2024 Festive Staff Picks

It’s that time of year when we go through and choose our festive staff picks and personal favourites. This year we’ve decided to do a blog as well, and have our Joe, Steve and Mary weigh in on what they’ll be drinking this year 🥂

Albariño Pazo de Mirasoles 2023: “A lovely fresh and zippy Albarino for La Mancha in Spain, so much freshness on the nose with lots of citrus fruit, very clean on the palate with well balanced acidity, more fresh lemons with a great mouth feel. I love the way that the label changes colour when it’s the right temperature to drink.”

Paul Mas Arrogant Frog Orange 2023: “My first thought when I tried orange wine was where have you been all my life?! If you like wine with lots of acidity then this is for you, from Domaine Paul Mas in the heart of the Languedoc a wine with plenty going on, layers of citrus and pear with a hint of spice on the nose with marmalade and ginger on the palate, the perfect wine to have with food.”

Domaine Bousquet Reserve Malbec 2022: “This is my go to wine whenever I’m entertaining, it’s priced just right so you get plenty of wine for your money but it’s not going to break the bank. High up in the hills of Mendoza in Argentina this wine is rich and inviting on the nose with dried red fruit and delicate spice, 10 months in French oak give it a lovely rich mouth feel with chocolate and more spice.”

Oxney Estate English Sparkling Wine NV: “I just love this refreshingly dry English non-vintage sparkling from Oxney Organic Estate in Rye, East Sussex. With 35 acres of vines, Oxney sits amongst the beautiful High Weald landscape and the wines are carefully crafted and aged in a converted Grade II listed square oast house. This NV is a blend of Seyval Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. It’s dry, refreshing, and precise, with red apple, pear and toasted brioche flavours. Very food friendly or equally delicious on its own.”

Celistia DO Viognier Macabeo 2023: “Costers del Segre (“Banks of the river Segre”) is Catalonia’s most inland wine region and has a climate of extremes. This continental climate produces textured, aromatic white wines and flavoursome reds that exude elegance. A 70% Viognier, 30% Macabeo blend with notes of peach, tropical fruits, and floral aromas. Mouthfilling and rich on the palate with exotic spice and ripe apricots that just linger forever. Balanced with tangy zing of acidity.” 

Celistia DO Tempranillo Syrah 2022: “This is a delicious, lip-smacking, succulent red from Costers del Sió. Heady scents of ripe cherries and raspberries leap from the glass with spicy notes of cinnamon and vanilla. Aged for five months in French and American oak, the palate is rich and full bodied with a fig, blackberry, and balsamic licked finish.”

Gomez Nevado Dorado Seco Sierra Morena: “I’ve become more curious about sherry after doing a wine course earlier this year. Deep honey in colour, this dry sherry style wine (we say ‘sherry style’ as it’s technically made just outside of the sherry region) is floral and very nutty on the nose. In the mouth it tastes of tangy dried fruit and has a lot of flavour. It made me want to reach for some salty nuts or olives straight away (which thankfully I had!). It would also pair well with cured cheeses or charcuterie boards.”

Santa Tresa Sparkling Grillo Vino Spumante Brut: “This wine from Santa Tresa holds a special memory for me since it was the first fully organic sparkling wine I ever tried. More like a Prosecco (it isn’t aged on the lees or anything), I love its Sicilian lemon flavours and pretty tiny bubbles. It also comes in a nice rounder bottle with festive looking gold foil”.

Mas des Tannes Chardonnay Grenache Blanc 2022: “This no sulphur added white from Paul Mas in the Languedoc is new to us this year. It’s made from Chardonnay and Grenache Blanc, known in Spain as Garnacha Blanca. A portion of the wine is also aged in French oak for three months. This is a white on the heavier side, so an ideal one for richer winter meals or if you like to stick to Chardonnay in winter months too.”

Cheers to thinking & drinking organic 🥂