There are still three weeks to go but, if you’re beginning to think about Easter lunch, this could be your red wine. It’s Rioja, so it’s a comfortably traditional choice, but it’s not wholly traditional Rioja, so it falls into the something-a-bit-different category too

This is the second Chenin Blanc to be Wine of the Week this year, but it couldn't be more different from the earlier Vouvray. South Africa's Kleine Zalze Vineyard Selection Chenin Blanc 2024 is a rich, vibrant, barrel-fermented dry white with ripe, sweet citrus fruit, mouthwatering acidity and touches of quince and apricot.

I was torn about which one of the trio of Greek wines under the new Three Bowls label to choose. In the end, I put aside – for now – the pale, dry rosé and the white Assyrtiko in favour of the red Xinomavro from Naoussa, the heartland of this distinguished and distinctive Greek grape variety.

If you like elegantly juicy, lithe, pure-fruited red wines with wild strawberry fruit, subtle spice and sappy, herbal notes, you’ll love Avamposti Cerchi Slarina 2022, an Italian red wine that's also very versatile with food

If you’re not completely sold on Sauvignon Blanc, or not at this time of year when it can feel a bit bracing, Vasse Felix Classic White could be the answer. It’s one third Sauvignon Blanc paired with Semillon in the classic white-grape blend of Australia's Margaret River region. You get the Sauvignon zing but with less bite and more roundness

This is a wonderfully welcoming, approachable red wine, but characterful and distinctive, too: dry, rich and mouth-filling with ripe cherry and dried-cherry fruit. And, along with everything else going for it, Cerasuolo di Vittoria, and especially Santa Tresa’s, is very food-friendly.

I know it's not spring yet but the aptly named Spring Vouvray is a welcome reminder that it's on its way. Made from Chenin Blanc, as all Vouvray must be, it's a mouthwatering dry white wine with flavours of citrus, quince, apricot and a tantalising undercurrent of honey.

This is a Cahors for fans of Argentinian Malbec just as much as it is for dyed-in-the-the wool devotees of Cahors. It’s a generous, plush style with dark fruit – think sun-warmed blackberries and ripe black plums – woven with classic liquorice, spice and mineral graphite notes

A Viognier with a with a spring in its step from renowned Rhône producer Paul Jaboulet Aîné. This is just the thing if you want a dry white wine to lift your spirits on a wintery day. It has the classic floral and peach-cum-apricot flavours and hint of spice of the Viognier grape, but with zesty citrus fruit giving a fresher, zippier style than many Viogniers

Kicking off with a very reasonably priced Australian Pinot Noir has to be a good way to start any new year. It should also be a welcome one if you want a lighter red after the heavyweight festivities, or if you want to hunker down in the northern hemisphere, but with thoughts of summer rather than winter

Made from 55-year-old vines at the historic Château de Pizay estate in an outstanding vintage for Beaujolais, this 2023 Régnié is beautifully expressive, with a lustrous deep ruby-red colour and succulent cassis and strawberry fruit. It could be on the table on Christmas day and would make a great red wine for Boxing Day.

This deliciously refreshing, dry Argentinian pet nat wine is a crowd pleaser that would appeal to Champagne, Prosecco, Crémant, Cava and traditional-method sparkling wines from England, South Africa, Australia et al

This Rioja Reserva has already featured in my Festive Red Wine Guide 2025, but it’s so good, so appropriate for Christmas and also relatively widely available that I’m revisiting it here

A round-up of 23 Champagne and sparkling wine top picks to suit every event, occasion and drinker in the 2025–2026 festive season

Welcome to my round-up of 40 white and orange wines for the festive season. Ranging freely across styles, countries, regions, grape varieties and prices, it's designed to cover all tastes, occasions and eventualities from now until Christmas and New Year and then well into 2026

This Rhône-inspired Australian white is pale, bright and crisp, but also has some textural richness. It smells of apricots, freesias and lemons, layered with Russet apple, lime juice and a light touch of toasty oak.

Welcome to my round-up of 58 red wines for the 2025 festive season. It's designed to cover all occasions, eventualities and tastes, ranging freely through styles and grape varieties, from classic to contemporary, old to young, and across continents and regions to far-flung corners

This typically dark and inky looking Georgian Saperavi has deep, briary blackberry and damson fruit, peppery, meaty undertones, a whisper of violets and salty tannins softened to just the right degree by brief oak ageing

Jurançon Sec is a wine that can smell sweet but taste bone dry and be rich in texture but mouthwateringly tangy. Clos de la Vierge Le Carré de Peés 2023 is all these. It smells of honeyed quinces and zingy lime juice

This is a wonderful old-vine red wine made in a traditional way by accomplished oenologists, husband and wine Jorge Serôdio Borges and Sandra Tavares de Silva, at the tiny estate around an old port warehouse that they bought in the Pinhão Valley in the Douro in 2003.