Taste the difference
Whether you’re selecting a bottle for the Christmas table, choosing a thoughtful gift, or raising a glass of bubbly to the year ahead, our Drinks Editor James Viner has you covered.
After an intensive autumn of tastings, I’ve selected eleven superb wines to enhance Christmas sipping, dining and gifting. They range 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 nine top award-winning wine producers.
Prices largely sit above £10 – where craftsmanship and character begin to reveal themselves – yet each bottle offers compelling value. Perfect for enjoying at home or gifting this festive season. Merry Christmas!
ROSÉ & REDS FOR THE FESTIVE TABLE
1. Specially Selected Rioja Rosado 2024, Spain – Aldi £7.49 (13%)
Buy plenty of this scrumptious, multipurpose, herby, red-berry-laced, 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 2021, Australia – Majestic £13 mix 6 (13.7%)
Coonawarra is Australia’s most Médoc-like enclave, and this exceptional bottle shows why it excels. Made by a revered team, this has lashings of rich, minty, herbaceous blackcurrant and black cherry fruit, with hints of tobacco and cedar on the finish. A seamless, mouth-filling, generous, early-drinking iteration of an Aussie classic.
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? This supple, high-quality red loves them both. Cin cin!
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. A classy bottle from the UK’s best small multiple wine retailer.
6. Simpsons’ Wine Estate ‘Rabbit Hole’ Pinot Noir 2023, Barham, Kent – Davy’s, Corkk, Grape Britannia, Noble Green Wines, Simpsons’ Wine Estate £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. Just the ticket for roast turkey/venison, the cheeseboard and mushroom pithiviers. Take a bow, winemaker Adrian Mohor.
SEASONAL WHITES
7. Cave de Lugny, Mâcon-Lugny Les Charmes 2023, Burgundy, France – Waitrose, £10 from December 3–January 1, down from £17.50 (13%)
This tasty, unoaked, subtly nutty and creamy single-vineyard Chardonnay from southern Burgundy’s Mâconnais is a steal at a tenner. Particularly well suited to turkey, fish, soufflés, or gougères — see you at the checkout. An outstanding festive offer at Waitrose.
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 standout at The Wine Society’s unmatched autumn press tasting.
10. Petaluma Adelaide Hills Chardonnay 2022, Adelaide Hills, Australia – Tesco £16 Clubcard until 31 December (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.
CELEBRATORY SPARKLING WINE FROM THE LOIRE
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, stylish Loire Valley traditional-method blend of versatile Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay hits the mark, with notes of honeysuckle, apple, pear, and a satisfying citrus finish. A classy aperitif that pairs wonderfully with poultry and shellfish. Stock up now. Bonne année!
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@QuixoticWines
