Best Wines For Christmas - A Guide To Christmas Day Sipping

Christmas day is always a day when we let ourselves indulge. Dessert for breakfast? Ok! A

sneaky tipple before midday? Don’t mind if I do. However, there’s indulging for the sake of it

and there’s actually being strategic. Welcome to our guide to Christmas day sipping.

7am: Wake up, prep the turkey and enjoy a buck’s fizz.

There’s nothing like an early morning sharpener and buck’s fizz is such a decadent classic. If

you’re one of those bougie lot then we permit you to make a mimosa. We would recommend

using The Grape Kitchen’s House Prosecco in this, however if 7am is just that little bit too

early for you then you can use a non-alcoholic sparkling. We would recommend Bruno

Andreu sparkling white, a premium de-alcoholised sparkling white wine from the South of

France.

Bruno Andreu Non Alcoholic Sparkling. RRP: £10.99

10am: Presents and coffee (with a bit of Baileys)

To be honest, if you have small children and are reading this, I’m pretty sure you’ll be

laughing at the thought of waiting until 10am to do presents. However, just go with it. At this

point you’ve been up for a few hours, prepping lunch, getting dressed etc and that early

morning sharpener has probably worn off, so you need a coffee. What better way to put a

pep in your step than with a little bit of Irish cream. It’s sweet, creamy and is a hug in a mug.

A drop of Jameson’s is a good alternative, however maybe that’s a bit strong for 10am.

12pm: A bit of celebration bubbles!

We’ve finally got to midday. Now it’s socially acceptable to have a bit of booze without having

to disguise it with orange juice or coffee. This is where we need to get the big guns out, it’s

Christmas after all. Don’t fret about Champagne, go for something slightly more affordable

but equally delicious. We would recommend Grenelle Cremant de Loire (RRP £16.99) or if

your budget stretches a little further Rossello Alta Langa (RRP £24.99). Both of these are

traditional method sparklings from Loire Valley and Piedmont respectively. Both offer nice

complexity nd an abundance of flavours on the palate. They’re packed full of refreshing

acidity and this will awaken your palate up for the looming Christmas feast.

Rossello Alta Langa. RRP: £24.99

12:30pm: Enjoy the feast with your favourite white or red

It’s Christmas, so you enjoy whatever you want with this. You have Christmas your way.

Although, if you want advice then I would recommend the following styles of wine to elevate

your meal from good to great.

White:

Unoaked or Very gently oaked Chardonnay e.g. Bourgogne/Burgundy (Think Chablis),

Youthful Chenin Blanc. Great value Chenin from South Africa is perfect

Off-dry Riesling. Something with a bit of sugar can really help balance all the different

elements on the plate.

Schiefer Steillage Riesling. RRP: £11.99

Red:

Pinot Noir e.g. Bourgogne/Burgundy (Rully is my favourite).

Youthful Cabernet Sauvignon. Chances are it will be unoaked and fresh. Big Beltie Cabernet

Sauvignon from Languedoc is perfect, especially if you’re having beef.

Big Beltie Cabernet Sauvignon. RRP: £10.99

Cool Climate reds e.g. Zweigelt from Austria or Lightfoot & Wolfville Fauna from Nova

Scotia. These wines are lighter on the palate and won’t overpower the turkey.

4pm: Cheeseboard time. Swap the port for a sweet vermouth.

You’ve just about digested everything from lunch, had a little nap and you’ve woke up a bit

peckish. Time for cheese. Typically, I’d say go for a port but the aim of the game today is to

not go too over the top while still indulging. Sweet vermouth is perfect. It has the sugar in

that Port has, which is great for pairing with strong cheeses, however it’s typically lower in

alcohol so it won’t sit as heavy and it won’t get you sozzled (well, depends how much you

have). I would wholly recommend trying Cueva Nueva Vermut. It’s simply brilliant. Have it

chilled and preferably over ice with a slice of orange and thank me later.

Cueva Nueva Vermut. RRP: £19.99

7pm: Watch love actually with a glass of wine that was left over from lunch.

That’s the day. Sounds pretty perfect to me! Enjoy and merry Christmas.