Whether you’re spending Christmas with family, friends or just staying in to enjoy some festive food, the chances are you’ll also be stocking up on wine.

Yet with so many styles available – not to mention a blizzard of seasonal bargains – it can be bewildering to know which to choose.

But don’t despair! I’ve sipped my way around the supermarkets to bring you this year’s Ultimate Christmas Wine Guide, jam-packed with my insider suggestions for the very best bottles whatever your taste.

As luck would have it, this is also the time of year for cracking deals. In fact, it’s not unknown for restaurants to buy their wine in the supermarkets at Christmas because it can be so keenly priced.

But what should you go for?

Although we often associate warm red wines with wintry, festive food, I always choose Provençal rosé to go with my Christmas turkey because it’s a versatile crowd-pleaser and feels much lighter than a heavy red.

It can also seem natural to pair cheese with red wine – but have you considered white instead?

As I explain, flavoursome whites, like those from Jura and Alsace, make a refreshing, more nuanced pairing for a delicate cheese – and the higher acidity also balances the fattiness of the cheese.

If you’re planning a party or simply want to splash out on something a little fancier, there are also plenty of suggestions for sparkling wines, reds, whites and even ports, not forgetting sweet wines that go perfectly with a slice of panettone or a mince pie or two.

You might also be tempted to try a glass of this year’s trendy natural sparkler ‘Pét Nat’ (Pétillant-Naturel) – a minimally processed sparkling wine that became a 2024 social media sensation thanks to the fact that it’s low in additives and lower in alcohol, making a refreshing alternative to better known types of fizz.

Whatever your budget or preferences, you’re sure to find a bottle or two to add a little extra cheer to your Christmas.

Aldi Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG

£9.99 (was £19.99), Aldi

Amarone is always a premium wine that comes with a hefty price tag. While not top of the range, this is still excellent value for a usually pricey style.

Charles Lafitte Champagne Grande Cuvée Brut NV

£23 (was £46), Ocado

Anyone wanting some properly posh Champers should make the most of these big name bubbles while half-price.

Diablo Dark Red

£8, Asda

If you’re looking for a smart bottle to take to a posh party this festive season, you cannot go wrong with this silky, stunning red.

Montecillo Reserva Rioja

£10 (was £15.99), Waitrose

A Reserva Rioja has more bottle and oak age, so it will taste more vanilla-like and mellow. At £15, this was already a bargain, so at £10 this is excellent.

Heidsieck Dry Monopole NV Champagne

£20 (Clubcard price, was £30), Tesco

Gorgeously rich Champagne seems to be on offer in several places, but this Tesco discount is particularly chunky.

Aldi Bordeaux Rouge

£4.99 (was £9.99), Aldi

This cracking claret was already a good deal when it was double the price, so at £4.99, this is a ridiculously good discount.

Croix Des Côteaux Saint-Émilion

£10 (was £15.99), Waitrose

This smart-looking wine will please the most discerning Bordeaux-loving guests – and its offer price will seriously please your pocket!

Amandla Shiraz Zinfandel

£6.99 (was £9.99), Waitrose

A very smart, juicy red blend comes from an exciting new brand. Very easy drinking, this is great value and will prove a crowd-pleaser.

Zalze Shiraz – Mourvèdre Viognier

£6.66 (was £9.99), Waitrose

Another chunky discount on a savoury, spicy, South African red. A great one if your food offering is meat heavy and you’ve lots of guests.

The Best Crémant De Limoux Sparkling Wine

£10 (was £12), Morrisons

Sparkling Chardonnay has always been a favourite for its excellent value even at full price, so an extra couple of pounds off is a bonus.

Deluxe New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, Awatere Valley

£5.80 (was £8.29), Lidl

Lidl’s range of wines is really rather good and Deluxe bottles have a fantastic 30 per cent off. This Sauvignon is a stunner.

St Hallett Barossa Faith Shiraz

£10 (Clubcard price, was £16), Tesco

Another Tesco bargain, this is a brilliant, benchmark Shiraz packed full of plum and peppery spice. And it is astonishing for a tenner.

White wine’s a cracker with cheese 

When choosing a wine to go with your favourite cheese, it’s easy to assume that red is the natural option. But flavoursome whites can offer a refreshing and subtle pairing as they don’t overpower more delicate cheeses in the way some reds can.

The French know this, having traditionally paired their white wines with local cheeses in key white-wine producing areas like Alsace and Jura.

This is particularly true after a heavy main course – a white with cheese will pep things up rather than weigh you down as a heavy red will.

And from the rich whites of Alsace to the zesty Sauvignons from the New World, there’s a style of white wine for every cheese.

Here are five of my favourites:

Manchego with Albariño

Marieta Albariño Rìas Baixas, Spain, £13, Tesco

Another classic pairing: Spanish Manchego is hard and salty but quite subtle in flavour. Albariño’s ripe peach notes foil the salt and its crisp acidity cleanses the palate. Simply stunning!

Blue cheese (Gorgonzola/Roquefort/Stilton) with Sauternes 

No.1 Sauternes, Château Suduiraut, France, £17.99, Waitrose

Once you taste sweet white wine with blue cheese you’ll never go back to port! This is particularly true of Sauternes – and this bottle brings unctuous, tropical notes that foil the saltiness, while refreshing the palate.

Camembert with Viognier

Paul Jaboulet Aine Viognier, France, £11, Sainsbury’s

A creamy Camembert needs a weighty, flavoursome, aromatic white to stand up to it and Viogner, the white grape found in the Rhône Valley, is ideal with its notes of floral apricot and banana cream with a fresh, citrus core.

Comté with oaked Chardonnay (white Burgundy)

M&S Florent Rouve Viré-Cléssé, Burgundy, France, £16, Ocado

A hard, nutty cheese such as Comté needs a fuller-bodied white with a touch of gentle oak, so this peachy, vanilla-scented white Burgundy (made from Chardonnay grapes) is an ideal match.

Goats’ cheese with Sauvignon Blanc

San Pedro 35 South Sauvignon Blanc, Chile, £7.50, Sainsbury’s

There’s a saying ‘What grows together, goes together’ and this is particularly true for cheese. Although Sauvignon and goats cheese is a classic Loire combo, this Chilean wine offers a fruitier version.

The trendy natural fizz that’s a social media hit

This was the year that ‘Pét Nat’ – a natural sparkling wine – became a social media hit. Fans hail Pétillant-Naturel (which means ‘naturally sparkling’) as being lower in additives and alcohol.

The minimally-processed style, which produces a cloudy-looking sparkling wine, is actually more than 3,000 years old. It is bottled while still fermenting, allowing the process to continue in the bottle – creating the ‘fizz’.

It is very low in additives, including sulphites which can lead to breathing difficulties in some people with allergies or asthma.

They’re usually unfiltered – the result is a tangy, rustic gentle fizz – and good ones are glorious. Here are some to try:

New Theory Pot Luck Pét Nat

£22, Ocado

Maximum flavour with complex, savoury notes and a twang of red fruit. Great for turkey and ham.

Vitikultur Moser Pét Nat

£23, Fenwick

Elegant rose-petal pink fizz has a subtle haziness. Think notes of apple blossom and tart cherry.

Gassac Folie Pét Nat

£16.50, wanderlustwine.co.uk

Toffee apple and vanilla-scented version is classy and delicious!

Matthias Hager Pét Nat

£26, bottleapostle.com

Lovely complex flavour. Think spiced apple pie, smoky grapefruit and candied lemon peel.

Perfect bottles for every festive feast 

ROAST TURKEY  

Cono Sur Bicicleta Viognier

£7, Morrisons

This sunshine-in-a-glass wine has the tropical fruit and creamy weight to stand up to this meaty dish, while keeping everything fresh on the palate.

Diablo Golden Chardonnay

£10, Asda

If you’re looking for a white wine for your big meal, make sure it’s a big and bold style! This toasty Chardonnay is perfect and has buckets of fruit to boot. A great pairing for turkey.

Gros Manseng Vin Orange

£7.50, Asda

Orange wine such as this aromatic beauty is a versatile food pairing, thanks to its savoury notes and a grippy texture from the prolonged skin contact with the juice.

Morrisons The Best Fleurie

£12, Morrisons

A refreshing, light red such as this Beaujolais is ideal for a big, daytime feast, as it’s not too heavy. Fleurie brings a gorgeous, strawberry and floral aroma, too.

Château Minuty ‘M de Minuty’ Rosé 2023

£18.99 (£14.99 mix six), Majestic

I always serve Provençal rosé with my own festive meal, as it’s a fantastic all-rounder – and crisp and delicate Minuty is an absolute classic.

ROAST BEEF

San Pedro 35 South Cabernet Sauvignon

£7.50 (£6.75 Nectar price), Sainsbury’s

Big on smoky blackcurrant and fruitiness, this Cabernet is a well-priced choice if you need a few bottles!

Vergelegen Cabernet Merlot Fairtrade

£10, Co-op

Bordeaux fans will absolutely adore this South African red blend, with its mellow cassis and cedary notes. Beautifully balanced and classy.

Diablo Carmenère

£10 (£8.50 clubcard price), Tesco

The full-bodied, blackcurrant leaf and chocolate tones of this Chilean Carmenère make a fabulous pairing for beef with lots of trimmings. An eye-catching label, too.

Château Tanunda Shiraz

£6.99 (was £9.99), Waitrose

If you are fan of bold, juicy, peppery Aussie Shiraz, this full-flavoured wine is a gloriously in-your-face style which works wonders with beef. A good price.

Terrazas de los Andes Organic Malbec

£18 (£16 Nectar price), Sainsbury’s

Few things pair as well as Malbec and beef, particularly roasted. This high altitude version is chocolatey, complex and classy.

ROAST GAMMON

Gordon Ramsay Veneto Rosso

£8.50 (£7 clubcard price), Tesco

Ramsay’s tangy and cherry-scented red is the perfect accompaniment for glazed ham this Christmas. It’s medium-bodied, so it doesn’t taste too heavy with the meat.

M&S Classics No. 35 Beaujolais-Villages 2023

£9, M&S

This step-up Beaujolais is light enough to be refreshing with its herbaceous, strawberry notes, and will sing with the saltiness of the Christmas ham.

Wine Atlas Bonarda Mendoza

£6.50, Asda

This medium-bodied, Argentinian red punches way above its price point. A fabulous ‘session’ red that is flavoursome but not cloying.

Arbousset Tavel Rosé

£12.50, Tesco

Tavel rosé from the Rhône Valley is more spicy-savoury than many other styles of this wine. This tipple is like a very light red and ideal with any pork products. The bottle is stylish, too.

Gérard Bertrand Orange Gold

£18.99 (£12.99 mix six), Majestic

A favourite orange wine with its notes of candied orange peel and a touch of nuttiness. This will pair well with the texture and flavours of a glazed ham.

BAKED SALMON

Santa Tresa Frappato

£10 (now £12.50), Ocado

A very light, berry-scented red which works beautifully with salmon whether smoked, baked or en croute. This Sicilian sipper is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.

Macerao Naranjo Orange Wine

£8.99, Waitrose

This lighter and more aromatic style of orange wine, with its bittersweet bergamot note, is a winner with all styles of salmon as it won’t overpower it.

Oriel Mediterranée Rosé

£8.50, Morrisons

This pink from specially selected southern French vineyards has more fruit than Provençal styles. An elegant choice for sophisticated salmon.

Pasqua Passimento Bianco 2023

£12.99 (£10.99 mix six), Majestic

Salmon loves a heavier, creamy white, and this is perfectly peachy with a slick of refreshing citrus. A stunning salmon pairing.

Reyneke Organic Chenin Blanc

£10.99, Waitrose

South African Chenin with its rich, orchard fruit and zippy acidity will pair beautifully with salmon, especially if you’re going ‘en croûte’ with crisp pastry.

GAME/VENISON

Extra Special Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

£6.75 (was £8.75), Asda

Margaret River is the ‘Bordeaux of Australia’, and this is a brilliantly priced, refined Cabernet with a moreish, old school, gravelly note.

Los Cardos, Red blend, Doña Paula

£7.50, Asda

An alluring blend of juicy Malbec, Cabernet and Syrah, this is an awesome, all-rounder, bold red that will look very nice on the Christmas table, too!

Roodeberg Black

£12.50, Morrisons

This brooding South African red, which survived a blazing fire in 2018 in the winery, while in oak barrels, will appeal in particular to whisky lovers with its notes of woodsmoke.

Pasqua Passimento Rosso Veneto

£12.99 (£10.99 mix six), Majestic

Amarone fans will love this cocoa and cherry flavoured red made with partially dried grapes. Great with game and red fruit sauces.

Ponting ‘The Pinnacle’ Shiraz

£20, Ocado

British cricket lovers may not be enamoured with Aussie cricket legend Ricky Ponting, but this classic, velvety, spiced Shiraz from his own wine range is hard not to love!

VEGGIE

Waitrose Blueprint Grüner Veltliner

£8.99, Waitrose

Grüner is a great white wine all-rounder and it can handle green veggies better than most. Bone dry and subtly complex with a gingery kick.

Marlborough Heartland Sauvignon Blanc

£12.50, Sainbury’s

Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc is a great go-to style for anything vegetable-based. This is a classic: zesty and refreshing with cut grass and citrus notes.

Robert Oatley Semaphore Chardonnay

£9.50, Co-op

A gorgeous mid-style Chardonnay with subtle, vanilla oak complementing its gentle peach and apricot notes. Lovely with a nut roast.

Les Dauphins Côtes du Rhône Blanc

£8, Morrisons

White Rhône blends make excellent food pairings with their floral weightiness. This bottle, with its pretty label, makes a stunning table centrepiece!

Santa Tresa Cerasuolo di Vittoria

£12.50 (was £14.50), Ocado

Sicilian Cerasuolo is a blend of refreshing, fruit Frappato with the more earthy, spiced nero D’Avola. It pairs very well with richer, cheesy or nutty dishes.

Stylish sherry’s not just for gran 

It’s often dismissed as ‘Granny’s drink’, due to the popularity of some sweet ‘cream’ brands, but the best sherries are actually bone-dry. A salty fortified wine made from a blend of several years of the white Palomino grape, sherry typically has a savoury, complex style (its oxygen exposure governs how dark it is).

Like it sweet? Go for an artisanal ‘cream’ or Pedro Ximénez grape.

All styles go well with food such as nuts, mince pies and cheese.

Manzanilla

The lightest sherry in colour and body, this has subtle notes of salted almond and chamomile (the English translation of manzanilla). Sip chilled as an aperitif with Manchego and salted nuts.

Try: Solear Barbadillo Manzanilla sherry, £9.99 (was £12.99), Waitrose.

Fino

Bone dry, crisp and pale with savoury notes of Marmite and salted almonds. A great aperitif or with a bowl of salted snacks.

Try: Tio Pepe Fino Sherry, £13.25 (£11 Nectar), Sainsbury’s. 

Amontillado

Essentially a Fino that’s seen more oxygen during ageing, which changes the flavour. It’s amber in colour, dry and salty, with notes of hazelnut and dried fruit. This style can be sweetened; if so the label will say ‘medium’.

Try: Vina AB 12 Year Old Amontillado Sherry, £18.99 (£16.99 mix six), Majestic.

Oloroso

MADE like Fino and Amontillado but is exposed to oxygen from the start, giving it a darker colour and intense notes of fudge and dried fruit. Full-bodied, yet dry and saline. It goes well with pork, game and fruit cake.

Try: No.1 Torre del Oro Palo Cortado Lustau Sherry, £11.49 (was £13.99), Waitrose.

PX ‘Pedro Ximenez’

A sweet sherry but it’s miles away from Granny’s commercial Bristol Cream! Made using sun- dried Pedro Ximenez grapes, this ‘real’ sweet Sherry is treacle-like with notes of dried figs. Stunning over ice cream or Christmas pud!

Try: Tesco Finest Pedro Ximenez, £7.25, Tesco.

Posh Cream Sherry

This rare posh cream sherry is very old, flavoursome Oloroso blended with some PX for an insanely complex and nutty, figgy, fudgey drop. It is crying out for that box of Quality Street.

Try: Lustau East India Solera Rich Oloroso Sherry, £10.99 (was £13.99), Waitrose.

Bottles to turn a gathering into a real celebration

Are you hunting for some celebratory bubbles for a party or a really good quality red to take to a friend’s house for dinner?

Or maybe you just want to relax by the fire with a film and a glass of decent vino. Whatever the occasion – and budget – Christmas is a time when we treat ourselves to something a bit pricier.

So here, from fizz to port, and every colour in between, is my guide to the best celebration bottles around.

FIZZ 

Gratien & Meyer Crémant de Loire Brut Rosé NV

£13 (£10 Clubcard price), Tesco

Celebrations call for bubbles and a classy Crémant is always a good call, especially if you need to buy several bottles. This one’s crisp, pink, pretty and, above all, excellent value.

Pasqua ‘Romeo & Juliet’ Brut Prosecco DOC, Treviso

£13 (£10 mix six), Majestic

Brut is, ironically, a drier style than ‘extra dry’, so this is a great go-to for a more sophisticated, less sugary sipper with notes of pear and almond. Gorgeous label, too!

M&S Bellante Prosecco Rosé

£10, M&S

Pink Prosecco can be a minefield but this well-priced version from Marks & Spencer has quickly become a classic. Think sherbet and strawberries with a creamy mousse.

Chapel Down English Brut NV Magnum

£65, Ocado

Sometimes, celebrations call for big bottles and this stunning, English fizz from Kent looks as smart as it tastes in magnum form. Great for gifting and posh parties!

Graham Beck Blanc de Blancs 2019, South Africa

£23, (£19 mix six), Majestic

South African fizz, made in the same way as Champagne, is an excellent choice for approachable, classy bubbles that won’t cost the earth – and Graham Beck is the master!

White Specially Selected Chablis Premier Cru

£18.99, Aldi

If ever there was a failsafe celebration white wine, Chablis would be it – and this crisp and mineral, peachy Premier Cru tastes like it should be twice its comparatively low price.

Cloudy Bay 40th Vintage Sauvignon Blanc 2024

£26 (£22 Clubcard price), Tesco

This wine icon put premium, Kiwi Sauvignon on the map, though it’s normally a lot more expensive. This special-edition bottle makes a really smart gift that your host is sure to recognise – and appreciate! Grab a bottle while you can.

Bread & Butter Chardonnay, California

£16.99 (£9.99 mix six), Majestic

Fans of this iconic, bold and creamy Chardonnay, which has a touch of vanilla, will enjoy a glass of this with a special meal.

ROSE

Rock Angel by Whispering Angel

£22.99 (was £26.99), Waitrose

It’s no secret that I love to serve rosé with my main festive meal and I tend to go for a gastronomic Provençal style such as this from the producer of Whispering Angel. Rock Angel is another high-quality rosé, but with more weight and a creamy texture. Plus the discount means it is a good time to pick up a bottle.

Sancerre Rosé 2023

£15.50, Asda

This was one of the best supermarket rosés I’ve tried this year! Zesty and citrussy, tempered by the red berry notes of Pinot Noir. Sancerre is classy – and recognisably so, which also makes it great gift material.

RED

Masi Costasera Amarone Classico

£27.99 (was £37.99), Waitrose

Amarone is the ultimate ‘treat’ red wine. Famously bold and expensive, thanks to its intricate production method, this is all about brooding, smoked cherry and chocolate. Yum!

Château Tanunda Grand Barossa Shiraz

£16 (£12 Nectar price), Sainsbury’s

Sometimes, only a big, bold, Aussie Shiraz will do and this top bottle from Tanunda is intense and aromatic, yet it manages to remain sophisticated. It’s a bottle that you’d be proud to take as a gift to any dinner.

PORT

Taylor’s 10 Year Old Tawny Port

£30 (£24 Nectar price), Sainsbury’s

Tawny is a creamy, more caramel style of Port, thanks to extra time ageing in wood, and Taylor’s make the benchmark style. Bring this out with your posh chocs and cheese!

Kopke Fine White Port

£16, Ocado

White Port works really well with cheese, as well as in cocktails. With bitter citrus and tropical fruit notes, it also makes for an awesome festive aperitif when mixed with Indian tonic and a slice of orange. The bottle is very smart, too.

Fancy something sweeter? Try sipping one of these…

Sweet wines come into their own at Christmas. Not only do they pair well with dried fruit in mince pies and panettone, but they add contrasting sweetness to cheese or salty snacks. Here are five to try:

Fonseca Reserve Ruby Port

£13,99, Waitrose (25pc off six)

Entry-level style that punches way above its price with balanced sweetness and notes of spiced bramble fruit. Sip with anything chocolate or a salty Stilton.

Vilarnau Demi-Sec Cava

£13, Ocado

A cool sparkler is a great palate cleanser. Serving a pavlova or fruity pudding? It will work beautifully with a touch of sweetness, like in this off-dry fizz.

Calafia Deliciously Sweet Moscatel

£6, Asda

A fresh, lighter sweet style, this is exactly what you want, well chilled, with a slice of panettone.

Château la Rame ‘Gourmandise’ Sainte-Croix-du-Mont, 2021

£13.99 (£11.99 mix six), Majestic

Tropical with a zippy, fresh acidity, this will be glorious with citrussy puds or apple pie. It will also pep up your blue cheese beautifully.

Blandy’s Duke of Clarence Rich Madeira

£15 (£11 More Card price), Morrisons

Madeira screams Christmas thanks to its festive notes of raisins, figs and dried citrus peel. All-rounder that goes with everything from mince pies to pigs in blankets.