So much gorging to do: cheese, chocolates, Christmas lunch…then leftovers. And there’s the interim bits too, the lounging about, the board games, the film repeats.

Which all begs the question: what to drink?

Happily, to make life easier, we’ve got Victoria Moore’s ‘How to Drink at Christmas’, full of pairings, recipes and suggestions for every event, from drinks parties to Christmas lunch.

And very handy it is, with its splatterproof cover and hardback ready to be thrown about as you whip up a crimbo concoction.

But what about us, you ask? Well, we too have a few favourites for the most wonderful time of the year.

For Christmas lunch, if you’re going traditional with the turkey and all the trimmings, what we love is Beaujolais. Particularly the crus, ten of them, which have the depth and concentration to hold up against the gravy and root vegetables, or even pigs in blankets, while their red fruit character compliments the turkey wonderfully.

As a bonus, these wines tend to work well with vegetarian dishes, so if your party’s a mixed crowd, this could cover all bases.

Another wine to consider is a German Riesling on the slightly sweeter side, one labelled Auslese (although it’s never strictly clear what’s dry or sweet or even what level of sweetness so ask your local wine merchant). These wines have a lovely crispness to counterbalance the sweetness and an array of exotic flavours and aromas with a touch of spice, which, with typically slightly lower alcohol content, make them wonderful early evening aperitifs with a nibble or two.

Cheers!

What to drink at Christmas?!

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