Each month, we will be bringing you our top picks of seasonal ingredients, our wine recommendations and important dates for your calendar.

Christmas Jumper Day - Friday 13th

You may be thinking there aren’t any links between wine and Christmas Jumper Day, and you’d be right! But anything that raises awareness for charity and reminds people what Christmas is all about after all, is alright by us. So we will be full of festive cheer on Friday 13th and no doubt partaking in a glass of something to mark the occasion. What about imbibing a drop of our Domaine de L’Armet Marselan, a silky Languedoc red which is so smooth, it is as good on its own as it is with food! Keep your eyes peeled for our Christmas jumper photo, and if you'd like to donate to Save the Children, you can do so here. 

Christmas Pudding

Well if you get to Christmas pudding with your appetite still intact, you know you’re doing well. We like to avoid anything too cloying at this stage of proceedings so good acidity is a must. Try Wairau River’s superb Botrytised Riesling Late Harvest or, for something decadent and otherworldly, Sonberk’s Palava Straw Wine.

Turkey

Travel ‘down under’ and you may be told that sparkling red is the best possible match for turkey at Christmas time. There’s only one way to find out and anyway, if you haven’t already tried Paulett’s ‘Trillians’ Sparkling Red (a Shiraz Cab blend) you should give it a go as it will send your senses reeling. A more traditional match would be a Beaujolais Cru, a soft Pinot Noir or a full-bodied white. Along the lines of Domaine Patrick Tranchand’s Moulin à Vent ‘Rochgrès’ or our stunning new arrival – the Marquis de Pennautier ‘Terroirs D'Altitude’ Chardonnay. The latter would go well with a veggie/vegan nut roast or Holly's festive vegan m'hanncha (well, Jamie Oliver's) for example.

Festive Drinks

Few people know how to warm the heart and the hands better than après skiers in their post-ironic scandi jumpers and questionable headgear. So, we take a leaf out of their book and plump for a mulled wine or our crowd-pleasing Spiced Apple Warmer with Badachro Gin recipe; great for any outdoor revelry. Working up to the big New Year’s event, it has to be bubbles and we’re encouraging a new trend to toast with an English sparkler and for us that has to be Bluebell Vineyard’s Classic Cuvée. Happy New Year from all of us at Ellis Wines!