One red, one white, one rosé, one Champagne and a bottle of after-dinner Port may be enough wine to see you through Christmas Day and into Boxing Day. But that’s not enough of a reason to avoid getting in the best wines of the year that’ll match the turkey and please everybody. So what are they
SPAR’s Spanish Ursa Maior Rioja Reserva (down to a bargain £6.99) is a reliable favourite with its chocolate and cherry flavours and a great match to any foods that come with gravy, bread sauce or spicy coatings.
And because not everyone likes red wine then a fruity white is required too. And why not go English this year? Hawkins Bros English Bacchus (£17.50) is by far the best tasting non-sparkling English white wine around. There’s a lovely balance of flavours with peach and pear plus the expected elderflower that makes Bacchus so very English – there’s also a bit of celery leaf astringency to make the whole thing swing. A great match to turkey and tinsel, and the paper hat that comes out of the cracker.
And if you can only get as far as the Co-op then why not get two great wines in one go - Ramon Bilbao Garnacha Rosé 2019 (£7 and will please everybody with its not quite red wine and not quite white wine flavours) and the end of meal Taylor’s Select Reserve Port (a bargain £7.50).
And because Christmas needs a sparkling wine why not make it Champagne – and a Champagne that you’ll actually enjoy and tastes of something other than bubbles. Go to Champagne specialist Moore Champagne for their Jean Plener Fils Brut NV champagne. At £23.95 a bottle this is a comparable price to many supermarket own-label bottles that don’t come with quite the same label appeal to impress any guests.
So what are you waiting for? Go! Go! Go! Get that wine.
Top Wines for Christmas Day
£6.99 SPAR
Bargain flavours of cherry, violets, chocolate, vanilla, toasted bread and some redcurrant sharpness to stop it being too rich. A very nice Spanish Rioja and available through the SPAR stores.
Hawkins Bros English Bacchus 2020
£17.50 Hawkins Brothers
By far the best tasting non-sparkling English white wine around. A lovely balance of flavours with peach and pear plus the expected elderflower that makes Bacchus so very English – there’s also a bit of celery leaf astringency to make the whole thing swing. A great wine and made by the Stopham Estate in Sussex for Hawkins Bros own label. If only all English wines were this good.
Ramon Bilbao Garnacha Rosé 2019
£7 Co-op
This Spanish rosé from the Co-op is a complex delight. But don’t serve it straight from the fridge or you’ll lose all the subtle flavours. Leave it out for at least 45 minutes to warm up to the recommended serving temperature of 8 degrees C and then enjoy the spicy lemon and apple flavours with a background of woodiness. This wine is robust enough to stand up to robust foods such as garlic mushrooms.
Jean Plener Fils Brut NV champagne
£23.95 Moore Champagne (half bottle £14.40)
Finally a champagne that isn't so acidic that it removes your teeth enamel. Made by a small independent grower producer, this predominantly Pinot Noir non-vintage brut is lightly fizzy but still packs a punch with its floral and fresh honeycomb aromas. The flavour is a complex mix of lime, sharp apple and hay that is enjoyable as an aperitif. A very nice old-fashioned style of champagne that you won't find in the supermarkets.
£7.50 Co-op
What a bargain at under £8 a bottle and it comes with green credentials as for every bottle sold the Co-op adds funds to the Douro region reforestation project. Complex aromas of damsons, violets, marzipan and a hint of black treacle are there too on the taste along with fruity mulberry and nutty milk chocolate. It tastes a bit like the sweeter style of PX sherry but its not so sweet. A great after dinner wine.
Related articles
