We asked Chris Rogers of Love Wine to talk us through his top picks for the forthcoming festive season.
What would you be drinking whilst watching your favourite sporting event with the boys?
Beer – BrewDog Punk IPA
BrewDog are the fastest growing food and beverage company in the UK, thanks to their signature brew, Punk IPA. This beer is packed with New Zealand hops and balanced with a biscuit malt. With loads of tropical fruit flavours and a sharp bitter finish, it’s sure to liven up any dull England game!
You’ve got the family coming around for Christmas lunch, what would you serve to drink before, during and after your feast?
Before – Champagne – Vazart Cocquart Brut Reserve
Grand Cru ‘Blancs de Blancs’
Christmas is always a celebration so Champagne is a great way to start the day off on the right foot. I like to drink Champagnes of smaller growers, such as Vazart, as they offer better quality to value ratio than many of the traditional ‘Grand Marque’ houses. Every resource in the winery is dedicated to making the best quality wine they can. Vazart is made from 100% Chardonnay. It has fine light bubbles, a fresh and fruity flavour followed by great minerality producing an elegant finish.
During – Red Wine – Duncan Savage ‘Follow the Line’,
Western Cape South Africa
A blend of Cinsault, Grenache and Syrah this wine is seriously fresh and juicy. It’s a great lunchtime wine as it’s not over-powering or heavy with a relatively cool 13% abv. This is a thoroughly modern wine that will appeal to the new generation of wine drinkers. No fuss just lip smackingly good, excellent with roast ham, will pair with traditional turkey and stand up to darker meats.
After – Colheita Vintage Port – Dalva 1985 Colheita
Colheita Ports are great as they are a little less heavy then a traditional vintage port. They are tawny ports aged in small oak barrels from a single vintage. Colheitas change dramatically during this extended time in cask and take on flavours of dried fruits, nuts, citrus and exotic spices, while becoming very smooth and complex the older they get. They are also amazing with cheese and a game of Pictionary!
Everyone has left and it’s just you, what would be your nightcap of choice?
Rum – Matusalum 23 Year Old Solera
It’s probably not a good idea at this stage of the evening but you can’t beat a nice aged rum to cap things off. Aged rum is a great choice for anyone like me that hasn’t quite acquired the taste for whisky. Matusalum 23 year old will hit the spot nicely…
