Christmas Lunch Sorted: Six Wines That Excel

After last week’s look at aperitifs and starters, it’s time for the main event: the Christmas lunch itself.

I suspect most of you have your tried-and-tested favourites for the big day, and there are probably as many contenders as there are readers here.

Narrowing it down to just six recommendations wasn’t easy, but I’ve stuck to three principles:

• Stay close to traditional choices—with perhaps an odd surprise
• Keep prices modest while ensuring quality remains sound (plenty of sites showcase pricey bottles; I’m deliberately by-passing them this time)
• Choose wines you can actually find

So here are my final selections, plus a few bonus picks that simply demanded inclusion.

But please—share your own Christmas favourites in the comments below.

The images and, where available, hyperlinks should help you to find the wines in crowded displays.

Starting with a first course white

2024 Irresistible Limited Edition Grenache Blanc (£8.50 at the Co-op and 13% abv):

France’s Rhône Valley and Languedoc both have strong reputations for food-friendly herbaceous and slightly savoury white wines.

Often, they use grapes like roussanne, marsanne and, especially, white grenache – but other varieties do appear as well.

This Languedoc version concentrates on that grenache blanc option.

White gold in colour with citrus aromas, the result exhibits soft peach, greengage and under-ripe melon flavours.

These are enlivened by energetic acidity and conclude with thyme and other herb elements within a gently saline finish.

What goes round, comes round

2025 Brûlée Chardonnay (Now £9.99 at Laithwaites and 12.5%):

Interesting to see how chardonnay with a bit of oak is not only reappearing but is also selling well.

To be sure, the massive reaction against oaked chardonnay sometimes threw the baby out with the bathwater but some welcome changes have also been made for the 2.0 version.

Alcohol has been kept in check, counterbalancing acidity has been used well and – as the colour in the glass here testifies – oak is not used to excess.

Nevertheless, the wine does open with oak aromas and discernible butter influences, but they are principally there to support its smooth and full, baked apple, apricot and honey flavours.

Joining them are toffee, vanilla, caramel and – above all – crème brulee elements all given verve and freshness by energetic citrus peel acidity.

Stepping up the price ladder – or is it?

2023 Cave de Lugny Les Charmes Mâcon-Lugny (£10 – instead £17.50 until 1 January at Waitrose and 13%):

I picked this one because its £17 list price provides a good example of how spending a little more pays off.

Then, hey presto, Waitrose included it as one of their £10 Christmas bonuses.

That’s great news as it is a superb example of combining the finesse of white Burgundy with the lightness (on palate and wallet) behind Macon’s ascending reputation.

With admirable clarity and poise, it delivers smooth pear, peach and quince flavours partnered by firm lemon acidity and hints of honeysuckle, vanilla and other spiciness

Moving to reds

2024 Classics No.28 Cabernet Sauvignon(£9 at M&S and at Ocado and 14%):

New world cabernets tend to be fruitier but less minerally than European versions.

With this example from Chile’s Maipo Valley (sometimes called the ‘Bordeaux of South America’) M&S has chosen something that is clearly new world wine but has a nod towards European savouriness too.

Dark with aromas of black fruit, it is centred around full-bodied bramble, black currant and eucalyptus flavours.

Complementary components include acidic freshness, firm tannin and touches vanilla, allspice and, gently adding that savouriness, suspicions of charcoal.

And another £10 delight

2024 Louis Jadot Quincié Beaujolais-Villages (£10 – down from £15.45 until 1 January – at Waitrose and 12.5%):

Uncannily, Waitrose marketing folk must have been following me around because here is another selection given a “third off” haircut for Christmas.

It has been apparent for a while that top end Beaujolais crus wines provide a stylish alternative to some Burgundies, as the quality of one and price of the other climb.

Now, something similar is happening to some Beaujolais Villages wines – although, in truth, Quincié is not far from the edge of Brouilly and Regnie.

Enjoy this excellent example of the point from a first rate producer.

Dark with herbal aromas, it contains juicy cherry, plum and cocoa flavours given verve by firm acidity.

Typically for gamay, there is little tannin but no shortage of complexity courtesy of hints of oranges and roses within a pleasingly supporting texture.

A taste of Burgundy without the price label

2022 Extra Special Extra Special Cóte De Beaune Villages (£14.48 at Asda and 13%):

The Côte de Beaune Villages appellation allows grapes from different parts of that region to be blended in a way single village rules preclude.

Not only can that enhance complexity and balance but it also brings prices down smartly.

So, for a sense of red Burgundy’s style seek out this well priced option – it will never rival the region’s icons but gives impressive, (relatively) inexpensive authenticity and enjoyment.

Dark with violet aromas, the wine offers us smoky loganberry, black cherry and rosehip flavours with gentle tannin.

Subordinate constituents include truffle traces, residual minerality and suggestions of chocolate, earthiness, cinnamon and herbs.

Here are other good options:

• 2023 Morande Terrarum Semillon (£10.50 in Waitrose Cellar and 13%) A smooth Chilean white with textured peach and greengage richness but sharp grapefruit acidity too.
• 2024 Les Dauphins Côtes du Rhône Reserve Rosé (£9.50 at Ocado and 12.5%): Great all-year round rosé with crisp raspberry, red currant and strawberry flavours.
• 2023 Maison Plantevin Côtes du Rhône (£12.75 at Vintage Roots and 14.5%): Absolutely classic red Rhône with soft but slightly smoky cherry, red plum and juniper flavours.

Half bottle specials

• 2024 Clocktower Pinot Noir (£8 for 37.5cl at M&S and 13.5%): Nicely crafted Marlborough pinot with plum, violet and beetroot elements and gentle oak influences.
• 2020 Heba Fattoria di Magliano Morellino Di Scansano (£11.50 for half bottle at Lea & Sandeman and 13.5%): Sophisticated sangiovese-led red from Maremma Toscana with layered flavours of cherry, damson, raspberry and thyme.

Both are, of course, also available in full bottles.

Changes to MidWeek Wines.

After 10 years’ life (and providing me with many friends among you terrific subscribers), a review of how this site works is overdue.

Hence, in 2026 a few changes will be made. Writing two posts a week and a newspaper column has become hard to sustain. The first change, then, is to separate the Monday and Thursday posts (which seem to attract different audiences). Consequently, the Thursday output will be transferred to – and run by – a group of current subscribers on a new site called MidWeek Wines Guild.

That name underlines that these are sister operations.

Equally, it draws on the concept of Trade Guilds in the Middle Ages – which were also designed to help keep quality standards up and give genuine support to their members.

That site is now live and you can see below (in italics) how to access it. I really hope that you do – and that its varied and helpful content ticks boxes for you.

I shall continue with the Monday (Top Tips) posts and make occasional appearances on the Guild site.

More details about all this later.

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My final Top Tips for 2025 hits the streets on Monday with wines for the final lap of Christmas lunch following on next Thursday.