The Christmas party is a time for friends and colleagues to celebrate the outgoing year. Whether you’re organising a work event or hosting friends at your house, it’s important to keep costs reasonable.
You can find some of the best value Christmas party wines of 2019 below, along with some pointers on how to help your party go with a swing…
Scroll down for Decanter’s Christmas party wine tips
Bargain Christmas party wines to try:
Christmas party wine tips:
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Have some nibbles on hand
Slow down the intake of alcohol with some food. It may help you to avoid that morning-after wine headache, and pacing the drinking will help your wallet.
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Ditch the Champagne flutes
One of the latest wine trends, and it is even backed up by some science. Using white wine glasses allows the flavour and aroma of your Champagne or sparkling wine to escape more easily from the wider rim, enhancing both scent and taste. Alternatively, Champagne saucers will give your party more of a vintage feel.
READ MORE: Farewell to Champagne flutes
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Keep it simple
Stick to one wine of each type you intend to serve – e.g one red, one white, one sparkling. Don’t over-complicate the logistics for yourself and confuse guests when they come to ask for a top up!
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You don’t need to push the boat out
Guests are usually happy just to be invited to your latest soirée. Rarely will they expect you to bring out the best wines, although they will assume they are at least drinkable. Set a budget (£7-£15 per bottle tends to be the sweet spot) and stick to it.
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Stick to the middle ground
A great rule for pleasing your guests is to avoid wines that stray too far either side of the ‘middle’ – look for wines that are pleasant and easy drinking without being too weird and wonderful (guaranteed to alienate your guests), too tannic, too rich, too acidic or too light.
Examples of ‘middle wines’ could be a Chilean Merlot, a new world Pinot Noir or a white Burgundy.
Of course, if we had the Decanter editorial and tastings team coming over for Christmas drinks, then we’d probably be a bit more adventurous. Remember to think about your audience, too.
