£7.99–£8.99, Ocado and Majestic
Organic, vegan-friendly and sustainable (vegetable ink, recycled paper, glass and cardboard), but there’s so much more to this Sicilian red than ticking boxes. It has Christmas written all over it. Dark, rich, spicy, warming and velvety, with layers of ripe red cherry, candied orange, toast, coffee, Christmas cake and Persian spice flavours, and it’s not too dry, giving it the wherewithal to stand up to cranberry sauce, spicy stuffings, herby sausages, devils on horseback and any number of other turkey accompaniments and vegetarian options that make short work of subtle, delicate wines.
It’s made from the local Nero d’Avola grape, with some Syrah and a few other local varieties, in the appassimento style, meaning the grapes are dried, some on the vines themselves, some on racks once picked, which concentrates the flavours and improves the texture. Siccari is Sicilian dialect for seccare, the Italian for "to dry" in the context of food – so that's your next Christmas quiz wine/food question sorted. 13.5%
Purato Siccari Appassimento 2018, Terre Siciliane, Italy
£7.99 (down from £9.99) until 2 January, Ocado; £8.99 in any 6 bottles, Majestic