Party Wines

I’m on a bit of a mission this week: a mission that at first sight looks offensive to the palate and, if not carefully done, equally so to the wallet. I’m talking about party wines! Yes the party season is with us again; a season that can strike panic in to the hearts of many a wine lover as they struggle to find wines that will find favour with their guests, without leaving their bank balance grimacing. Well this year I’ve taken a long, hard look (and sip) at some of the major merchants offerings, and come up with that should make any Christmas or New Year party go with bang!

Fizz. No party is really complete without it and if you can serve it the whole night through you’ll look live a lavish host.  Of course if you try serving Champagne you’ll end up spending a fortune, but these days you don’t have to, not when there’s cracking fizz such as the Marques de Monistrol Cava (Tesco.com £4.74).  Silly money for what it is, this Cava has a loads of crisp apple fruit, traces of melon and grape and a lovely rich biscuity finish making it perfect for serving with canapés or simply chilled on its own.

Of course if you want to really splash out and give your guests that extra wow factor in their fizz then why not go the whole hog and get the Graham Beck Brut Reserve.  Frankly this is about the best sparkling wine I’ve ever tasted; rich, its complex fruit tones of peach, red apple and melon interwoven with crushed nuts, honey and yeast.  Glorious, simply glorious - and worth every penny (and more!) of the £12.18 everywine.co.uk are asking.

But enough bubbles, what about still wines. Well for £3.99 you’ll be hard pushed to find a wine that’s anything like as jolly as the Casillero del Diablo Sauvignon Blanc (Majestic). Loaded with super fresh tones of gooseberries, limes, melons and pears it’s zingy, fresh and will keep your guests not only smiling but also coming back for more.  Again if you’re looking to push the boat out and want something somewhat richer and fuller, then why not try the Laithwaites Semillion 2005 (Laithwaites £7.08).  From a lovely vintage and with enough bottle age to add even more peachy/pear tones to the crushed nuts, apricot and honey tones that it was born with.

Did someone ask for a glass of red? Not a problem. If your guests have a yearning for something warming, satisfying and absolutely drenched in fruit then point them in the direction of a bottle of the Durius 2005 (Majestic £4.99 if you buy two of more).  Rioja in style, it's rich, full and gives lashings of sweet, blackcurrant and redcurrant fruit with touches of herbs and mint.  Of course if your chums are looking for something that’s a little more refined and a little less exuberant then give them a glass of the fabulous Louis Jadot Beaujolais Villages (Tesco.com £5.59 a bottle). Plumy, rich and smoother than polished silk, this is million miles away from those dreadful wines that were labeled with that hideous tag, ‘nouveau’.

Well they’re my party wines for this year, so all that’s left for me to say is have a peaceful and happy Christmas and a great New Year.

More, next year!

Theo

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