Festive wine list Bottles to factor into your plans

IN the run-up to Christmas you need to make sure you avoid duff wine on the table come December 25. Whether red or white, if you aren’t sure that bargain bottle is up to the big day, now is the time to put it to the test.

For whites, try La Grille Touraine Sauvignon 2014 (£8.99, Majestic). With freshness, good acidity and gooseberry and grapefruit flavours, a hint of lemon peel adds citrusy zing to the crisp finish. Fess Parker, Santa Barbara County Chardonnay 2015 (£14.50, thewinesociety.com) is food friendly, being well balanced with tropical fruit aromas that mingle with pineapple and lively apple and citrus fruits gently supported by oak. A fragrant alternative to sauvignon blanc or chardonnay is Extra Special Viognier 2015 (£5, Asda), a wine from the Languedoc with a balance of bright fruits and a soft texture with honeysuckle aromas.

In the red corner is Exquisite Collection Pinot Noir 2014, Marlborough, New Zealand (£6.99, Aldi), a poised pinot with floral aromatics and a silky palate of cherries, raspberries and plums. Another worth trying is Apothic Red 2014, California (£7 from £9 until November 27, Morrisons), a blend of zinfandel, merlot, syrah and cabernet sauvignon that’s packed with juicy black fruits and hints of vanilla and spice. Also from the land of Trump is Ed Meades Zinfandel 2013, Mendocino County, California (£17.95, winedirect.co.uk). It’s rich and brambly, with wild berry flavours, herbs and baking spice, dark chocolate and soft vanilla oak on the finish.