RAISE A GLASS

All my Christmas choices this week are chardonnay wines, more by coincidence than design, as I was on the look-out for wines which sit perfectly alongside food.

I’ll start with

(Asda, £5.98 until December 9) which is partially fermented in French oak.

This is a great value white as there’s some complexity but not too much if you’re nervous about wines that make a statement. My notes said “apple, lemon, with a hint of baking spice”.

The Co-op has introduced several new wines this season and one is

(£10) which is a refreshing, not-tooheavy chardonnay from South Australia’s Adelaide Hills region. Aged in French oak, it boasts a creamy texture and you can taste the citrus and pear without your palate being overpowered.

Britain has some of the best produce on the planet, hands down.

(£9) is nurtured in the Gisborne region on the North Island. Grapes are fermented in oak and the result is a wine which has lovely tropical fruit notes and a zesty finish alongside a nuttiness (£10, Marks and Spencer) which is a comforting hug of a white wine. A rich unoaked chardonnay, it is creamy and smooth with a sharp hit of apple and a whisper of peach and a delicious buttery aftertaste. When I met Spar’s wine consultant Philippa Carr MW the other week, she told me her favourite wine in the retailer’s new range was

(£9, pictured left) and it is indeed rather tasty. It is unoaked and has a nice bite of apples and a good acidity.

We’ll stay in France for the classy

that intrigues.

We’ll leap over to France for

If you’re a vegan but you don’t want to miss out on a drop of cream liqueur this Christmas, then Marks & Spencer has the answer. ■ Jane is a member of the Circle of Wine Writers. Find her on social media and online as One Foot in the Grapes.

LAST week I was fresh and fruity, this week I have more depth and complexity. If you’re just catching up with me then... no... I’m not describing the ups and downs of feminine emotions, but white wines for Christmas.You might be thinking “what is this depth and complexity” – “and why is it interesting for my Christmas feasting?”.Winemakers can call on a heap of different production methods to turn what could be a humble fruity white wine into something with a bit of interest. That can include aging or fermenting in oak, or stirring on the lees.Chardonnay loves such treatment. Whatever winemakers choose to do, this grape always puts its hands on its pips and says “go on then, bring it on”.

Tesco finest* Gisborne Chardonnay Bourgogne Chardonnay Louis Jadot Pouilly Fuisse 2017

Pollen Street The Cookbook, Absolute Press, priced £50. Available now.£20, Tesco, Morrisons, Nisa, Wholefoods, pictured below) which has seen half of the grapes partly fermented in vats and the other in oak barrels.This gives layers of freshness and fruit, but has a creamy, nutty mouthfeel which cushions those same delicious fruits. It is elegant and special.

(RRPALSO IN MY GLASS: Vegan Chocolate and Coconut Cream (£12) hits the spot. It’s yummy.

Vandenberg Adelaide Hills Chardonnay 2018