What Should I Drink With Christmas Cake, Pudding and Mince Pies?

If you’re not gorging on at least one of these this December, then are you even doing Christmas? Of course, mince pies, Christmas cake, and Christmas pudding have their differences, but they’re all based around rich fruits, usually dried, or candied, as well as nuts and spices. Because of this, the same kind of drinks tend to work with them, and work they certainly do – these pairings are mouth-watering, and exactly what Christmas indulgence is about.

Sherry

Sweet, luxurious sherry is such a perfect match. Stick to Pedro Ximenez or Oloroso styles, and the dried fruits, nuts, and silky, rich chocolatey notes will pair up like a match made in taste heaven. It’s a traditional pairing too, so fully embraces the season. We’ve just uploaded our sherry guide for Christmas too, which details recommendations and information about all the styles.

Size: 375ml (half bottle)
ABV: 17%
Find here: £13.65

Port

Tawny Port in particular is a great way to go, brimming with red and black fruits, and if it’s got decent aging, nutty undertones too. The tawny is slightly less sweet than ruby ports, so the richer, nuttier, treacley flavours work well, especially if you’re using brandy butter. This Kopke Tawny is lovely and rich, with a velvety mouthfeel complimenting any cream.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 19.5%
Find here: £14.99

Madeira

Part of Madeira wine’s fundamental manufacturing is heat, giving tonnes of stewed fruits and burnt sugar notes, as well as delicious nutty flavours. I mean, the nose often smells of Christmas cake even! They also keep their acidity nicely, which helps to avoid everything becoming a bit weighed down and cloying. It isn’t as traditional as a glass of sherry but works just as well.  This Blandy’s number is full-on and fruity, but most decent sweet Maderia wines will do the job.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 19%
Find here: £12.99 (usually more!)

Muscat

Dessert wines with carrying hints of apricot or orange work nicely, playing into the festive fruits nicely. Spanish Moscatel de Valencia is a good option – it’s a honeyed wine that’s also fresh and fruity, with lofty florality. It also provides a bit of refreshment and tang if the richness is getting a bit much,

Size: 750ml
ABV: 15%
Find here: £7.99

These Christmas sweet treats are all similar in profile, but the same cannot be said for other desserts, where they may be sharp citrus, custard or other difficult to match flavours and textures. Luckily, we have a whole guide on what to drink with Classic British Puddings here!

The Best Port for a Port and Tonic

Haven’t you heard?! Port is trendy now. No longer just the fortified wine that you bring out while stuffed full on Christmas Day when you realise you seem to have drunk everything else. No, port is back in fashion. Heralded as a cost-efficient and adventurous alternative to a G&T, a port and tonic (or a P&T that is) is a drink that needs to be on your radar! 

What is a Port and Tonic?

It’s already extremely popular in Portugal, and depending on what type of port you go for, a P&T can be quite varied as a drink. It’s mainly white port that is put into a port and tonic, but we’ve decided to mix it up a bit and throw in some red ports too! We’ve recommended some tonics to go with the different ports, but remember that at the end of the day it’s always down to your personal preference.

Here are our favourite ports for a GREAT port and tonic:

Barros LBV 2015

Barros LBV is a ruby port in a  beautiful deep red colour, making for a very stylish drink. It’s very full-bodied and has flavours of ripe fruit and wild berries. The aromas are reminiscent of figs and plums, so you’ll find yourself feeling wonderfully indulgent with one of these in your hand. Try with Fever Tree Mediterranean to give a bitter edge to those rich fruits, and why not garnish with a few berries?

Size: 75cl
ABV: 20%
Find here: £17.83

Portal Fine White Port

White port makes for a more traditional G&T alternative than a red port, and not just because of its colour. White port has a more citrusy zing than a red port and is often less sweet. Portal Fine white port is quite floral and has notes of white peaches, so if you’re looking to be adventurous you could try an elderflower tonic alongside it.

Size: 75cl
ABV: 19%
Find here:£16.75

Kopke 10 Year Old White Port

This port is elegant and refined, with notes of dried fruit threatening to push it towards the flavour profile of a red port. That would make sense, as the white grapes are treated like red grapes in this port, having an extended maceration to increase the aging potential and giving it a stunning gold colour. The flavour is very complex, so much so that you may not even want to drink this port with tonic. If you do, use a light tonic so as to not overpower the flavours of spice, dried fruit and wood.

Size: 75cl
ABV: 20%
Find here: £29.99

Quinta Do Noval 10 Year Old Tawny Port

Another 10 year old port, this tawny port is wonderfully smooth on the tongue and its notes of figs, raisins and caramel are perfect for this time of year. As it’s aged, this is another port you should try on its own before slamming in the tonic water, just to experience that complex flavour profile. If you still want the tonic, we’d recommend a lighter one.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 19.5%
Find here: £22.20

Graham’s Blend No. 5 White Port

The crispness of this port is really what makes it shine in a port and tonic. The modern bottle design is something you don’t often see with ports, but perhaps it is a sign that port is now in! Graham’s Blend is definitely aimed at gin lovers and port sceptics, with its aromatic and fruity flavours reminiscent of a flavoured gin. This is a port that takes to tonic like a blanco tequila to a hen party, so get experimental with what you pair it with.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 19% 
Find here: £21.25

Not sure you fancy a port and tonic? Then how about having a read of The Best Gins For A Martini or The Best Vodkas For Espresso Martinis?

Thursday Club with talk RADIO: Classic Iberian Wines

This week on talkRADIO, we are continuing the Iberian theme for the summer as most of us can’t get out to Spain or Portugal. I’ve gone for three wines in very different styles that you may have heard of, but not be sure what they are. We have a white, a red and a dry sherry. Yes! It’s time to taste that again.

ILUSIONISTA, Verdejo, Rueda, Spain. 

Rueda is another Spanish wine region that favours white wine, and these whites are made with a grape called Verdejo. If you like a more tropical style of Sauvignon Blanc, you will love this. It’s aromatic, zesty and limey with notes of smoky passion fruit and guava. There’s a creaminess here too that makes it a great food pairing wine and as you’d expect, it loves Spanish cuisine. Try it with seafood, white meat, carpaccios, sushi and semi-cured cheeses.

Find it for £11.15 from Vinissimus here.

Tio Pepe Fino Sherry, Jerez, Spain.

Don’t run away! This is not the sweet stuff your nan drinks. Sherry is one of the most misunderstood wines in the whole world. I think it’s because the word itself sounds sweet! The truth is, classic, ‘proper’ sherry is dry. Bone dry. If you’re into salted almonds, twiglets and salty umami goodness, then you should give it a try, chilled in a small glass. It’s incredibly moreish and fantastic with salty snacks. Fino is made with a grape called Palomino fino, hence the name. It’s made as normal dry white wine, then fortified with grape spirit to around 15% and aged in barrels under a type of yeast bloom called ‘flor’. You could also switch thing up and try it in a ‘Tiojito’ instead of rum. So refreshing! Here’s more on Fino and the other style of Sherry here.

Find it for £10 from Sainsbury’s here and many other stores

Extra Special Douro Red, Portugal.

In the past when we thought about red wine from Portugal, it was all about Port: a fortified red. Nowadays however, Portugal is producing some fantastic DRY red wines that are totally unique to the country and provide fantastic value for money as they are less famous than others. The main red wine grape used to make quality red Port is Touriga Nacional and the Douro wine region is king for this. It often forms the backbone of the red wine blends (they’re usually always blended), with the rest being made up by several local red wine grapes. Always big and bold, think blackberry, prune, blackcurrant and cinnamon spice. Open it up early to give it some air and it would love some grilled meat or even dark chocolate.

Find it on offer for £4.88 (down from £6.50) at Asda here.

Wine Finished Whiskies: Where to Start

Words by Colin Hampden-White

We all know we love whisky, and today 90% of whisky is simply matured in an ex bourbon cask, and they are very nice. But there is a way to excite our palates even more. A small proportion of ex bourbon cask matured whisky is placed in a different type of cask, and these are mostly ex wine, port or sherry casks. This adds extra colour, complexity and flavour to the whisky. The amount of extra flavour depends on the quality of the cask and how long the whisky is left in the cask. The use of these casks at the end of a whiskies maturation, known as finishing, means there are a world of new flavours to experience and variations on our much loved favourites. These are a few of the best examples catering for all pockets, to start your wine finished whisky adventure.

Glen Moray port finish

One of the best value finished whiskies on the market, this Port cask finished whisky was introduced in 2014 and had been a firm favourite of ours. Initially matured in ex-bourbon casks, this whisky is then placed in tawny Port casks for the last eight months of its maturation to give huge amounts of extra flavour and complexity. With flavours of butterscotch, redcurrants, vanilla, raisins and a touch of cinnamon, this is a dram for those who want a big bang for their buck. Trust us, once you have tried this one, you will be going back for more.

 ABV: 40%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £26.95

Glenfiddich Grand Cru

The folks at Glenfiddich clearly enjoy exploring new cask types for their whisky. Whether it's peaty whisky in rum casks, or making good use of icewine casks, the distillery certainly has some experimental flair. And if experimental flair is what you're after, Glenfiddich Grand Cru 23 Year Old is the perfect thing. This single malt initially ages in American and European oak casks, before being moved over to rare French cuvée oak casks. The influence these casks have had on the whisky is fantastic, lifting the palate with notes of baked goods and fresh fruit.

ABV: 40%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £220

Glenmorangie lasanta

Glenmorangie are known for their expertise in finished expressions of their whisky. This is the 12 year old, sherry cask finished expression from Glenmorangie, called The Lasanta. It first matures in bourbon casks before being moved over to Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez sherry casks for a finishing period. It’s rich and creamy with dark chocolate, dried fruit and fresh honey. The effect of using Pedro Ximénez as well as Oloroso gives a sweetness to balance the spice. For those who like both, this whisky will be right up your street.

 ABV: 43%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £41.75

Glen Scotia 14 Year Old Tawny Port Finish - Campbeltown Malts Festival 2020

This is a limited run of high strength Glen Scotia. I tasted this at the on-line Summerton Whisky Festival and is a belter! The extra ABV is held in check by the rich berry fruit flavours imparted by the tawny port cask, and there is still plenty of the fruity and salty flavours typical of Glen Scotia. There is still enough sweetness given by the fist maturation in first fill ex-bourbon casks. For those who like their whisky big and strong, give this a go.

ABV: 52.8
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £74.95 

Spey Tenné port finish

The Spey Tenné is a single malt from the Speyside Distillery. Owned by Harvey's of Edinburgh, this distillery only started in 1990 and it is producing some incredible whisky. This one is initially aged in bourbon casks before enjoying a 6 month finishing period in Tawny Port casks, giving a subtle ruby hue and a vibrant, fruit-filled flavour profile. Being 46% and bottled in very smart packaging, this is a great whisky for a gift. Although if you taste this one, you won’t want to give it away.

ABV: 46%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £39.95 

Glenfiddich Winter Storm – Ice Wine Finish

A second whisky from Glenfiddch in the guide, the eagerly-awaited second batch of Glenfiddich's Winter Storm once again sees well-aged whisky from the legendary distillery. It is finished in casks that previously held Canadian icewine (made using grapes harvested while frozen, resulting in a powerfully sweet elixir). Released as part of the Glenfiddich Experimental Series, malt master Brian Kinsman believes that only older whiskies can stand up to the intense influence of icewine, which is why Winter Storm is built around 21 year old single malt. This is one, like the Glenfiddich Grand Cru, is for those who like older whiskies that also have a lovely fresh fruity core.

ABV: 43%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £199 

Hinch 10 sherry cask finish

A 10 year old whiskey from Hinch, which takes its name from the nearby town of Ballynahinch. The distillery is based just south of Belfast in the grounds of the Killaney Estate. The blend was initially matured in American oak before being treated to a six month finish in Oloroso sherry casks from Jerez. It's then bottled at 43% ABV, released as part of the Time Collection. Like most Irish whisky this is very smooth, but has a spicy edge to it because of the sherry cask influence, making this whiskey smooth yet characterful.   

ABV: 43%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £43.95

Balvenie 21 Port wood

One of my all-time favourite whiskies. This has all the fruity flavours one expects in Balvenie, and then a big rich dark fruit dollop given by the port casks. It is indulgent and hedonistic. An additional period of maturation in 30 year-old port pipes has given this aged Balvenie an extra level of depth and concentration of flavour, adding potent fruit and smoke notes to the silky-smooth full-bodied palate. Rich, indulgent, after-dinner Speyside at its best. For the epicureans out there, get stuck into a bit of this. 

ABV: 40%
Size: 700ml
Buy it now for £149.95