint of tannin, but good acidity to refresh the palate and cut through the richness. 

This one is from Martinborough, New Zealand, which produces the kind of exuberant fruit we associate with the New World, but with a powerful underlying structure and food-friendly savouriness.

Château Musar 2005 - £19.99 at Majestic, (and £20 at The Wine Society, though their Christmas ordering deadline has now passed)

This is for those who like to live by the mantra: claret for Christmas – but with a twist. Young red Bordeaux is I feel too tannic and structured to meld with the wide variety of flavours (including sweet) that are involved in Christmas dinner. However, mature ones are more mellow and harmonious and this is an example of that mature style, but not from Bordeaux. A really good Rioja Reserva or Gran Reserva with some maturity would also do a grand job.

The Musar is made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault and Carignan grown in the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon. Unusually it is not released until a full seven years after harvest, having been fermented and matured in cement tank and then French oak barrels, before spending more time back in tank before a final rest of four years in bottle. It has a combination of high-toned pungency and mellow spiced fruit with hints of leaves and leather that will appeal to fans of mature wine.

Stanton & Killeen Classic 12 year old Muscat - £15.60 (for a half bottle) from Caves de Pyrène

What, I hear you cry, are we to drink with Christmas pudding (or Christmas cake, or mince pies)? I have tried many different accompaniments over the years and there are in fact a good many vinous matches for these dried fruit and spice-heavy concoctions. A rich, sweet, old Oloroso would be wonderful; ditto a 20-year old tawny Port, Malmsey (or Malvasia) Madeira, a solera-aged Maury or Banyuls. A less obvious, but successful, choice is Moscatel de Valencia, whose distinct orange peel flavour marries with the dried fruit and candied peel of the pudding or cake.

However, Rutherglen muscat from Australia is the closest you can get to Christmas pudding in liquid form, with its intensely sweet yet tangy flavours of dates, treacle, caramel, nuts – it’s one of those wines in which you find something new with every sip.

Boxing Day

Les Hauts de Bergelle 2011, Saint Mont - £7.99 at Majestic, down to £6.99 if you buy two

You may never have heard of the region of Saint Mont, which is an area between Bordeaux and the Pyrenees, tucked in next to Gascony. You are unlikely to have heard of the grape varieties involved here either (Gros Manseng, Petit Courbu and Arrufiac), let alone tasted them before. These disadvantages are more than made up for by the fact that this is made by one of France’s very best co-operatives and that the grape varieties, while rare, make wonderfully characterful wines. An intense grapefruity tang, allied to hints of apple and quince and a subtle whisp of honey make for a punchy wine that would pep up Boxing Day cold meat and pickles.

Bellingham The Bernard Series Roussanne 2013 - £10.99, down to £7.99 at Sainsbury’s

Roussanne hails originally from the Rhône valley, but it has been on its travels and appears here in a South African incarnation. This is another weighty, characterful wine with a rich mixture of stone fruit, pear, citrus and herbs and a hint of damp wool. Quite a full-on style, but refreshing. 

Next time – the party’s over: hangover advice for the compulsively convivial.

Things that go pop in the night

Even those of us who eschew sparkling wines at any other time of year suddenly feel the need to pop the cork on a bottle of fizz come Christmas time. The sound is emblematic of celebration and instantly puts people in a party mood.

As well as marking Christmas and New Year celebrations, fizz comes in handy for lightening the mood in many ways. Don’t grimace when yet another Christmas card from a distant acquaintance containing a nauseating and boastful round robin update on their triumphant achievements in 2013 drops onto the hall carpet – crack open a bottle of fizz and settle down to read it with a smile on your face.

This year a group of some of my oldest friends has agreed that we will write our own round robins – but they must contain no achievements and focus instead on minor disappointments (goodness knows plenty of those stack up by the end of the year). So no mentions of Lulu’s Grade 5 flute success or once-in-a-lifetime, unforgettable holidays in far flung places. Instead it will feature things like broadband speeds remaining stubbornly sluggish, failed vegetable growing attempts and the new stair carpet still giving off a huge amount of fluff despite being down for months now. I can see I’m going to take to this round robin of misery like a duck to water. And I’m going to enjoy composing mine all the more with a glass of something sparkling by my side.

Here are some sparkling wines on which I would be happy to pop the cork this festive season:

Prosecco

 From almost complete obscurity in this country 20 years ago, Prosecco has now almost become the default sparkling wine for any occasion.  The Prosecco grape’s naturally high acidity is traditionally mitigated with some sweetness in the wine, so the most common style we see here is labelled “Extra Dry” which, counter-intuitively, actually means off-dry.  Properly dry versions will have “Brut” on the label.  Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Prosecco Conegliano Brut is usually £9.99, but has been reduced to £7.49, and if you act quickly to take advantage of their 25% off 6 bottles promotion running until 10 December, you can snap it up for just £5.62. Or you can give it large with a magnum for just £10.49. It has plenty of fresh, ripe pear aromas and fine bubbles and is perfectly nice for a pre-lunch glass or evening aperitif, if not particularly refined.  Caves de Pyrène’s Prosecco Bellenda Brut 2012 has more elegance, but then it will set you back £14.76.

Pink fizz

Rosé wines have been the only growth category in UK wine consumption in recent years. This, along with our unquenchable thirst for fizz, has made the pink sparkling wine category a success story. The upside is that there is more choice than ever before – the predictable downside, that quality is not always what it should be.

I’ve yet to find a rosé Cava that I could recommend and pink Prosecco seems disappointing - more material for my round robin there. For a good value party pink fizz I’d plump for The Society’s Saumur Rosé Brut NV (£9.95 from The Wine Society). Made by the venerable house of Gratien & Meyer from Cabernet Franc with a little of the un-prepossessingly named Grolleau, it has a delightful fruity freshness. Light enough to drink on its own, it would also be happy to keep company with that Christmas staple, smoked salmon.

Other sparkling wines

As you are no doubt heartily fed up of hearing, any sparkling wine made anywhere than the designated Champagne region in northern France cannot legally use that name. However, France is awash with other sparkling wines, many made in the same way, though perhaps not with the special magic of Champagne itself.

I have particularly enjoyed Champalou Vouvray Brut NV (£15.97 from Caves de Pyrène or £14.50 from Great Western Wine) recently. The Champalous make their sparkling wine from Vouvray’s Chenin Blanc grape and, unusually, let the second fermentation in bottle use nothing but the residual sugar in the base wine to create the fizz – usually sugar is added along with the yeast.  The result is a wine that has a delicious light, floral character as well as Chenin’s appley fruit, and a gentler mousse. It is refined yet quaffable – which can be a dangerous combination.

Champagne

There are so many Champagnes out there and many of you will have houses that you favour. If you are open to some suggestions, though, I can heartily recommend Sainsbury’s own label Blanc de Noirs Brut NV. I snapped up a few bottles of this food-friendly, savoury Champers made from the black-skinned varieties Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, earlier this year when it was on offer. In the meantime, it has managed to bag itself a Gold medal at this year’s International Wine Challenge. There’s nothing like having your own good opinion of something confirmed by others for making you feel even more well-disposed towards it. Even better, this bottle is currently available at Sainsbury’s for a frankly ridiculous £12.75 a bottle, as part of their buy 6 bottles and save 25% promotion until 10 December. If you’re not squeamish about putting a supermarket label fizz on the table (and I’m not) then get thyselves to Sainsbury’s pronto.

Waitrose’s Champagne Brut Special Reserve Vintage 2004 (reduced to £25.99 from £30.99 from now until January) is a Pinot Noir dominated blend (60%), with the rest Chardonnay. It has lovely maturing flavours of bread, toast and spice along with baked apple.  The long ageing (3 years on the lees, then further in bottle before release) has given it a fine mousse that makes it particularly suitable for food.

These supermarket labels are far better value than the “never heard of them before” Champagnes that supermarkets offer at “half price” at this time of year. I’d always rather see a tried and trusted supermarket name on the label. Here endeth the lesson. 

Christmas is coming...

So you’ve ordered the turkey and can look forward to queuing patiently in the cold to pick it up at the butcher’s this weekend. 

What?  You haven’t ordered one?  Man, are you in trouble.  If you’re reading this over breakfast you’d better chuck your coat on over your pyjamas, high tail it to your local supermarket and trample the old and infirm underfoot as you fight your way to the freezer section in the hope of wrenching the last frozen turkey in the county from the hands of a little old lady.

And if you’re unsuccessful, then it’s going to be a question of brazening it out with “Oh we thought we’d give turkey a miss this year and try something new.  We’re having festive shepherd’s pie instead – so much less work for the cook, too.”

I well remember the year my parents opted to have roast beef instead of a bird for Christmas dinner.  What, no stuffing?  The memories are still painful.

But you’ve laid in all the wines, right?  No?  Okaaay….then you’d better spend the next few minutes casting your eye over this column, then just tear it out and take it with you on your supermarket sweep.

Ordering deadlines for online deliveries are past, so you are going to be either fighting it out with the crowds in the supermarket aisles, or you could enjoy a more civilised experience at your local independent wine merchant.

To assist you, here’s the shopping list:

• Fizz
• Cheap and cheerful crowd-pleasing wines – red and white
• Wines for turkey (or indeed shepherd’s pie) – red and white
• Versatile wines for “cold meat and pickles”, family games or Doctor Who watching

I’m recommending particular wines but, as time is tight, feel free to take them as inspiration rather than gospel (if that isn’t too blasphemous).

Fizz

Champagne Jacquart – on offer at Majestic for £18 a bottle

This is an easy-drinking Champagne, made by no-nonsense and gifted winemaker Floriane Ezniack for one of the region’s co-operatives.  A blend of the 3 Champagne varieties, Pinots Noir and Meunier plus Chardonnay, this has plenty of lively, appley-marzipan fruit, as well as a Silver medal from this year’s Decanter World Wine Awards.

Crowd pleasers

Waitrose’s El Guia wines – white, rosé and red, £3.99 a bottle

This could be your “two birds with one stone” wine.  Cheap and cheerful (and believe me, there are plenty of cheep and woeful ones out there), Spanish wines with excellent gluggability.  Keep these on hand for any festive parties, or just to offer drop-in guests.

Sainsbury’s House Côtes du Rhône - £3.99

When I’m pushed for time and faced with the wall of wine in a supermarket, I home in on the Rhône for reliable and good value reds.  This one is at the simple end of the spectrum (don’t go expecting Châteauneuf complexity at this price), but is well made and has some depth of flavour.

Sainsbury’s Vinho Verde - £3.98

Featherlight, gently perfumed, zippy and zesty and off-dry.  A perfect Christmas pick-me-up for jaded imbibers – and at just 9% alcohol it’s practically a health tonic.

Wines for turkey

This is rather misleading, as I am not talking about matching wine to the turkey itself, which is what could be politely described as delicately flavoured.  Rather I’m thinking about matching a wine to the occasion and to stand up to all the flavours that we pile on to our Christmas dinner plates.

Martinborough Vineyard “Te Tera” Pinot Noir 2011 - £17.49 but currently £13.99 when you buy 2 bottles at Majestic

My favoured tipple for the festive bird is a Pinot Noir.  If you have a treasured mature bottle of red Burgundy, then by all means uncork that, but older wines do carry with them the threat of spoilage – so always have something else as a back-up.

I love the pure, expressive fruit of New Zealand Pinots, and those from Martinborough, at the southern tip of the North Island, combine ripeness with depth and structure in a most food-friendly way.

It’s always a good idea to have both white and red on offer for Christmas dinner, to please all tastes.  Chablis often makes an appearance at Christmas, but its lean minerality makes for too weedy a wine for the occasion.  Ditto most Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé. 

Domaine Bégude Terroir Chardonnay 2001 - £8.99 from Waitrose

From the surprisingly cool area of Limoux, north of Corbières, comes this great value classy Chardonnay.  Some of it was fermented in barrel, giving it texture and a subtle gunflint character.

Versatile wines

These are easy-going and adaptable wines that can do more than one thing: pep up a meal of essentially leftovers, accompany a family game of Monotony (sorry Monopoly), or soothe you as you relax on the sofa in front of the telly.

Domaine Zind Humbrecht Gewurztraminer 2011 - £14.99, down to £11.99 when you buy 2 at Majestic

I’d never be without a bottle of Alsace white in the house at Christmas (or any time of year, come to think of it).  If you’ve never experienced the Turkish Delight and pink peppercorn charms of Gewurz before, then let this rich but dry version from Olivier Humbrecht, Master of Wine and PhD, seduce you.

Chénas 2011, Jean-François Trichard - £10.99, down to £8.99 when you buy 2 at Majestic

Beaujolais is such a wonderfully accommodating style of wine – drink on its own or down it with a plate of cold food.  The ripe, perfumed and tangy raspberry/cranberry fruit makes for a juicy palate cleanser.

You could also serve up Pinot Noir here – or indeed have the Beaujolais with Christmas dinner.

I covered sweet wines (and other sweet drinks) last time, so have a look on my blog if you’d like to remind yourself of my sage words on the subject:  http://yourliquidassets.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/dew-drops-on-roses-and-whiskers-on.html

But for supermarket shoppers in a hurry looking for something to go with Christmas pudding, keep your eyes peeled for Moscatel de Valencia.  At around £4 a bottle, its sweet orange peel flavours are a billy bargain match.

Dew drops on roses and whiskers on kittens? These are a few of my favourite (sweet) things

As well as drinking more and, generally, better wines than we do for the rest of the year, Christmas is also traditionally a time when, for reasons best known to ourselves, we decide that a bottle of some luridly-coloured liqueur will be just the thing to make the festive season go with a swing.

Oh the bottles of fluorescent green Midori or sickly Chartreuse that must be languishing at the back of cupboards since someone last touched them, sometime in the 1980s. Only undiscriminating underage drinkers or last gasp partygoers searching for the final drop of alcohol in the house at 5am would surely submit to them now.  Or am I tarring you all with the brush of my own experiences?

While the word liqueur can be used to cover a multitude of sickly sweet sins, there are drinks that can be sugary without being saccharine.

Vedrenne’s Supercassis Crème de Cassis (£8.50 from Waitrose for a 50cl bottle)

This is what Ribena really ought to taste like.  Bursting with true blackcurrant aromas and with a lusciously sweet palate of lingering fruit flavours, it’s the liqueur drinker’s liqueur.  Crème de cassis is traditionally used to perk up a very ordinary dry white wine, to make Kir – or Kir Royale if you are using sparkling wine.  A little cassis goes a long way and just a dribble should give you enough blackcurrant flavour to balance out the dryness and acidity of the wine.  Too much and you will end up with wine-flavoured squash.

If you ever come across a bottle of Crème de Cassis’ sister liqueur, Crème de Mûre, made from blackberries, then snap it up.  The more musky aromas make for an intriguing twist on Kir.  And incidentally both these liqueurs make great flavourings for anyone trying their hand at homemade chocolate truffles this Christmas – but make sure the kids keep their mits off them!

Port and Sherry

There are some things that I will never be old enough for:  shopping in Country Casuals or seriously considering a cruise holiday spring to mind.  Drinking these styles of fortified wines seems to be something we only adopt in our later years.  The average age of the UK Sherry or Port drinker remains stubbornly high, but I’ve been an out and proud fan of them for many years.

Gonzalez Byass Matusalem Oloroso Dulce – around £18 for a half bottle from Waitrose, Majestic, selected Tesco’s and various independents

Dry sherries are having a bit of a moment, to use frightful mediaspeak.  The sweet ones, though, are unfairly viewed as practically toxic and fit only for the cooking, or unfavoured relatives. 

I urge you to surrender to the unctuous charms of this fine example of lusciously sweet Oloroso.  This spicy, treacly, umami-rich mouthful is the essence of Christmas, in a glass.

For eleven and a half months of the year, nary a drop of Port passes our lips.  But, come the latter half of December, we go mad for the stuff.  Christmas isn’t Christmas without a bottle of Port in the house.

The biggest selling style in the UK is the most basic, ruby Port – though the Port producers tend to dress them up with names like Special Reserve.  This is fine for a quick snifter, or wicked (in more ways than one) in mulled wine, but for something to linger over I’d recommend searching out a Tawny Port.

Tawnies spend more of their life in barrel than other kinds of Port and, as a result, lose that dense purple colour and take on shades of mahogany and chestnut brown.  The flavours change too:  nuts, spices and preserved fruit come to the fore.  The most readily available style is 10 year old, which is an average age of the wines in the blend.

Taylor’s 10 Year Old Tawny – widely available from £22 a bottle

Taylor’s could be regarded as the most conservative Port house, as they alone among the Port shippers have held out against the trend of making still table wines from the famous Port-producing vineyards in Portugal’s Douro Valley.  They prefer to stick to what they know and do best and this 10 year old is a great advertisement for the style. 

Aromas of spice, glacé and morello cherry greet you, with nuts joining the party on the palate.  The preserved fruit flavours last in the mouth, with the alcohol (it is fortified, so 20%) providing mellow warmth.

Warre’s Otima 10 Year Old Tawny – widely available, but currently £10 for a 50cl bottle in Waitrose

This is a complete contrast in packaging and approach: a tall, clear glass bottle and an encouragement to serve it chilled – even over ice.

Serving it cool lessens the sense of sweetness and makes it a refreshing after dinner choice.

Wine-based drinks

I am, I admit, generally rather sniffy about ready mixed drinks involving wine.  Whoever thought up the idea of selling ready mixed Buck’s Fizz had clearly decided this was more profitable than their previous business peddling snake oil.  Come on people!  It’s cheap fizzy wine and orange juice, mixed – how hard can it be, even sleep deprived and hungover on Christmas morning?  A bottle of cheap Cava and really good orange juice are easy to find and infinitely more delicious than the sickly sweet ready mixed supermarket stuff that I’ve tried.  And don’t go kidding yourself that pre-mixed versions constitute one of your five a day either.

Sainsbury’s Williams Pear Fizz - £3.99

Like all zealots, there had to come a moment when my belief that pre-mixed drinks are evil stuff would be challenged.  Despite myself, I was won over by this spooky-sounding “aromatised wine cocktail”.  This mixture of Chenin Blanc wine and Williams pear juice is fun, sweet, fizzy, bursting with really pear-y pear fruit and is just 4% alcohol.  How can you resist?

Next time – normal service will be resumed and I’ll get back to recommending wines for the festive period.