Christmas arrives like a decades-deep feud draped in tinsel, the group chat still issuing orders about sprouts and who is prohibited from carving after last year’s unspoken unpleasantness.
The kitchen becomes a proving ground where uncles rediscover supposed Escoffier bloodlines, despite never having coaxed flavour from anything more complex than beans on toast. The heating suggests preparations for tropical orchids. A chair is dragged with such purpose the family tree rustles overhead, and someone volunteers to wash up purely to hide in the utility room and message a confidant.
Drink, fortunately, adds bearing and bite, a reminder that cuts through the farce and lets us choose flavour and laughter on our own terms.
Sparkling
...For beginnings, interludes, and persuasive toasts
Bellavista Alma Assemblage 1 Extra Brut; £34.25, vinvm.co.uk
Guided by Richard Geoffroy, once the mind behind Dom Pérignon, this Franciacorta shows come-hither almond notes and poise.
Bird in Hand Joy; £41.25, birdinhandwine.co.uk
From Adelaide Hills, a méthode traditionnelle with a citrus snap, showing precision over exuberance.
Hambledon Blanc de Blancs; £55, bbr.com
From the home of English Chardonnay, being the Hampshire village said to have staged the earliest organised cricket, and now backed by the Symington family of Port fame and indeed Berry Bros. & Rudd, comes a taut citrus-led expression with pastry and chalk in pristine alignment.
Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs 2014; £130, thefinestbubble.com
Another shimmering Chardonnay with a finish which keeps speaking long after the room has moved on. A wine which reminds the lowliest bedsit it could have been Versailles.
Still wines
...for when conversation perks and dishes arrive steaming
Sella & Mosca Anemone Alghero Rosato; £12.17, strictlywine.co.uk
Rosé not chained to deckchairs, nor July, this Sardinian bottling has watermelon and white peach held by a saline line which gives shape, depth and the sense of a serious wine wearing an untroubled face.
Pasqua Mai Dire Mai Fear No Dark Cabernet Sauvignon; £32, harrods.com
Behind the spooky label sits a serious Veneto Cabernet: cassis, bay leaf, graphite, and a firm spine which shows that the fearless Pasqua is not playing at drama but working in it.
Robert Mondavi Winery ‘To Kalon’ Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon; £164.99, saghi.co.uk
From the historic To Kalon vineyard which defined Mondavi’s ambitions: concentrated black fruit, cocoa, tobacco leaf and a structural frame cut with precision rather than heft.
Port
...for when the afternoon slips into lamp-light
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Cockburn’s Reserve; £15.50, waitrosecellar.com
Straightforward, generous, dark-fruited Port which overdelivers at this price. A dependable friend of a bottle to have open when the table won’t settle.
Graham’s 80 Year Old Tawny; £1,795, vintageportshop.co.uk
Dried fig, walnut and old wood warmth in slow, concentrated layers. Compared to what an 80-year-old whisky would cost, believe-it-or-not, this actually borders on decent value considering its age and beauty.
White spirits
...for clear, bright, excellent with cold air
Dr. Squid Gin; £42.99, masterofmalt.com
Coloured naturally with squid ink, poured from a tin of maritime exuberance. Aromas of rockpools, and citrus zest. Perfect for the guest who always brings a story.
Precognition Gin; £49, sugruesouthdowns.com
Humankind can’t drink wine alone. Created by the masterful winemaker, Dermot Sugrue from Pinot Meunier grown at the Mount Harry site in East Sussex and Serbian juniper, jasmine and lavender, this gin is best served in a martini.
Dark spirits
...for late-night reassurance, philosophical warmth
Rosemullion Distillery Christmas Spirit; £37, rosemulliondistillery.com
Cornish, copper-pot, winter spice, and dried citrus peel – this handmade spirit encapsulates the feeling of carols heard through frosted glass
Glenmorangie A Tale of Spices; £72.25, thewhiskyexchange.com
Dr. Bill Lumsden and Gillian Macdonald fold four cask finishes into one controlled blaze: ginger, saffron and nutmeg over marmalade, almond and dark chocolate.
High West Campfire; £75.65, masterofmalt.com
A blend of bourbon, rye, and peated Scotch — a whiskey with a foot in the American West and an eyebrow raised towards Islay. Smoky, sweet, and conversational.
The Macallan ‘Inspired by Phoenix Honey Orchid Tea’; £152, thewhiskyexchange.com
Built around the floral, stone-fruit character of Phoenix Honey Orchid oolong tea, this offers a harmonious peach, apricot, toffee and warm wood depth.
Octomore 16.3; £195, masterofmalt.com
Single-estate Concerto barley from Octomore Farm taken to a massive 189.5ppm, aged in bourbon, Sauternes and PX. Smoke, sea spray, heathered sweetness and dark chocolate prevail. Extraordinary.
One Cask At A Time: Auchentoshan 1998 ‘Pendulum’; £375, onecaskatatime.com
A single cask Lowland whisky which has waited a quarter of a century, bottled at cask strength, yielding just 142 bottles.
L’Époque Baroque XO; £360, selfridges.com
Shaped by the legendary Tatiana Kharchylava — the creative force behind Birley Clubs, including Annabel’s celebrated festive frontage — this Grande Champagne Cognac draws on half century old eaux-de-vie to give a deep, silken blend brightened by flashes of candied orange, violet, dark cherry, and finally, mint.
Non-alcoholic options
...for balance, for daylight, for clever hosts
Jörg Geiger Blanc de Blancs with Chardonnay; £32, joerg-geiger.co.uk
From the eponymous chef turned orchard alchemist, this is an artisan effervescent, far beyond a typical soft drink experience. It is a new register of palate: accented with white blossom and brioche notes.
