Wines for the Festive Period

For me the start of the festive period always starts with a glass of Mulled Wine. Here at House of Townend, we carry the delicious bottled Three Mills Mulled Wine, which is a base of red wine, honey, sugar syrup, mulled spices – cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, citrus and orange peel. Heat this up after a crisp walk or when friends come over and it will get the party started. Top tip – serve in Latte glasses with Cinamon stick and chopped fruits, and if you like, a dash of brandy !

The other thing to get you in the mood for Christmas is a glass of fizz. The Prosecco Villa Sandi Il Fresco is always a winner and is refined, elegant with pear and apple notes, and a delightful mousse. This comes in 75cl bottles but if you’re having a gathering try the Villa Sandi Magnums (1.5L) as the ultimate way to serve.

If you are looking for something a little special, try the Prosecco Valdobbiadene Superiore di Cartizze. This is produced high in the hills in Valdobbiadene above Venice where the best Proseccos come from. This wine has just been awarded the Tre Bicchieri award in the esteemed Gambero Rosso Italian wine guide for excellence.  Fine and creamy with notes of glazed apricots and guava. Delicious!

Christmas is definitely the time to get a bottle of Champagne chilled. It is always good to have a bottle in the fridge for those impromptu guests! I would highly recommend the Gardet Brut Tradition NV, a blend of 45% Pinot Meunier, 45% Pinot Noir and 10 % Chardonnay and aged for 3 years on the lees. Rich and rounded with toasty brioche flavours, this is an award winner.

So, what about Christmas Party wines?  When you’re having a gathering, I would highly recommend serving something a little different from your Pinot Grigios and Merlots, as there are some amazing quality wines offering great value out there. I will be ordering in a couple of cases of the Vermentino Coquille de Mer and the Old Vines Carignan, Coquille de Terre. They are always a winning combination; the Vermentino is dry with peachy fruits, so if you like Sauvignon you’ll love this, and the Old Vines Carignan has lush red fruits and soft integrated tannins. Both very easy drinking and will undoubtedly please your guests.

If you’re having a Dinner Party or just want to treat yourself, we have a fantastic range of Bordeaux and Burgundy wines. Sometimes we overlook the Rhone Valley but for me the wines from here are amazing and well worth a try.  I was lucky enough to taste the fantastic Crozes Hermitage Cuvee L 2019 from Domaine Laurent Combier, Rhone Valley this week. This wine is Organic, and produced from 100% Syrah grapes, which are handpicked, giving an abundance of blackcurrant fruit and a little spice. Just perfect with a steak or hearty stew in front of the fire - a glass will go down very nicely.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas, Sandy!

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