Best Wine and Cocktails to Drink Over Christmas

It’s our favourite time of year – Christmas! What better excuse to relax, eat, and drink wine. If you’re looking for the perfect Christmas drinks for your holiday celebrations, we’ve got you covered. Take your Christmas to the next level with our top picks for the best wines, food pairings and cocktail mixes for this holiday season.

Champagne

A classic wine for special occasions and celebrations. Champagne is one of our favourite picks for summer when we’re craving something refreshing. That’s why we definitely recommend a delicious Champagne as your go to Christmas drink. If you’re looking for value for money, try a Louis Auger Champagne Brut. But if you’re wanting to splurge over the holidays, we highly recommend a bottle of Bollinger Special Cuvée Champagne.

Food Pairing: Pairs perfectly with buttery prawns, oysters, or roast chicken.

Cocktail Ideas: What better way to wake up on the holidays than with a refreshing mimosa – a classic brunch drink made with orange juice and Champagne. If drinking alcohol in the morning isn’t for you, instead try a sparkling strawberry mojito topped with Champagne, or make a big batch of strawberry Champagne punch.

Chardonnay

The warmer months are the perfect time to sip on chardonnay. The aroma of this popular wine usually comprises of lemon, fresh fruit, and vanilla. During your summer activities, reach for an unoaked  chardonnay. It will offer you a cleaner, crisper, lighter taste without the heavy, buttery texture you get from an : chardonnay. For notes of citrus and tree fruits, try this unoaked chardonnay from The Wishing Tree, which is sure to pair well with all your holiday feasts.

Food Pairing: If you’re serving roast pork with crispy, salty crackling for Christmas lunch, this chardonnay is going to be your best friend. You can also pair lighter, unoaked bottles of chardonnay with a crunchy salad, fresh seafood dishes, or soft, creamy cheeses like brie or camembert.

Cocktail Ideas: You have to try this raspberry cider chardonnay cocktail. It’s refreshing, tastes like summer, and is perfect for entertaining!

Red Wine

Although a full-bodied glass of red may not sound like the ideal summer drink, red wine can actually be a great choice if you’re looking to mix up your Christmas drinks. Popular options for summer festivities include lighter styles of red wine or a sparkling shiraz. For a sparkling shiraz, we recommend a bottle by Pepperjack or Morris Wines. If sparking red wine isn’t your thing, try a bottle of gamay or pinot noir.

Food Pairing: Pair a sparkling shiraz with a glazed ham over Christmas lunch or with pizza on a more casual night. Otherwise, enjoy a summer afternoon with a light pinot noir and a charcuterie board filled with salami, prosciutto, brie, gouda, and berries. Or pair a gamay with roasted potatoes and a spinach salad.

Cocktails: Of course, you can’t go wrong with a classic red wine sangria. But if you’re looking for something a bit different (and easier), why not try a simple red wine spritzer or margarita.

Sweet Wine

It wouldn’t be Christmas without the dessert – and yes, there’s a wine to go with that too! Simply put, sweet wine is any type of wine with a high amount of residual sugar. Common sweet wines include Moscato, sweet Riesling, and tawny port.

Food Pairing: For a classic Christmas dessert, pair a pavlova with a sweet prosecco or Moscato. If you’ll be serving up a Christmas pudding, look no further than a Tawny Port.

Cocktails: Sweet wines make the perfect ingredient for refreshing summer cocktails. Try this strawberry lime Moscato punch.

That’s all of our favourite wine and cocktail picks for this festive season! If you try and of these, or have any suggestions, let us know over on our Instagram page. You can read more wine tips and guides here.

Do you know a wine lover, but aren’t sure what to get them for Christmas? Cellartags make the perfect stocking stuffers for all wine enthusiasts – shop them here.