Six of the best Christmas wines
Jonathan Ray rounds up some perfect wine-related presents
Six of the best Christmas wines – including champagne and port
1.Champagne Legras & Haas Intuition NV (£37.85, Private Cellar)
Why go for ordinary supermarket or pricey big brand champagne when you can have this corker?
2. 2022 Hugel Classic Riesling (£19.99 if you mix six, Majestic)
From the glory that is Alsace, a crisp, clean, citrus-fresh white to match any starter.
3. 2023 Domaine Millet Côtes de Gascogne (£12.25, Yapp Bros)
A crowd-pleasing dry/ off-dry white from d’Artagnan country: perfect for hordes of unexpected guests.
4. 2019 CVNE Reserva Rioja (£13.50, Waitrose)
Exemplary Rioja from one of the finest of all producers. Spot on with turkey or rib of beef.
5. 2022 P&N Reverdy Terre de Maimbray Sancerre Rouge (£25, Haynes Hanson & Clark)
Soft, mellow, Loire Valley Pinot Noir that knocks spots off many a red burgundy.
6. (£14.50, Tesco)
From a fabled producer, a mouth-fillingly tasty port with no need to faff around decanting.
Looking for more inspiration for Christmas drinks? Take a look at our ideas for Christmas cocktails.
More of the best for Christmas wines
Drinks books always go down well at Christmas, and I’ve got my eye on two: The Wine Flavour Guide from Sam Caporn (£20, Square Peg) and the third, fully updated edition of The World Atlas of Whisky (£45, Octopus) by Dave Broom. Caporn is one of just 421 Masters of Wine in the world and her book tells you everything you need to know about wine and how to get the best out of it. And as for Broom, what he doesn’t know about whisky ain’t worth knowing, and if you are aware of a better book on this glorious subject, pray lead me to it.
Fine fizz always makes a memorable gift, especially fine English fizz. Chapel Down, the UK’s leading producer, has a number on offer, including its inimitable Rosé Brut in a gift box that you can personalise (£47). If price is no object, Emma Rice, one of our finest winemakers, has a gorgeous pairing of two South Downs sparklers from 2009, aged slightly differently for a compare-and-contrast exercise and presented in a natty gift box (£250). If it has to be champagne and you adore the recipient, then go for the Gosset 21 Ans de Cave a Minima (£285 Louis Latour), the new release from the oldest champagne house of all. A stunning sparkler, aged for 21 years in Gosset’s cool, dark, chalk cellars, it’s an eye-watering price but makes a canny investment too.
The exquisite 2022 Royal Tokaji Blue Label Aszú 5 Puttonyos, one of the great sweet wines of the world, makes a charming stocking filler in its 25cl size (£14.99, Waitrose), while you’d need a pillow case to conceal the decadent magnum of the greatest liqueur of all: Mentzendorff Kummel (£83.75 Whisky Exchange).
A pick-me-up for Christmas
Finally, the Original Pick-Me-Up from DR Harris. Crammed with restorative plants such as milk thistle, ginseng, gentian, bergamot and cloves, it’s an infallible tonic of which I remember taking regular draughts at the counter of DR Harris’s pharmacy in St James’s back in the day. Now available in 100ml bottles (£22), it’s ideal for drink-sodden travellers or for use at home. Indeed, it’s essential kit this time of year.