Helen McGinn So, here we are. As promised, there’s a bumper selection of suitably christmassy wines this week including the bargain champagne featured on last week’s This Morning. Yes, I did ACTUAL This Morning on the telly on Friday! A festive fizz tasting on ice with skating polar bears in the background. The clip’s on the KMWC Facebook page if you want to see what that looks like. I got to meet Phil & Holly, Jamie Oliver, Amanda Holden and Father Christmas (he was in the Green Room) among others. It was quite the best way to round off another mad year in my life as an ex-supermarket wine buyer who started a blog for fun. As ever, thank you for your support and continued readership. I really, really appreciate it.
Wishing you all a very merry Christmas and whether you plan to spend the big day in sequins or slippers (or both), may you have a glass of something lovely within reach at all times.
KM x
Current sparkling in the rack: Les Pionniers Champagne Brut NV
Price: £16.99 - Buy From Co-op
One of the smartest own label champagnes on the shelves at the moment – and definitely one of the best value. This stood out in a recent tasting (the one I did on the telly with Phil & Holly. Just in case, you know, I hadn’t mentioned it). Anyway, it’s a toasty little thing with lovely citrus fruit and plenty of oomph. If you see it on the shelf, snaffle it.
Current white in the fridge: Peter Yealands Sauvignon Blanc
Price: £7.50 - Buy From Sainsbury's
Fresh off the vine, this is from the 2017 vintage. Made in New Zealand’s Marlborough Valley, it’s Sauvignon Blanc grape in high definition – and a real crowd pleaser. It works brilliantly with smoked salmon thanks to its zingy citrus flavours. Like a squeeze of lemon on the salmon, but in wine form.
Current white in the rack: Chateauneuf du Pape Les Closiers Blanc 2016
Price: £24.00 - Buy From M&S
Expensive, I know. But there’s not much of it about. And it’s Christmas. It goes brilliantly with turkey and tastes of ripe apricots. Worth splashing out on if you want a really special bottle of white on the table on Christmas Day. Made from a blend of Rhone grapes including Grenache Blanc, with some Clairette, Bourboulenc and Roussanne. The grass are harvested by hand from vines planted on steep slopes just a stone’s throw from the Rhone river. Wonderful stuff.
Current red in the rack: Alte Vogtei Zu Ravensburg Spätburgunder
Price: £8.99 - Buy From Lidl
This one’s a bit of a mouthful, in a good way. It’s from the Baden region in Germany and made from the Pinot Noir grape (Spätburgunder is the German name for Pinot Noir). It’s on the lighter side but still with plenty to get stuck into – bright and juicy with just-squashed raspberry fruit flavours. And the tannins are soft as a freshly-plumped cushion. Refreshingly different.
Current red in the rack: Tesco Finest GSM
Price: £8.00 - Buy From Tesco
When it comes to finding a red wine to match with all the flavours of Christmas Lunch/Dinner, it’s not just about the turkey. It’s all the trimmings too – pigs in blankets, stuffing, cranberry sauce, Brussels sprouts, roast potatoes and whatever else is on your plate. This wine takes them all in its stride, an Australian red from the McLaren Vale full of dark berry fruit flavours. GSM stands for the grapes in the blend – Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvedre. Gorgeous, smooth and mellow.
a very Happy Christmas back to you Helen, thanks for all the videos, blogs & recommendations, we’re wine slappers and are willing to try anything from anywhere & you’re a great resource to help us to do that. the shop and online retail market is great for us Joe Public’s, thanks for making it all so informative & such fun; we’ll be sipping the delicious white Chateauneuf du Pape next Monday lunchtime & shall toast us, you & all fellow winies x