What goes with Christmas? Your festive dinner wine woes solved

To paraphrase the famous French proverb, a Christmas dinner without wine is like a day without sunshine. A recent survey showed our average spend on a bottle for Christmas dinner increases by 45 per cent, and you can double that if it’s a gift. So it’s clear that we like to put a bit of thought into our festive tipples.

Most of us kick off proceedings with a glass of fizz, with the annual retail price war on Champagne well and truly established. There’s some good stuff on offer right now, such as Co-op’s own brand Les Pionniers NV at £19, which recently ranked alongside Mumm Cordon Rouge and Moet & Chandon in a recent Which? survey. A better option, however, is Cremant, a French sparkling wine from outside the Champagne region but made using exactly the same method. Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Cremant de Loire is a comparative steal at £9 and would be perfect over Christmas Day brunch or as an aperitif before the main event.

Traditional Christmas dinner drinking calls for claret, but I prefer something a little juicier with turkey, which can often be a little dry. The fresh acidity of Pinot Noir in all forms would work well, but I’m a fan of the combination of rich, brambly fruit and light spice that you get from Syrah, particularly those from the Rhone Valley.

The main event calls for a stand-out wine, and Lea & Sandeman have that in the tiny, organic Domaine Clusel Roch’s 2015 St Joseph for £26.95; whilst Corney & Barrow’s old vine Crozes-Hermitage (£20.95) from the larger co-operative Tardieu-Laurent is also a definite crowd pleaser.

And if Bordeaux it must be, Waitrose have magnums of Chateau Laroque St-Emilion 2012 (the higher Merlot content makes for more approachable, less austere wines than most Left Bank offerings) available for £48 for the duration of December. In fact, magnums are perfect for family gatherings where one bottle simply isn’t going to cut it. They often work out better value, keep the wine in better condition, and let’s face it, they look great on the table.

M&S stock magnums of Bourgogne Blanc from renowned producer Domaine Chavy-Chouet for £36, and at a relatively light ABV of 12.5 per cent it’s ideal for a long, boozy day. Crisp, elegant with a touch of richness from oak, it’ll go with most Christmas day options and, given the labelling, you don’t need to worry about the ABC crowd (Anything But Chardonnay). You could even drink it with harder white cheeses at the end of the meal, where a big red often ends up too dominant.

If you prefer something more fruit-driven but still able to stand up to the festive spread, then the peach, pear and honeysuckle flavours of Viognier is a great option. The iconic, organic Mas De Daumas Gassac estate also produces a delicious blend of Viognier and Marsanne at an eminently affordable £11 (available at vendors including Noble Green and the Good Wine Shop), which combines the aromatic richness of Viognier with a lemony freshness.

Most of us reach for the port to wash down pudding, but a great alternative is the rich, sweet, sticky sherry made from Pedro Ximenez. It’s packed full of dried fruit, nut and molasses notes that’ll work like a dream with the Christmas pudding, or simply poured over a bowl of ice cream in an act of sheer wanton decadence. Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Pedro Ximenez (£8) is punches above its own-label tag.

And finally, spare a thought for the non-drinkers at Christmas. Usually an afterthought, there are now increasingly attractive alcohol-free options for the big day. Vinoteca carry a range of single varietal grape juices from French producer Alain Milliat including a Chardonnay, Syrah and Merlot, that would make a smart alternative to a hastily-grabbed bottle of Shloer.