Taste the difference
Whether you’re choosing a bottle for the Christmas table, gifting friends, or looking to toast 2026 then our Drinks Editor James Viner has you covered…
After an intensive autumn of tastings, I’ve selected eleven excellent wines to enhance Christmas dining and gifting, ranging from a discounted white Burgundy to a remarkable Kentish Pinot Noir from Simpsons’ Wine Estate, a founding member of The Wine Garden of England, the collective of Kent’s top nine award-winning wine producers.
Cheers!
Pink & Reds
1. Specially Selected Rioja Rosado 2024, Spain – Aldi £7.49 (13%)
Buy plenty of this scrumptious, multipurpose, herby, red-berry-stashed, festive pink Rioja, which shines with mild curries, shellfish, grilled fish, and lamb. You won’t regret it.
2. Corte Alle Mura Chianti Riserva 2021, Tuscany, Italy – Lidl £7.29 (13%)
Seek out this characterful, herb-tinged Tuscan Lidl charmer, alive with potpourri, violets, black tea, bright red fruits, and umami—hello steak, goose, and duck.
3. Wynns Coonawarra Estate ‘The Gables’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, Australia – Majestic £10.50 mix 6 (13.7%)
Coonawarra is Australia’s most Médoc-like enclave, and this bonzer bottle shows why it excels. Think mint-brushed blackcurrants and cherries layered with subtle tobacco. A beauty.
4. Santa Tresa, Cerasuolo di Vittoria 2022, Sicily, Italy – The Wine Society £12.95 (14%)
Bring Sicilian charm to your festive table with this juicy, irresistible, cherry- and raspberry-licked, organic, low-tannin Nero d’Avola-Frappato DOCG gem. Turkey? Tuna? It loves them both. Salute!
5. Les Mines Domaine Chevalier-Métrat Brouilly 2023, Beaujolais, France – Lea & Sandeman £15.95 case price (13%)
Silky, X-factor Brouilly from old Gamay vines, bursting with pure red fruit and bright granitic Beaujolais ‘cru’ swagger. So saporous, I couldn’t resist swallowing half of my first sip — perfect for turkey and Boxing Day leftovers.
6. Simpsons’ ‘Rabbit Hole’ Pinot Noir 2023, Barham, Kent – The Wine Society, Corkk, Grape Britannia, Noble Green Wines, Simpsons Wine £25-£32 (13%)
Made from Burgundian clones grown in Kent’s chalky Elham Valley and matured in second-use French oak, this gracefully spiced, red-fruited Pinot is a joyful festive showstopper.
Whites
7. Cave de Lugny, Mâcon-Lugny Les Charmes 2023, Burgundy, France – Waitrose, £10 from December 3-January 1, down from £16.99 (13%)
This tasty, unoaked, subtly nutty and creamy single-vineyard Chardonnay from southern Burgundy’s Mâconnais is a steal at a tenner. Excellent with turkey, fish, soufflés, and gougères — see you at the checkout.
8. Co-op Irresistible English Bacchus 2023, Kent – Co-op £13 (11.5%)
If you enjoy English wines, try this bright, unoaked, elderflower- and hedgerow-scented Bacchus (with a little Chardonnay) from Staplehurst’s dynamic Balfour Winery. A whizz with fish and chips, oysters, or winter salads.
9. Timorasso Derthona, Boveri Luigi 2023, Colli Tortonesi, Italy – The Wine Society £16 (14%)
This rare white Piedmontese grape is cultivated on steep hills just east of Tortona and yields a delicately mineral, herbal, orchard-fruited, structured wine. Here’s a compelling, full-bodied expression — a true standout at The Wine Society’s superlative autumn press tasting.
10. Petaluma Adelaide Hills Chardonnay 2022, Adelaide Hills, Australia – Tesco £18.50 (13.5%)
Looking for a premium supermarket white for turkey or seafood? This multilayered Aussie Chardonnay – with notes of pink grapefruit, stone fruit, and a whisper of oak – delivers beautifully. Decant if possible.
Bargain Festive/NYE Fizz
11. Bouvet Ladubay ‘Trésor’ Saumur Brut 2021, Loire, France – Majestic £15 mix 6 (12.5%)
No celebration is complete without polished bubbly. This delightfully buoyant Loire Valley traditional-method blend of versatile Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay hits the mark, with notes of honeysuckle, apple, pear and a long citrus finish. Ideal with poultry and shellfish. Happy New Year!
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@QuixoticWines
