Looking for some Christmas wine inspiration we’ve asked the Direct Wine Shipments staff for some of their top choices for the festive season:
SPARKLING
VILMART GRAND CELLIER D’OR 2017, Champagne, France £66.99
Treat yourself – its Christmas after all.
This vintage champagne has the perfect balance of fresh floral notes, rich nutty flavours & great minerality. One of the best vintage champagnes around. Vilmart never disappoint.
Kirsty
WHITE
ARGILLAE ORVIETO, Umbria, Italy £14.99
If you are looking for the perfect wine to go well with your seafood dishes at Christmas, then look no further.
Whether you are having Lobster, Prawn Cocktail or a beautiful side of salmon, the grapefruit and bitter almond notes will work wonderfully with any seafood. This wine has a wonderful acidity with mineral touches. Refreshing and delicious.
Carina
HÖRNER SAUVIGNON BLANC, Pfalz, Germany £12.99
Ever tried Sauvignon Blanc from Germany? Now’s your chance!
Tommy Hörner is one of the big, young talents in the German winemaking scene and his Sauvignon Blanc proves this very well. Fantastic new addition. Light to medium bodied. Very fresh grapefruit, lime and gooseberry fruit notes.
Food match: Excellent aperitif and wonderful with spicy dishes and goats and beetroot salad!
Also Certified VEGAN!
Richard
RECAS ORANGE WINE, Romania £11.99
Wow your friends with this colourful wine that is versatile enough to pair with everything from canapes to turkey curry. A must have this Christmas.
89/100. An easy introduction to orange wine. The juice of native Romanian grapes plus a dash of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay is left in contact with the skins for 3.5 weeks, giving a nice raspy texture to the pear and apricot fruit” (Decanter)
Certified Vegan. Organic. No added sugars, yeasts or sulphites.
Kirsty
MARINA ALTA GRAN SELECCIÓN BLANCO 2021, Alicante, Spain £12.99
100% Muscat
Delicious and delicate! This fragrant wine is bright and refreshing with strong notes of honey, melon, peach, lemon and white flowers.
This is an aromatic wine that would complement any spicy Asian dish.
Amy
RED
STONEBURN PINOT NOIR 2020, Marlborough, New Zealand £13.99
“3 STARS” (Wine Life Magazine, June 2022) “ripe cherries, cinnamon & vanilla….palate is ripe with luscious cherry fruit tugged gently by spicy tannins” (Wine Enthusiast) Vines planted in an old river bed. From Hunter’s winery, established by Belfast man Ernie Hunter.
Ideal with Turkey! Classic red Burgundy style from our great Kiwi friends.
Neal
LORON 1711 PINOT NOIR, Vin de France £11.99
This Pinot Noir is delicate and luscious as all Pinot Noirs are. A must have, as it will fit the Christmas season perfectly. It has strong notes of red berries and spicey flavours that are suited perfectly for the turkey on the big day as well as ribeye and grilled meats.
It will pair well right through to the cheese board.
Eoin
PAITIN ‘RIVOLI’ DOLCETTO D’ALBA 2020, Piedmont, Italy £16.99
One of our favourite growers ever! Now back in stock!
Dolcetto d’Alba opens with gorgeous, sweet aromatics. Tar, smoke, and blueberries emerge from the glass in a Dolcetto with surprising structure and power. There is no shortage of character and personality here. This is a terrific showing from the Pasquero family.
Food match: Perfect with white meat, Risotto, vegan and vegetarian pasta dishes.
Peter M
BOSCA CABERNET SAUVIGNON, Mendoza, Argentina £16.99
Everyone associates Malbec with Argentina and rightly so…however Cabernet can be even better!
“90/100…combines grapes from Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley, partially aged for 12 months in French oak…ripe, presenting black currant and fruit jam followed by secondary woody notes…full-flavored with juicy, active tannins that sculpt the wine before the cleansing finish.” (Vinous)
Rivals many Napa Valley Cabernets but at an excellent price. Food match: perfect wine for red meat, hard cheeses, mushroom dishes and rich flavoursome vegan dishes, even those with a bit of spice.
Peter M
LA RIOJA ALTA VIÑA ALBERDI RESERVA 2018, Rioja Alta, Spain £19.99
Aged for 24 months in American oak. New oak for the first year; 4 year old oak for the 2nd. Racked 4 times by candlelight. Intense red fruit aromas (strawberry, raspberry, red currant, cherry) leading to elegant notes of vanilla, toffee, coffee cream, cinnamon, brioche & hazelnut. Fantastic balance. Soft, rounded tannins. A beauty. Outstanding with lamb, pork, roast beef.
“93/100” (James Suckling)
Neal
IXSIR ALTITUDES RED, Batroun, Lebanon £19.99
Full and fabulous. Juicy black current & cherry fruits with chocolate spice and a big character. Smooth yet weighty, very moreish.
Wonderful with all red meats.
Sinain
CHÂTEAU BIAC 2015, Cadillac, Bordeaux, France £39.99
I was lucky to visit this visit this small family-owned Château in July. Situated in a beautiful location on a bend of Garonne River. The wine is produced using a classic Bordeaux blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc & Petit Verdot. This is a rich wine with flavours cassis, plum and dark chocolate, it has lovely balance and a long finish, 2015 was an excellent vintage & definitely worth trying.
I suggest pairing it with rich red meat, such as beef or venison or earthy lentil or mushroom dishes.
Susan
DESSERT
BARADILLO ‘LA CILLA’ PEDRO XIMENEZ, Spain (37.5cl) £12.99
This is literally Christmas pudding in a glass!
One of the sweetest wines in the world, this is a rich and decadent Sherry full of plums, raisins and chocolate flavours.
A gorgeous end to the Christmas meal, with or without the pudding, or perfect poured over some vanilla ice cream with a glass on the side!
Susan
CHEERS!
