Taste tested: 20 of the best wines & drinks for Christmas 2024

The best white wines for Christmas

1. Irresistible Chablis 2022, Burgundy, France 12.5%
An unoaked cooler-climate chardonnay from northern Burgundy, here’s a traditional choice with fish or turkey at Christmas. Made for the Co-op by leading chablis producer Jean-Marc Brocard, it’s balanced and slightly rounded, with elegant orange and mango flavours. £16.50 (down to £14.50 from 6 Nov to 11 Dec), available from Co-op

2. Paul Jaboulet Aîné Viognier 2023, Rhône, France 13%
Viognier is another relatively rich, ripe white that suits the season – this one delivers plenty of peach and apricot and some full texture, so it can stand up to poultry, fish and even creamy mild curries. £11, available from Sainsbury’s

3. Devil’s Corner Chardonnay 2023, Tasmania, Australia 12.5%
A bright, fruity chardonnay is a brilliant partner for roast turkey or chicken and this is a star buy, with ripe pineapple and citrus, a richer hint of butterscotch and a fresh finish. It could take on salmon and fish pie too. £15, available from Tesco

4. Expressions Ribolla Gialla 2023, Friuli, Italy 12%
A good-value white for across the Christmas period, dry and refreshing with a juicy pear flavour. A decent aperitif and match for lighter food, it’s made from the unusual ribolla gialla grape in cooler northeast Italy. £8, available from Marks & Spencer and Ocado

The best red wines for Christmas

5. Doppio Passo Primitivo 2021, Puglia, Italy 13%
Lush black cherries and damsons are at the heart of this organic southern Italian, and there’s a seam of dark chocolate there too. Officially dry, it has a sweetly ripe quality, created by dried grapes being added to the fermentation. Try it with lamb tagine or roast pork. £14 (£12.60 as part of a mixed six), available from Wickham Wine

6. The Oath Shiraz 2023, Barossa Valley, South Australia 14%
A new wine that’s bursting with ripe plum and cassis sprinkled with clove and cinnamon. It’s sleek, rounded and premium – a treat with roast goose or rib of beef. Take note: it’s on multi-buy offer this month. £14.99 or £11.99 as part of a mixed six (down to £9.99 as part of a mixed six from 29 Oct to 2 Dec), availanle from Majestic

7. Toro Loco Superior Tempranillo-Bobal 2023, Utiel-Requena, Spain 12.5%
Bargain alert! A blend of two Spanish grapes from the warm region near Valencia, this is hearty and robust with plenty of spicy blackberries but not too heavy. Bring it out for family feasts like lasagne or chilli. £4.99, available from Aldi

8. Domaine Filliatreau Saumur-Champigny 2021, Loire Valley, France 13%
Gorgeous cabernet franc from France’s Loire, elegant and fresh with redcurrant and raspberry tones. The perfect red for a Christmas ham, it also works well with charcuterie and you can chill it lightly if you like, to enhance its tanginess. £17.95, availale from Yapp Brothers

The best rosés for Christmas

9. Babich Rosé 2022, Marlborough, New Zealand 13%
If you prefer a riper rosé, try this one, which has red plum juiciness and works well with food, including cold poultry and ham. I’d chill it for a prawn starter and lightly spiced seafood too. £10, available from The Co-op

10. La Vieille Ferme Rosé 2023, Vin de France 12.5%
AKA the ‘chicken wine’ (because of its label), this rosé is hugely popular and rightly so; it’s a blend of grapes delivering delicate flavours of red cherries, tangerine peel and red apple with a dry, but not sour, finish. Makes a mouthwatering aperitif. From £8.25, widely available, including from Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose

The best sparkling wines for Christmas

11. Finest English Sparkling Brut NV, Kent, England 11.5%
Balfour winery makes this for Tesco, and very fine it is too, with perky citrus, especially lime, plus crunchy green apples and tiny, bustling bubbles. Again, it’s champagne method but the cool-climate, whistle-clean acidity tastes very English. £21, available from Tesco

12. Louis Bouillot Crémant de Bourgogne NV, France 12.5%
A super sparkler, bright golden and well balanced with a hint of toastiness as well as refreshing acidity. Crémants are made in the same meticulous, long bottle-aged method as champagne and can be excellent value. £13.50, available from Sainsbury’s

13. Villiera Cap Classique Brut NV, Stellenbosch, South Africa 11.5%
South Africa’s ‘Cap Classique’ bubblies are also made by the champagne method; this one is subtle and classy, tasting like lemon and lime sorbet and with plenty of lively froth. Chardonnay and pinot noir grapes (as used in champagne) are behind it. £17 (£15 as part of a mixed six), available from Majestic

14. Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Champagne NV, France 12.5%
With exquisite creamy depths and green apple fruit laced with a little lemon, this is very special, just right for a seasonal celebration. It was aged for a full five years on the yeast lees and shows complexity and maturity. £39.99, available from Waitrose

The best soft drinks for Christmas

15. Belvoir Spiced Ginger Punch, England 0%
One of Belvoir’s ‘festive edition’ softies, this packs a punch of fresh ginger and sweet orange. £2.95 for 75cl, available from Ocado

16. Pentire Margarita Non-Alcoholic Cocktail, Cornwall, England 0%
One of my fave ready-made mocktails, carefully put together with plenty of tangy lime zest, a salty dab and hints of herbs and chilli. Pour over ice and add a citrus slice. £19.80 for 50cl, available from Pentire Drinks

The best spirits & fortified wines for Christmas

17. Croft Quinta da Roeda Vintage Port 2004, Douro, Portugal 20.5%
Twenty-year-old vintage port made mellow with age, though there are still lots of lively black cherries and red plums here, plus spicy fruitcake. Decant it to aerate and remove any sediment before enjoying – ideally with a Christmas cheeseboard. £20.38, available from Drinks Direct; £29.99 (or £24.99 as part of a mixed six), available from Majestic

18. The Best Oloroso Dry Sherry, Jerez, Spain 20%
Dried figs and raisins, walnuts and brazil nuts are all conjured up in this amazing little bottle of dark but dry sherry. It’s made by the renowned bodega (winery) Lustau for Morrisons and is a dream drop with charcuterie. £6.50 for 37.5cl, available from Morrisons

19. Black Ven Dark Rum, Dorset, England 50%
Made in Lyme Regis using bakers’ molasses, this is a deeply satisfying, warming but dry rum with layers of dark toffee and vanilla, and a smidge of wood spice from French oak ageing. It’s a proper fireside sipper. £42 for 50cl, available from Black Ven Distillery

20. Tempus Fugit Crème de Cacao à la Vanille, Switzerland 24%
It’s extremely sweet, be warned, but this clear, amber-hued liqueur has intense cacao and vanilla and is just as good poured over ice cream as it is sipped in small servings at the end of the big Christmas lunch. Enjoy it with a box of chocs. £31.50 for 70cl, available from Berry Bros. & Rudd

How to serve your Christmas wines like a top sommelier

• Fruitier, fuller whites like chardonnay and viognier are better with the classic turkey feast than crisper, lighter ones. Choose sensibly and a white like chablis will segue from a starter like smoked salmon on to the main course.
• Keep whites, rosés and especially fizz cool the whole time – put bottles back in the fridge, into an ice bucket or even outside between glasses.
• Don’t overheat reds by putting them by the fire or radiator. Keep them at a coolish room temperature.
• Fine reds are softer and more aromatic if you aerate them by decanting into a large glass jug or decanter. You don’t need to do this hours before; they’ll open up immediately.
• Pour smaller servings (around 150ml) into large glasses rather than filling small glasses to the top. This creates more aroma and means you’re drinking fresh wine more often.
• Serve dessert wines, ports and sherries in normal white wine glasses, not tiny liqueur glasses, so you can swirl and aerate them.
• Opened, most wines last three or four days without losing freshness, if the bottles are closed again and kept in a cool, dark place.

Browse our favourite Christmas cocktail recipes.