RAISE A GLASS

HOLD on to your Christmas hats! If you love red wines with a bit of heart, depth, richness and ripe fruits which can comfort and hug, then I’m here for you.

It would be wrong not to head to Bordeaux with a couple of wines that say “food, food, food”.

(£11, Marks & Spencer) is a smooth and fruity claret. It’s classy and elegant on the palate like a good French wine should be, with a lovely floral nose.

There are hints of spice and liquorice beneath the blackberry fruit flavours.

(Waitrose £9.39) is a blend of merlot and cabernet sauvignon and is ideal if roast beef is your Christmas Day roast of choice. But hey, this full-bodied red, lashed with dark fruits and pepper is also suitable for vegetarians so forget the beef and sip with your veggie option.

Where to go next? I’m spoilt for choice but I’ll stick with France because I Iove

(£15.50, The Wine Society). I jealously guarded it when I was “tasting” it for your benefit. The challenges I face.

It’s a blend of grenache, carignan and syrah and is full-bodied and rich. The essence of ripe, delicious, plummy dark and red fruits stunningly shine

right, (RRP £8.79, Waitrose, Morrisons and Asda) and thinking it’s a good match for a plate of all the Christmas dinner goodies. Shiraz takes centre stage in this blend, which has notes of brambly hedgerow fruits and cherry.

If a Spanish Rioja is more to your festive liking, then

(RRP £18.99, majestic.co.uk) will be a good choice. It has been aged for over two years in oak, which leaves a signature with vanilla, coffee, spice and bold red fruits. A powerpack of a red wine and the flavours keep on giving.

right, (£7) which is a new wine in store and was two years in the planning between the Co-op team and winemaker Diego Covarrubias. You’ll enjoy an easy-drinking,

Clos de los Siete (RRP £17, Sainsbury) hails from Argentina. The country’s signature wine grape, malbec, takes the lead in a five-grape blend including merlot, cabernet sauvignon and syrah.Flavours of red fruits, plums and spices dance a tango in your mouth, then linger temptingly. Sip and watch the Christmas episode of Strictly for the full effect.A final choice is Co-op Irresistible Chilean Carménère 2017,

Also in my glass… If you enjoyGlen Marnoch Speyside Single Malt Whisky (£17.49, Aldi) might just suit. With notes of toast and marmalade, this would make an excellent breakfast whisky, should there be such a thing. For a Scottish single malt, it’s surprisingly easy drinking, light, but at the same time rich and fruity. It could easily hold its own in a blind test, and you could pay twice as much for an inferior dram.

through. Main course? Yes. Cheese? Definitely.I’m now waving a Christmas glass of Zalze Shiraz Mourvedre Viognier,