Christmas wine for under £6 a bottle

Christmas wine for under £6 a bottle

Italy (M&S, £5.99, down from £7.99)

Bubbles are a fine way to begin on Christmas day and these, from north-east Italy, are pink. Tinged with the suggestion of sugared raspberries and strawberries, they slip down very easily.

Cono Sur Vision Riesling 2007

Bio Bio Valley, Chile (Majestic, £5.99, down from £7.49 when you buy two Chilean wines)

On the other hand, the cool, mineralic swoosh of this riesling, glittering with sharp citrus flavours, from one of the much talked-about cooler climate areas in Chile, would make a lively aperitif and be a good match for canapes.

La Chasse Du Pape Chardonnay Viognier 2006/7

Vin de Pays d'Oc, France (Waitrose, £4.39, down from £5.49)

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This creamy-textured wine is a good option if you're going to drink white with Christmas dinner because the richness the viognier brings works well with the fruity accompaniments, from the cranberries to the dried fruit in the stuffing.Asda Beaujolais NV

France (Asda, £4.08)

Light red wines are good with a traditional Christmas spread. The brightness of the redberry flavours acts like a chutney against the turkey and isn't wrong-footed by sharply astringent cranberry sauce.

M&S Grenache Noir 2007

France (M&S, £5.99)

Soft, smooth and unoaked, but filled with dark fruit flavours, this wine, made from the fruit of old vines, is good with turkey and trimmings. It has intensity and juiciness but isn't heavy or dry with tannins that might only emphasise any dryness in the meat.

Sainsbury's Muscat De Saint Jean De Minervois NV

France (£3.99 for 37.5cl, Sainsbury's)

Dessert wines don't need to be as expensive as Sauternes: this one, with a gentle apricot taste and honeyed sweetness, is a bargain, and not so unctuous that you'll need a crane to lift you from the table after drinking it with Christmas pudding.