Christmas is a very exciting and busy time of year in our shop. It is a great privilege to provide the drink for the festive season and this is the time of year we all get asked the most important questions about wines and food.

I have compiled a list of suggestions to provide some ideas. If you have any further queries, do pop in and see us or ask any other local independent wine merchant for advice.

Parties

Whether you are inviting neighbours over for a small glass or having a grand gathering of the clan, most people would expect to be doing some entertaining over the festive season.

Sparkling Wine: Christmas is a time of celebration, and thoughts naturally turn towards a pop and a fizz.

Two top wines are Three Choirs Classic Cuve at £8.99 - light and elegant with a fine mousse. Also, Faust Champagne at £19.99. This is 100% organic and has a rounded body with a fabulous richness.

Party Wine: Chilean Merlot or Australian Shiraz/Cabernet are both good this time of year. For whites try South African Sauvignon Blanc or Australian Colombard Chardonnay.

A classic winter drink is mulled wine. These are available to buy in the shops (we do a particularly fine damson and elderberry mulled wine) or, if you have the time, it is great fun making it yourself (see recipe left).

For children and drivers I would recommend Bottle Green Spiced Berry Cordial. Just add some hot water to taste a real festive treat.

Christmas Day

Christmas morning: If you're not driving anywhere, my recommendation for breakfast is Champagne and bacon sandwiches. Try a demi sec Champagne such as Montaudon (£19.99). The slightly fuller flavour style complements the richness of bacon perfectly.

Pre-lunch aperitif: The Spanish would have us believe that sherry is making a comeback and, personally, I think that, it is very under-rated. However, for many in this country, sherry drinking is confined to this one day of the year. If drinking dry sherry such as Manzanilla or Fino (such as Tio Pepe), try chilling it first. Sweeter styles (Croft Original or Harvey's Bristol Cream) are better served at room temperature.

My personal preference would be to fly the flag for the local area: Monkhide Red Plum Liqueur (£11.99) has recently been voted best liqueur in the country and is a delicious pre-dinner drink. Similarly, Tipsy Damson Gin (from £4.50) is a super way to warm the cockles on a cold and frosty morning.

Christmas dinner: "What's the best wine to go with turkey?" is a question often asked in the shop.

If having white wine, I would recommend one rich in flavour; a good quality Australian or Chilean Chardonnay would do the job as would Macon Villages or Pouilly Fuisse from Burgundy in France. For something a little different, try Gewurztraminer from New Zealand with its aromas of lychees and apricots, full flavour and rich finish, with a hint of autumn spice.

Red wines should be fairly light in character to complement the turkey so look for Pinot Noir from New Zealand or Chile, Merlot from Northern Italy or Pommard from Burgundy.

For a rich wintery veggie dish, I would suggest Salice Salentino from Puglia in southern Italy, the warming, spicy flavours go well together.

Supper on Christmas night is a ritual in our household. Out come the ham, beef, cold turkey, tongue and a multitude of pickles and salads.

For this sort of cold collation, I would recommend rich reds such as Australian Cabernet Sauvignon or Claret from the Medoc region of Bordeaux. For whites, Sancerre would suit nicely or Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand.

And so to bed

Hopefully you haven't drunk all of my suggestions in the same day!

If you would like a little nightcap to end on you can do no better than to look across the border to Wales. Penderyn Single Malt Welsh Whisky has a beautiful rounded character with just a hint of smoke on the finish. Black Mountain Liqueur, from The Celtic Spirit Co in Abersychan, is made by steeping apples and blackberries in fine brandy. The resulting rich, warming liqueur is often described as Christmas in a glass.

Merry Christmas!

Classic Mulled Wine

(all measurements approximate)

Serves 8 people

2 bottles rich red wine (e.g Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon)

1 glass orange juice

2 teaspoons honey

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 orange studded with cloves

1 cinnamon stick

A few cardamom pods

A little grated nutmeg

A dash (or more) of Herefordshire Cider Brandy

Warm gently through in a pan, taking care not to boil as alcohol boils at 80C and extended boiling will take all the alcohol away.

White: Klippenkop Sauvignon Blanc (South Africa) £5.49

Up a Gum Tree Colombard Chardonnay (Australia) £3.99

Red: Arena Negra Merlot (Chile) £3.99, McGuigan Black Label Red (Australia) £5.49