I am fortunate enough to celebrate Christmas twice each year, enjoying a Danish feast featuring pork and duck on Christmas Eve and the traditional Irish turkey dinner the following day. In the past, I did not open up my finest wines, but now the children have grown older so I am happy to serve some very nice wine. Usually, we enjoy a good mature Bordeaux on Christmas Eve, and a nice pinot noir or cool climate syrah on Christmas Day. I will cover sparkling wine next week, but a glass of something fizzy is a great way to get proceedings started and can be drunk throughout the meal.
This is the time to open some of the fortified traditional Christmas wines. I also make room for a dessert wine of some sort. This year it will be the Château des Arroucats (€18.95, Mitchell & Son). I will certainly open a bottle of Amontillado sherry as well as a bottle of Port. I will then alternate between an after-dinner glass of sherry with cheese and walnuts one evening, and a glass of Port the next, either with cheese or a generous slice of Christmas cake. My sherry will be a bottle of Lustau Tabanco Amontillado (€23.95, Mitchell & Son) and the Port a late bottled vintage, Niepoort LBV (€28-30, independents). If that is outside your budget, try the Armilar LBV Port (Lidl €14.99).
O’Briens
O’Briens has a big range of wines on offer, including those in its fine wine sale which started on December 1st. I have featured the refreshing Picpoul de Pinet (€12.99) before, as well as the classic Brocard Chablis (€22.99). I am a big fan of the Begude wines and would also be tempted by the very well-priced Etoile Chardonnay (€18.99). From the reds, the Château des Léotins (€11.99) offers good value, and would go with red meats or goose. The classic Cru Bourgeois Chateau Saint Bonnet Médoc 2018 (€17.99) is a step up in price and quality. The Seguin Manuel Bourgogne Pinot Noir (€27.49) would be a good choice for turkey and trimmings. Lastly, a small glass of the honeyed Les Carmes de Rieussec (€18.99 per half-bottle) would be a nice end to the meal.
Aldi
For fans of sauvignon, Aldi has the fruit-filled Touraine Sauvignon Blanc – very good value at €9.99. If you fancy trying something different, its Austrian Orange Wine (€11.99) is full of exotic (and orange) fruits with a light tannic bite on the finish. For your Christmas dinner you could either go for the light, fruit filled Specially Selected Fleurie (€13.99) or the more powerful rounded Specially Selected Cairanne (€11.99).
Lidl
From Lidl, I would recommend three white wines; the lemon-scented Rías Baixas Albariño Salne Val (€11.99), the crisp dry Fiano Salento (€10.99) and the luscious Origen Roussanne Reserva from Chile (€8.99). My pick of the Lidl reds for Christmas dinner includes the ripe and full-bodied Pure Grenache (€11.99), and the ever-popular Valpolicella Ripasso (€10.99) Traditionalists might prefer the Ermita Rioja Crianza (€13.99).
[ Favourite picks from Dublin’s longstanding independent wine shopsOpens in new window ]
Dunnes
Regular readers will know I am also a big fan of the Laurent Miquel wines from Dunnes Stores, including the Laurent Miquel Côte 128 Viognier and the Côte 128 Albariño, both bargains at €12. Dunnes also has the Guigal Côtes du Rhône Blanc (€15) a rich viognier-dominated white that would go well with fish and turkey. I also enjoyed its smooth spicy 409 Ribera del Duero (€15), possibly best with roast beef or goose.
Tesco
Light and zesty, the Tesco Finest Pecorino (€12/€9) would go nicely with shellfish starters, and so too would its crisp dry Tesco Finest Chablis (€26). For a red wine, the Alegro Rioja (€15/€10) offers good value at the Clubcard price, as does the Chapoutier Côtes du Rhône Villages (€15/€12). To finish off, the Tesco Finest Sauternes (€18/€17 per half-bottle) is rich and honeyed with apricots and barley sugar.
SuperValu
From SuperValu, the Goichot Pouilly-Fuissé looks well-priced at €15. Fresh and lightly textured, it could be drunk throughout the dinner. I have covered the Vacqueyras Rémy Ferbras before; smooth and rounded it offers good value at €10 and would go nicely with chicken and red meats. Also on offer are two perennial favourites, the Goichot Fleurie (€10) and the Château Lacombe-Cadiot from Bordeaux (€12).
Unlimited budget
Can any wine be worth €140? I am not sure, but if somebody else is paying, I would very happily drink the Meursault Genevrières Premier Cru Latour-Giraud 2023 (€139, Whelehan’s), a superb complex white Burgundy, textured, ripe and rich with a wonderful lingering finish.
Four wines perfect for Christmas
Albariño, Rías Baixas Lagar de Costa 2024
13.5%, €18.99
Floral with broad textured mouthwatering green fruits and a distinctive saline finish. This is one of my favourite white wines and a great choice for Christmas dinner.
From O’Briens
Clos Lojen 2023, Manchuela, Bodegas Ponce
12.5%, €17
An instantly drinkable wine with very supple savoury ripe plums and light tannins. One of my red wines of the year.
From Lilith, Dublin 7; Pinto, Dublin 9; Green Man Wines, Dublin 6; Lennox Street Grocer, Dublin 8; Grapevine, Dalkey, Co Dublin; 64 Wine, Glasthule, Co Dublin; MacCurtain Wine, Cork; Baggot Street Wines, Dublin 2; BaRossa, Sandymount, Dublin 4
Bourgogne Blanc Domaine Nicolas Bourgogne Blanc
13%, €24.66
A delicious pure chardonnay with concentrated pear and apple fruits, toasted hazelnuts and a lingering finish.
From WineSpark.com
Burn Cottage Moonlight Race Pinot Noir 2020, Central Otago, New Zealand
13%, €61.99
Elegant smooth and sophisticated, with supple savoury dark cherries and blackcurrants, fine tannins and a long finish. Try it with turkey, beef or goose.
From Blackrock Cellar, Co Dublin; Bradley’s, Cork; Delgany Wine Cottage, Co Wicklow; Pinto, Dublin 9; The Corkscrew, Dublin 2; Wineonline.ie
