A perfect apéritif from Italy …

Excellent value for money and a perfect apéritif

Taste the Difference, Conegliano Prosecco Superiore Brut, 2023 (Italy)

Produced from grapes grown on the steep limestone hills in the DOCG area of Conegliano in north-east Italy, this is a crisp, refreshing sparkling wine with flavours of apple, lemon, apricot and peach, and a smooth, lively fizz.

This very pleasant and well-balanced Brut wine from Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference range has medium acidity, a hint of minerality and a clean finish. It is excellent for money and a perfect apéritif.

Available from Sainsbury’s (£9.75)

This Negroamaro from Puglia in the heel of Italy is a delightful Southern Italian red offering very good value for money.

Vanitá Negroamaro, Puglia 2023 (Italy)

The heat of Southern Italy means it is able to produce full-bodied red wines made from grape varieties such as Aglianico, Primitivo and Negroamaro which flourish in the hot, sunny climate. This Negroamaro from Puglia in the heel of Italy is a delightful Southern Italian red offering very good value for money.

With aromas of bramble fruits, vanilla and a hint of spice on the nose, and flavours of blackberry, prune, and cherry on the palate, this is a smooth, velvety, well-balanced wine with medium tannin and a lingering finish.

A bold, full-bodied fruity wine, this is a perfect match for steak, roast or grilled meat dishes, roasted vegetables or mature cheeses.

Available from Co-op (£8)

A wine from Alentejo that brings a touch of Portuguese warmth to these cold, wintry evenings …

Esporão Monte Velho, Alentejano 2023 (Portugal)

Portugal has an abundance of local grape varieties which bring a note of difference to its wines. This wine from the Alentejo region of south-east Portugal is a well-crafted blend of Antão Vaz, Arinto, Gouveio and Roupeiro grapes and brings a touch of Portuguese warmth to these cold, wintry evenings.

An aromatic wine with notes of jasmine, honeyed peach and pear on the nose, and flavours of apple, citrus fruits and peach on the palate, this is a smooth, elegant wine with balanced acidity and a creamy mouthfeel. 

This is a very appealing wine that can be enjoyed by itself, or paired with seafood, pasta or feta cheese.

Available from The Wine Society (£9.25)

Pairs very well with fish’n’chips!

Solear Barbadillo Manzanilla Sherry (Spain)

Pale lemon in colour, with aromas of citrus fruit, almonds and olives, and yeasty notes from the flor used in the biological ageing process, this Manzanilla, is bright and fresh, with a saline, tangy finish derived from its coastal location of Sanlucar in southern Spain.

A dry wine with light acidity, it has herby, nutty flavours on the palate, and can be enjoyed as an aperitif or with smoked salmon, fish and chips, or cured meats.

Available from Waitrose (£12.99)

A dry, medium-bodied wine with refreshing acidity and a long finish …

Bardos Verdejo 2023 Rueda, Castilla y León (Spain)

Spain offers a rich hunting ground for interesting and refreshing indigenous white wines, with each of them bringing features of their distinct regionality to the table, and Verdejo from the Rueda region of Castilla y León is a very good example.

Typically, Verdejo wines are fresh and zesty, with flavours of lime and lemon together with pear and peach.  It makes for an excellent alternative to a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and a perfect match for seafood, if you are looking to try something different.

The Bardos Verdejo 2023 is a dry, medium-bodied wine with refreshing acidity and a long finish. With aromas of lemon, pear and peach on the nose, and flavours of apricot, lime and pineapple on the palate, this is an appealing, elegant wine that can be enjoyed by itself, or paired with seafood, a creamy pasta, or goat cheese.

Available from Cambridge Wine Merchants (£12.50)

The Coravin Wine System

On those (admittedly rare!) occasions when you open a bottle of wine but just want to drink a glass or two, wouldn’t it be great if you could reseal the bottle and put it away again?

Good news – the Coravin wine system does just that! It ejects wine from the bottle by pumping in argon gas so the wine doesn’t oxidise. The Coravin wine system inserts a needle into the cork (or screw cap) and as the argon enters the bottle, you can pour as much or as little of the wine as you like. Then you remove the needle and the cork or cap re-seals, protecting your wine till you want to open it again. Ingenious.

What’s more, the wine tastes just the same the next time you have a glass as it did the first time. Incredible but true.

A wine lover’s dream come true. And a perfect Christmas gift- check out the Coravin wine system here

Looking for a stocking filler for a wine lover? Try this

Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book 2025: Latest Edition

Now in its 48th year of publication, Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book is the world’s best-selling annual wine guide. The key reference book for any wine lover – with helpful facts and commentary on everything from grape varieties, to vintages, to wine growers and regions, as well as advice on which foods go with which wines. This is the wine book!  A perfect Christmas gift.

Waterstones £15.99

For another Christmas gift idea for a wine lover, see here.

Kikkerland Wine Bottle Thermometer

This neat wine thermometer is a quick and easy way of checking the temperature of your wine bottle and is a very useful little gadget for any wine drinker. An ideal stocking filler for a wine-lover!

It’s a simple cuff that fits around the bottle and quickly displays the temperature. It also gives the recommended serving temperatures for the most popular wines.  

Available from Lakeland, John Lewis, Amazon etc. Priced around £9.00 -£11.00

For other wine-related Christmas gift ideas, see here

Ed Dallimore – The Vineyards of Britain 

Everything you wanted to know about English and Welsh wines!

There is much to celebrate in one of the world’s most exciting wine regions – England and Wales. 

This new book by wine expert and photographer Ed Dallimore is a fantastic resource for any wine lover wanting to know more about English and Welsh wine. Ed takes you on a fascinating adventure through Britain’s wineries and vineyards. You get to meet the people making top-quality wines, learn about their wines and get some great advice and recommendations from Ed.

Three key elements permeate the narrative: the right sites, the right soils and the right people, and from the south-west to the north of England, from urban wineries in London and Cambridge to vineyards in the shadow of the Black Mountains in Wales, you get to understand how these three factors combine to produce some really excellent wines, both sparkling and still.

Whether it’s White Castle Vineyard in Abergavenny, Gutter & Stars Urban Winery in a Cambridge mill, Rathfinny Wine Estate in East Sussex, or 140-odd others, this book will give you all the background you need and take you on an informative journey through the vineyards and wineries of Britain.

It’s a great read and the perfect Christmas gift for your favourite wine lover!

Available from Waterstones (£19.99)

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