On Christmas day, you’re allowed Champagne almost as soon as you get up (jammies are optional) and, when the Champagne is gone, the rest of the bottles that you open should be from Burgundy. I’m a bit of a traditionalist, but I do think the best wines in the world come from the Cote d’Or. You’d struggle to find better Chardonnays or Pinot Noirs from anywhere else in the world.
Of course, you also need a wee sherry...chilled for preference, to keep you going before the family arrive for lunch.
Sherry used to be very popular in Scotland with imbibers enjoying a glass or two of fino before dinner and perhaps a Pedro Ximenez (PX) with the pudding afterwards.
Sadly, like many fashionable things, sherry’s popularity faded with those imbibers moving on to cocktails before dinner and whisky or rum for a digestif at the end of the night. Sherry became the bottle you kept at the back of the cabinet for Aunt Millie’s Christmas visit. This is not the way to treat sherry, or indeed Aunt Millie. Once opened, sherry (especially drier examples) should be kept in the fridge and consumed within a few weeks. It certainly shouldn’t be left for months on end as it will fall prey to oxidisation and be ruined.
Sherry is unique (due to the solera system of ageing the wine), and steeped in tradition, as well as being fortified and extremely tasty. So, pop one in the fridge for Christmas morning, and (if there’s any left) have a glass with Aunt Millie when she arrives.
Here are a few festive bottles to add to your drinks cabinet this year.
Manzanilla La Gitana Hidalgo (Majestic, £9.99, 50cl). This is my favourite dry sherry, it’s light, lean and clean with a lovely salty tang on the palate. It’s perfect with tapas or paella.
My current white Burgundy of choice is the Domaine Guillot-Broux Macon-Cruzille Les Genievrieres 2017 (Inverarity One to One, £27.99). The family originally hails from the Meursault region, and this Macon mirrors the style of their original production for a fraction of the price. Try a bottle with lobster, an impressive cheeseboard, or (of course) Christmas dinner.
And for your festive fizz, grab a bottle of Nicolas Feuillatte Brut NV Champagne (Majestic, £24.99). This is a lighter, aperitif style Champagne, perfect for present opening.
Christmas comes but once a year, and it is the best time to splash out on a special bottle or two, so please enjoy the festivities (responsibly) and with vigour.
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