Merry Christmas! 10 tips for peace on (your own little patch of) earth

2016-12-22

Christmas is perhaps the only time of year where families embrace our passion for wine, but just occasionally we may get a bit carried away. So in the warmest of Christmas’ spirits, we offer you ten tips to keep everyone merry over the next few days.

Champagne shows you’re trying. People see the magic word and relax in the knowledge that everything’s going to be all right. You do not want to start the festivities having to explain how rare and expensive your alternative sparkler is.

Your mother-in-law must have her usual. Whatever it is. It is not about good manners; it is about world peace. (And it will cut off at the pass any attempt to open your bottle of Louis XIII brandy).

The cook’s glass must never be empty. Def Con is at level 5 over the festive season, primarily due to the cook’s fear of missing out.

Extraordinarily, some people may feel the food is more important than the wine. Once you have carefully laid out glasses for champagne, white burgundy, red burgundy, claret, pudding wine and port, you may just want to check where the plates will go.

Beer shows you’re a man of the people and not some wine snob. Don’t stint on the quality or quantity - if Uncle Tom were drinking your Chambolle, it would be a darn sight more distressing.

There is a reason the waiter uses the simple lever corkscrew. Proudly bringing out the dual-powered, multi-functional Super Deluxe digitised Wine Opener for that magnum of Leoville-Barton '61 is at the very least reckless.

Plan ahead. Your gently slumbering 1963 Quinta do Noval will need to stand upright for a couple of days to allow the sediment to settle.

Decanting is not always showing off. Crunchy is not a wine descriptor you want applied to 50 year old port.

Everyone loves chocolate. Don’t fight it. And don’t try to match a wine with it, unless you’re into aged Sake. Champagne is the universal panacea.

Finally, whilst wine lovers know that great wine will never give you a hangover, some people are in denial. Do not blame the food. Remember the cook is not just for Christmas.

WE WISH YOU AND YOURS A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Posted in: Fine wine analysis,
Tags: Chrisrmas wine, Christmas, fine wine, wine, wine lover,

Value, track and trade fine wine

Sign up for a free Wine Owners account or go premium. No commitment. No credit card required. View all subscription plans.

Subscribe to The Collector

Get market insight delivered directly to your mailbox by subscribing to our newsletter.