Wines and SpiritsStock Up for Christmas
Did you run out of money for wine last year? Did you end up buying cheap supermarket plonk for Christmas dinner? Well this year, make your Christmas wine plans in advance, and then your wonderful Christmas dinner, which has to be the height of all festivities will be complemented some really delightful wines.
Now is a great time to stock up on your Christmas wine. There are lots of end of bin sales as new wines come in from the vineyards. These end of bin sales allow you to buy classic wines, often at a fraction of their selling price. So even if you are feeling the pinch of the credit crunch, investing in a couple of fantastic bottles of wine will ensure that your Christmas celebration is the best ever.
But Christmas is not just about the right wine to drink with your dinner. It is also a celebration, and so needs some wine for that purpose too. Buying sparkling wine or even Champagne now will save you money. Just before Christmas prices will be higher because of the demand, yes there are always some special offers, but if you look at wine prices now, you will notice that they are at the best level they have been for the last few months. The credit crunch and people not buying wine has bought prices down, making now a great time to invest.
So what are the tips for Christmas? A Champagne to start the day off is always a good idea, but for the big dinner you will need a wine to complement what you will be serving. White wines are usually the ones to go for with white meat, so if you are having turkey, they might be a good choice. However, Christmas dinner is always a very rich meal, where the cacophony of flavours delight your palate.
Therefore a white wine may be overawed. So a red wine is probably the best bet.
A Shiraz would be a good choice. It is usually smooth in taste with a fruity flavour, which will complement the Christmas turkey or whatever other meat you serve.
But when thinking of wine to have with your Christmas dinner, don"t forget an aperitif and after-dinner drinks. A sherry makes a great start to the meal and if you are having cheese and biscuits later on in the day, why not invest in a bottle of port wine. But there is no need to stop there. There are excellent Madeira wines or other fortified wines that will make your meal complete.