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Here are the four Ds of Christmas: December deserves drinking drama.
And, I don’t mean having a few too many, falling into the open hearth and setting light to your Christmas jumper kind of drama. I’m talking about choosing drinks that will cause a bit of a stir at the table on the 25th.
Sure, you could trot out the usual safety net items like Chicken Wine or a bottle of Moët, but where’s the fun in that?
An entire day of enforced fun demands something to kick-start the conversation. There’s no point wearing a paper party hat if the chat’s fallen irreversibly flat. No amount of novelty cracker items are going to make dry auntie Karen more palatable or ‘jokey’ uncle Ken funnier.
But the wine might…
In fact, the more unusual the drink you bring to dinner, the better the conversation, in my experience.
As such, you’ll want to look for drinks in the supermarket with a bit of theatre to them – something that has a unique backstory, fun packaging or is made with grapes you can’t pronounce.
I’ve scoured the shelves in a bid to find the most off-kilter beverages for your festive feast and compiled a list of the most unusually delicious ones drinks I could find.
Here are my top picks…
The Wine Atlas Garda, £6.97, Asda
Step away from the Prosecco. You’ve evolved and moved onto to this bottle from the vineyards surrounding Lake Garda, Italy’s largest lake. It’s made in the same way as the ‘P’ word, aka a second fermentation in a massive tank, but from the Garganega grape (gaga-neg-ah). Yes, I’ve mentioned it before in my column, and I’ll probably do it again, that’s because it’s a dry and zesty mouthful of pear sherbet and apple popping candy.
L’Occhiolino, £6.99, Laithwaites
If this doesn’t make it onto your Christmas table, I’ll want to know why not. Pronounced ‘locky-oh-leeno’, it’s an off-dry sparkling red wine that tastes of morello cherries and almonds, basically Bakewell Tart in a bottle, and it’ll be a revelation with your cheese board. If, like me, you’re having one. It’s not a complex wine, but bear in mind, it’s sweet, as a few people in the comments have apparently been caught off guard.
Margaux Declassified, £9.99 (normally £19.99), available from December 18, Aldi
Margaux is an esteemed region on the left bank of Bordeaux that usually commands a fortune on a wine list. I mean, the Dorchester Grill has got a Margaux Premier Cru Classé on the list for £2,950 a bottle. In this case, a world-class Chateau has given Aldi access to a parcel of wine, which they’ve then slashed to half price. This will give you heroic credentials on Christmas day, so sprint, don’t just run, or it’ll all have sold out.
The Best Block Series Georgian Saperavi, £12 (£8 More Card), Morrisons
Pronounced sap-air-ah-vee, Saperavi is fast becoming one of my favourite red grapes. If you like the full body and spice of an Argentinian Malbec, which I do, you’re in for a treat with this grape from Georgia, aka the birthplace of wine. Although it’s popping up more and more, Saperavi is nowhere near ubiquitous. Part of Morrisons’s premium Block Series, which showcases unique wines from around the world. Trust me, you’ll be the talk of the table with this toothsome beauty.
Oranje Viognier, Stellenbosch, £13, Majestic
I’m a fan of cracking open bottles of rosé at Christmas, and I think orange wine works just as well. The thrust of orange wine is white wine, made in the same way as red, by leaving it in contact with the grape skins. The result is an amber-coloured wine with autumn spices and a touch of red wine-like, tannic structure. This is all dried apricots and creamy cinnamon, and if that’s not Christmassy enough, I don’t know what is.
Oatnog, Black Lines, £20, Master of Malt
Release the Christmas genie from this bottle, containing a nostalgic blend of oat milk, rum, nutmeg, vanilla and cinnamon. They say it’s been five years in the making, so this is their dairy-free version of Eggnog, with all the buttery, spicy, creaminess of the Christmas classic. This is a post-meal, fire-side digestif that’s a unique alternative to Baileys or other sugary cream liqueurs.
Dutch Barn Ginger Spiced Vodka, £32, Amazon
Ricky Gervais’s vodka brand has recently launched its festive release. The vodka is small-batch, made from distilled orchard apples, and this version is handcrafted (not by Ricky) with four fiery gingers, citrus and warming winter spices. It’s punchy, fruity and warming all at once, great to chuck into cocktails or knock back neat like a ginger shot. Responsibly, obviously.
Britpop Brut English Sparkling by Alex James, £26, Laithwaites
Alex James has done everything from cheese and cider making to now producing sparkling wine alongside Furleigh Estate in Dorset. Oh, and he was the bass player in a 90s band called Blur, forgot about that. His sparkling is 40% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir and 20% Pinot Meunier, textured and tastes of lemon curd on hob nob biscuits, in a dry and sherbety way. Go on, there’s no other way.
Amarula Cream, £10.50, Tesco
I tried this while on safari in South Africa recently, when we stopped and had refreshments after spotting a pride of male lions that were still in the vicinity. Our guide added a shot of Amarula to freshly brewed coffee, turning it deliciously chocolatey and nutty, like adding in boozy hazelnut brittle. It’s made from the fermented fruit of the wild marula tree, blended with fresh cream, giving it a sweet and fruity, caramel and vanilla-like flavour profile. Ideal for an after-dinner treat if you’re bored of Baileys.
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