Settle back with one of these lovely sweet wines

Moldova: Chardonnay Dulce Alb 2013 Chateau Vartely

This caused a stir at our recent tasting. They make a little icewine in Moldova, but few late harvest wines like this one. This is a rare bottle and quite a find – a fun wine to serve blind to wine-buff friends. Winemaker Arcadie Fosnea picks grapes late and stops fermentation to retain sweetness. £14.99 for 50cl bt, www. laithwaites.co.uk

Italy: Aleatico di Puglia Passito 2010 A Mano

This is made from the rare aleatico grape, indigenous to Taranto in Puglia. Grapes are dried for eight weeks and, rather unusually, aged in large chestnut and cherry oak – resulting in a luscious, sweet, cherry fruited red.

£19.99, Valvona & Crolla

France: Waitrose Sauternes 2010 Ch Suduiraut

Made in partnership with one of the great Premier Cru Classe Sauternes chateaux, Suduiraut’s team have crafted this delicious semillon/ sauvignon blanc blend maturing it like a grand vin in French oak (in this case 10 per cent new). With pineapple and mango fruits and a vibrant acid core, it would be delicious with Christmas pudding. £12.99, reduced from £15.99 hf bt, Waitrose

Chile: Late Harvest Gewurztraminer 2014 Montes

This unoaked Chilean late harvest gewurztraminer is made from 70 per cent botrytised (nobly rot) grapes grown in a vineyard near the Lontue River in Curico. So creamy and sweet, but still with an attractive freshness with a honey and apricot finish. £11.99 hf bt, Henderson Wines, Edinburgh; Fine Wine Co, Musselburgh

Australia: Hermit’s Hiill Botrytis Semillon 2011 de Bortoli

De Bortoli are masters at making dessert wines in

New South Wales’ Riverina region. Semillon, the grape used to make Sauternes in France, is tricky to make into a vibrant wine as acidity levels can plummet. This rich nobly-rotted dessert wine has beautiful orange peel notes with a hint of honey and wax. Rich enough to serve with Christmas pudding, but equally fine with blue cheese.

£9.50 hf bt, Marks & Spencer

Canada: Vidal Icewine 2016 Pillitteri

Canadian icewine is usually expensive. Lidl have by far the UK’S cheapest – and they offer no less than three. I prefer their vidal (the others are riesling and cabernet sauvignon) from the excellent 2016 vintage with its fresh apricot and tropical fruit note. One of the key notes about Canadian icewine is its intense level of sweetness – able to cope with rich desserts.

£14.99 hf bt, Lidl

France: Côteaux Du Layon Carte d’or 2015 Baumard

A fabulous sweet chenin blanc. Winemaker Florent Baumard focuses on organic viticulture bringing out beautiful purity of fruit and honeyed notes with an underlying minerally freshness which revives the palate. Serve with a pâté starter or sip with mince pies.

£11.99 hf bt, Virgin Wines

Hungary: Tokay Aszu 6 Puttonyos 2002 Disznoko

My ultimate Christmas treasure. Disznoko’s 6 puttonyos is the highest level – only made in the best years when fruit concentration is exceptional and acidity perfect. This has wonderful citric and dried fruit notes; amazing precision being so beautifully balanced. £52 for 50 cl bt, Lay & Wheeler; www.robersonwines.com; Cambridge Wine

Italy: Vin Santo Del Chianti 2009 Corbellicce

Another Lidl gem. Most Tuscan winemakers have their own vin santo maturing in barrels in their attics, but there are not many sold commercially – so this is a good price for this Tuscan treasure. Typically nutty and savoury with a mature fruitcake flavour.

£9.99 for 50cl bt, Lidl

Portugal: Adega De Pegoes Muscatel De Setubal Portugal: Maynard’s 10 Year Old Tawny Barao de Vilar

n

£9.99 bt, Aldi One of the world’s great sweet wine bargains. Made from late picked muscat with extra skin contact, fortified with brandy and matured in American and French oak, it contains hints of marmalade, toffee and raisins with enough rich sweetness to match Christmas pudding or mince pies.

£9.95 bt, thewinesociety.com

Portugal: Moscatel De Douro NV Niepoort

Another Portuguese gem made by port producers, Dirk Niepoort. Aged in old port 550 litre ‘pipes’ and new French oak, the result is very distinctive with grapey orange peel aromas, full bodied – like oaked white port. £15.99 hf bt, Raeburn Wines, Edinburgh An amazing price for ten year old tawny. This silky smooth, cinnamon flavoured port from a blend of four Douro grapes: touriga franca, tinta roriz, tinta barroca and tinto cao is hard to beat on price. Join Rose’s South Africa v France Tasting on 1 February 2018 at the Royal Scots Club, Edinburgh, £45, www.rosemurraybrown.com