Your Christmas Day Wine Guide
Diana Groom, Tour Host
In the mad dash into Christmas, all we see around the stores are adverts telling us to ‘Back British Farming.’ So, why not ‘Back English Wine?’ This Christmas, shop local, and try our award-winning Cotswold wines to elevate any holiday gathering.
You’ve got in-laws on the way, Christmas lunches with the kids, festive work dinners, and you haven’t even purchased a single gift yet; what should you do? Start with something easy-wine- and our Christmas wine guide because let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a great bottle of wine on Christmas?
Welcome drink
Classic: A little fizz with our sparkling Cotswold Classic 2022
Cotswold Classic is a lighter, fruit-forward sparkling wine that hits all the right notes. Its effortless effervescence instantly relaxes all who consume it, providing light notes of warm baked apple pie with a touch of citrus on the end of that refreshing finish.
Cotswold Classic pairs well with any toast to the holidays, in addition to prawn cocktail, fruit chutney and cheese on a biscuit, or any elevated canapés such as chicken liver paté.
Alternative: surprise your guests with a pink welcome with our Pinot Rosé 2024
Pinot Rosé is a delicate, Provence-style rosé with notes of freshly-picked strawberries and ripe raspberries. It has a refreshing acidity that will leave your guests wanting another glass.
Pinot Rosé pairs very well with a peppered charcuterie selection, as the peppery notes will brighten the wine and the palate. It also pairs well with strawberry and feta salad or grilled seafood if you opt for a lemon sole this Christmas.
Christmas Dinner
Classic: Pinot Précoce 2022
Pinot Précoce is an early-ripening Burgundian-style Pinot Noir with rich notes of smoky mulberries and dark cherries. It has a long-lasting finish with hints of oak and vanilla that reflect the French oak barrel-ageing. It has a warming effect will make any Christmas dinner extra cosy this year.
Pinot Précoce pairs well with a rich cherry-glazed duck or lamb roast this Christmas. It also pairs well with a classic Beef Wellington or a mushroom nut roast.
Alternative: cater to both white- and red-wine drinkers with our Orpheus Bacchus 2023
The Orpheus Bacchus will delight white-wine lovers and definitely surprise your ‘red-wine only’ guests this Christmas. It’s sourced from some of our oldest vines at Woodchester and delivers a subtle minerality with rich notes of elderflower and gooseberry. The Orpheus Bacchus is a dry complex wine with a structured and long-finish, surprising most as our food-pairing white wine.
Don’t feel like cooking this Christmas? The Orpheus Bacchus pairs very well with a Thai curry or lightly-spiced Indian. Try it with a Coq au Vin Blanc or sweet Chili Thai fishcakes, if you are feeling adventurous this Christmas.
Desserts galore
Classic: finish with fizz this Christmas and our Blanc de Blancs 2018
Wow your guests with our Blanc de Blancs for dessert. This traditionally-made English Sparkling Wine is very refined with a creamy finish. It boasts notes of minerality, layered with hints of stone fruits and decadent lemon pastries. There is a complexity on the palate and an elongated finish, as the effervescence lingers long after the last sip.
Blanc de Blancs pairs well with a classic Stilton and cream cracker dessert or a rich lemon cheesecake. A show-stopper, the Blanc de Blancs also pairs extremely well with a Crème Brûlée if you want a little flame to end your perfect night.
Alternative: Tenterhook
The Tenterhook is our limited-edition white wine that seamlessly blends fresh-picked Siegerrebe and barrel-fermented Ortega. This enticing and innovative blend lends us notes of rich apricot, grapefruit and orange blossom. It is a creamy and structured white wine that layers in vibrant clementine and honeycomb notes on its lasting finish.
Tenterhook has a touch of residual sugar on the palate that will pair well with Panna Cota, Banoffee pie or white chocolate mousse with a scoop of honeycomb gelato.
