We rounded up some of the best wines to serve this Christmas
Christmas is around the corner and for many of us the trees are decorated and we've heard Mariah Carey and Michael Bublé more this past week than we had all year. It's time to get ready for the big day - which often has a generous helping of booze.
Whether it's Baileys on the rocks, a hot chocolate that doubles as a cocktail or a glass of wine, it's not unusual to see a drink at the Christmas table. Here at the Mirror we've brought in our resident wine expert Jada Jones to round up some of the best wines to serve at this time of year. Please remember to drink responsibly.
Asti
Asti is a sweet and sparkling wine that's ideal for celebrating. It's Italian in origin, like the popular Prosecco but is made up of Moscato Bianco grape instead. Most white wines have notes of green, citrus or tropical fruits but interestingly the main note that comes through with this one is actually grape.
It's often saved to the end of a meal and served alongside dessert. The wine is typically low in alcohol and you can expect an ABV of around 7%. Our favourite version of this is from Martini and can be bought in most supermarkets and on Amazon where it's currently just £6.50 a bottle.
Champagne
Champagne is a sparkling wine made in the traditional method that's famous around the world. It's made from grapes grown in the Champagne region in the north of France where a combination of climate, soil quality and expertise created what is arguably the best sparkling wine on the market.
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It's made mainly from three different grapes: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. These bring in a range of notes and flavours however it's the less ageing process that gives it the signature brioche, honey and nut notes. There are so many different champagnes and they come across a range of prices but this is one of the more expensive options on the market.
It's been said that the bigger the bottle the better the wine but it's worth noting that you will likely want to finish the bottle in one sitting. It's typical for champagne to be around 12% in ABV and cost around £40 although there are sales where you can bag a saving. We'd recommend Piper Heidsieck Brut, Taittinger Brut Réserve Non Vintage or Moët & Chandon Impérial Brut.
English Sparkling
English Sparkling is a lot like Champagne. It's often made with the same types of grapes in the exact same method and due to global warming and the similarity in the soil of southern England and the Champagne region, it can taste somewhat similar. England is a little colder which means the wines don't tend to have tropical notes and are a little more citrusy.
Our favourite is Louis Pommery England which has zingy lemon and tart Granny Smith apple notes alongside freshly baked bread and honeycomb. At £27 a bottle it's not the cheapest of bottles but it is a little less than you would expect to spend on classic Champagne.
Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir is one of the most popular light bodied red wines, it's named after the grape and is grown all over the world. It has notes of ripe red fruits and when allowed to age can even develop mushroom notes. It's typically low in tannins with a high acidity which makes it a great option for pairing with food.
It works with fish and meat which means it's a great option for pairing with dinner on Christmas Day no matter if you are getting turkey, beef, duck or even fish as your centrepiece. You can expect a good bottle to be around £12 and it's typically got an ABV of around 12.5%.
Sauternes
Pudding wines aren't for everyone but there's certainly a time and place for them. Christmas happens to be one of those times. There are different sweet wines on the market such as German Eiswein and Hugarian Tokaji but it's the French Sauternes we see popping up every Christmas.
The Semillon grape is made to create this iconic wine and it gets it's sweetness from how the fogs impact the Bordeaux region where it's grown. The fog causes noble rot to take place where the moisture ends up leaving the grape and what's left is a lot of sugar. Typically we see notes of ginger, honey, cinnamon and apricot which makes it perfect for the festive season. It can be quite expensive although Virgin Wines has a great bottle available for just £13.50 - it's typical to see Sauternes in 37.5cl bottles.
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