Winter Warmers

2009 is speeding by and soon it will be the festive season. Christmas shopping can be chilly and stressful, so why not treat yourself to a warming tipple when you get home? Draw the curtains, light the fire and pour a glass of something warming to lighten even the darkest evening.

Why not try a little fizz to cheer you up when the winter blues descend? Not as pricey as Champagne, Crémant de Bourgogne, Cave de Lugny NV (available from Oddbins for £11.49) is a less expensive alternative in these cash-strapped times! It’s an elegant wine with restrained mineral fruit – dry, fresh and citrusy with a soft mousse and creamy notes at the finish. This is a fantastic match to fish and chips if you don’t want to cook! 

If you fancy something slightly different, why not try a drop of port? Port is usually limited to Christmas-time sipping, but what a waste! In Portugal they drink port all through the year and the Warre's Otima 10-year Tawny Port (available from Oddbins for £14.49, or £11.59 when a case is bought) can be enjoyed either as an aperitif, lightly chilled and served with olives and nuts, or as an after-dinner digestive with cheese or chocolate depending on your personal preference. A rich tawny colour, with an excellent nose of nuts and hints of mature fruit, it’s light and delicate on the palate and beautifully rounded, with hints of dried fruits, and a long elegant finish.

 Tesco sells the Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Private Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 (£9.99), a beautifully rich and elegant wine that displays lots of blackberry characters with a hint of dark chocolate. This wine would be an ideal partner to a rich game pie.

And these autumnal nights wouldn’t be complete without a recommendation for a heavy duty red wine. Altano Douro Valley Red 2006 (available from Waitrose for £5.99) has a crystalline black cherry hue with sour cherry nose. The palate yields black pepper in the rear with baking cherries and liquorice emerging later. Try with a robust meaty stew to warm the cockles.