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What does a wine merchant drink at Christmas?

If you would like a little help stocking up your wine rack for Christmas please come in and talk to us. Tell us what you like and what you don’t like, and you’re bound to leave with some truly wonderful finds to complement your food offering and make your Christmas really memorable. For a little inspiration here is what Jon drinks at Christmas (a slightly edited version anyway, we know you don't have all day!) Christmas Eve. This has to be one of the best times of the year. That delicious moment when everyone is home and you can start the party. I like a crisp, well chilled white wine, something refreshing like Sancerre or Pouilly Fume. These are from Sauvignon Blanc grown in the upper reaches of France’s Loire valley. They lack the pungent fruitiness of New Zealand Sauvignon but replace it with a tight, stony crispness that is impossible to beat. Domaine Roblin Sancerre, £19.50 Christmas Morning. My family tradition calls for Champagne at this point. Personally these days I usually opt for English Sparkling Wine from one of Devon or Cornwall’s own vineyards. Every bit as good and local too. Trevibban Mill Brut, £30 Christmas Lunch. Burgundy is the absolute classic here. These are the most tricky wines of all to get right. The whites are from chardonnay and the reds from Pinot Noir. The best guide to quality is the name of the producer rather than the micro zone the wine comes from, but you must get advice and you must spend a decent sum or you will be disappointed. When the wine is good, there is nothing better in the world; buttery, complex, creamy whites and multi-layered, complex, delicate reds with the odd mushroomy twang to keep your interest until the very last drop. Les Heritiers Hautes Cotes de Beaune Blanc, £22 Amiot Servelle Chambolle Musigny, £65 Christmas Day Evening. By this point fatigue has set in, the palate is a little jaded and a disagreeable hangover lurks nearby. I find that something sweet does the job, ideally sweet and fizzy. So a nice Moscato d’Asti is perfect; this is low alcohol with a delicious grapey fresh taste and a lick of comforting sugar. For something stronger and sweeter, go for vintage port, ideally with a couple of decades age. This is another absolute classic, rich full and, if well aged, tastes a bit like Christmas cake. GD Vajra Moscato d’Asti, £20 Quinta do Infantado 2011, £58 Boxing Day. Head out for that walk, get some air, chase the dog / children about and you will be ready for one of life’s true pleasures; the boxing day left-overs lunch. What to drink? This is a chance to go off-piste; so top quality of course, but less trad. I’d love a rich complex, full bodied white from South Africa. For red a lovely gentle, spicy Rhone wine, so Gigondas, Lirac or everyone’s Dad’s favourite, Chateauneuf du Pape. Miles Mossop Saskia, £18 Domaine Gallety Cotes du Vivarais, £25

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