Christmas party wine tips & bargain recommendations
Whether you're organising a corporate shindig or a Christmas party for friends, Decanter's tastings team has some key advice and a collection of top bargains for you to consider...
The Christmas party is a time for friends and colleagues to celebrate the outgoing year. Whether you’re organising a work event or hosting friends at your house, it’s important to keep costs reasonable.
You can find some of the best value Christmas party wines of 2019 below, along with some pointers on how to help your party go with a swing…
Scroll down for Decanter’s Christmas party wine tips
Bargain Christmas party wines to try:
Christmas party wine tips:
Have some nibbles on hand
Slow down the intake of alcohol with some food. It may help you to avoid that morning-after wine headache, and pacing the drinking will help your wallet.
Ditch the Champagne flutes
One of the latest wine trends, and it is even backed up by some science. Using white wine glasses allows the flavour and aroma of your Champagne or sparkling wine to escape more easily from the wider rim, enhancing both scent and taste. Alternatively, Champagne saucers will give your party more of a vintage feel.
READ MORE: Farewell to Champagne flutes
Keep it simple
Stick to one wine of each type you intend to serve – e.g one red, one white, one sparkling. Don’t over-complicate the logistics for yourself and confuse guests when they come to ask for a top up!
You don’t need to push the boat out
Guests are usually happy just to be invited to your latest soirée. Rarely will they expect you to bring out the best wines, although they will assume they are at least drinkable. Set a budget (£7-£15 per bottle tends to be the sweet spot) and stick to it.
Stick to the middle ground
A great rule for pleasing your guests is to avoid wines that stray too far either side of the ‘middle’ – look for wines that are pleasant and easy drinking without being too weird and wonderful (guaranteed to alienate your guests), too tannic, too rich, too acidic or too light.
Examples of ‘middle wines’ could be a Chilean Merlot, a new world Pinot Noir or a white Burgundy.
Of course, if we had the Decanter editorial and tastings team coming over for Christmas drinks, then we’d probably be a bit more adventurous. Remember to think about your audience, too.
You may also like:
Top festive wines under £30
Great value Christmas Ports to try
The best non-vintage Champagnes to buy this Christmas
Waitrose, Cava Brut in partnership with Castillo Perelada, Cava, Penedès, Spain
91
Made in partnership with Castillo Perelada, this top value supermarket Cava comes from chalky slopes at 400m in Penedès. Aged for a year before disgorging, it has creamy, leesy tones, orchard fruit flavours and perky acidity to keep things fresh. A value crowd-pleaser.
WaitroseCava
Sainsbury's, Taste the Difference Brut, Champagne, France
90
Champagne Louis Kremer produces this wine as well as the non-vintage Taste the Difference Brut Rosé and Demi-Sec, all of which are reliable buys. Some 20% of reserve wines are used here which adds real nutty, toasty complexity to the fresh, yeasty citrus and green apple palate.
Sainsbury's
Veuve Monsigny, Brut, Champagne, France
There’s been no shortage of hype around Aldi’s budget Champagne over the years, and there’s no drop in quality in the latest iteration, which continues...
Veuve Monsigny
Asda, Extra Special Louis Bernard 1er Cru, Champagne, France
89
A decent supermarket Champagne that offers an appealing toasty character with yellow apple and citrus fruits and quite a sweet finish. The Extra Special 2007, meanwhile, is £24 and is for drinking now. It would appeal to those who like a more mature fizz.
Asda
Lidl, Forget Me Not Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc, Podravje, Slovenia
88
<p>Tired of Prosecco and Cava? This sparkling Slovenian Sauvignon Blanc is a lot of fun, and a good, contemporary party fizz choice. The varietal character is there in the citrus and gooseberry notes, and there's a soft, sherbet-like elderflower note too. It's fresh and fun, and would be a great match for smoked salmon blinis.</p>
Lidl
Gadais Père & Fils, Domaine de la Tourmaline, Muscadet, de Sèvre et Maine, Loire, France, 2018
88
<p>This tight, steely Muscadet displays melon flavours alongside a hint of apple, herb and something a bit more tropical. There's a subtle creaminess - thanks to the ageing on its lees - which lends a softness to the finish. A lovely wine to match with a starter of oysters, ceviche or a papaya salad.</p>
2018
Gadais Père & FilsMuscadet
Villa Maria, Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand, 2018
87
This is quite obviously a Marlborough example: its grassy, green citrussy tones are accompanied by some banana-like notes, tropical hints and a soft, easygoing mouthfeel. It's slightly stony and spritzy, and it turns out to be from one of the most popular brands in the UK.
2018
Villa Maria
Aliança, Foral dos Quatro Ventos, Douro, Douro Valley, Portugal, 2017
Founded in 1927 in the town of Sangalhos, 88km to the south of Porto, Aliança has been part of the Bacalhôa wine group since 2007....
2017
AliançaDouro
Doudet-Naudin, Pinot Noir, Vin de France, France, 2018
88
This juicy red is a great choice for the winter months with its earthy, slightly meaty character accompanied by christmas spices and barrel weight, leading to a liquorice-edged finish.
2018
Doudet-NaudinVin de France
Lidl, Rosso di Montepulciano, Tuscany, Italy, 2018
87
Easy-drinking and modern in style, this is the perfect match for pizza or charcuterie: 80% Sangiovese and 20% Merlot, it's forward and expressive, with plenty of super-spicy cherry fruit. Medium-bodied and vibrant.
2018
LidlRosso di Montepulciano
