What to Drink with Everything You’ll Eat This Christmas

Everything that's good to eat is a little better with the right wine. The best thing I can wish you this Christmas is that you enjoy your food and drink as much as I will enjoy mine. And in that spirit, I'm going to suggest a few less than obvious combinations. Christmas really begins once the tree is up and I'm enjoying my first mince pies. The sweetness, spices, and dark dried fruit flavours of mince pies set up a glass of Port perfectly. Quinta do Crasto's LBV port is complex and elegant with spice and sweetness to match the mince pies. Just what you need to ease the stress of untangling Christmas lights. Two other seasonal indulgences I really treasure are Christmas pudding and great quality chocolate. The darker the better in both cases. And in both cases, Banyuls is what I want to drink, specifically Domaine du Mas Blanc Rimage. Banyuls is a sweet port-style wine from the South of France, produced just above the Spanish border. The first time I tasted it I was immediately reminded of Christmas pudding: the same spices and the same darkness and density of flavour. It's a no-brainer that the two will be great together. There's plenty of fruit flavours there too, the type that'll bring out the sweeter berry flavours in top quality dark chocolate. And it just wouldn't be Christmas without chocolate.