White

Exquisite Collection Limoux, Aldi (€9.99) Chardonnay hasn’t had the best reputation here in recent years. We’re big fans of sauvignon blanc and pinot grigio, but chardonnay doesn’t have quite the same popularity. Those 187ml bottles of plonk that sat in pubs across the country have a lot to answer for. However, a good chardonnay can be exquisite, and Aldi has a Limoux at the moment that will really impress.

Give it a swirl and you’ll get lovely toasty flavours with a hint of vanilla. It’s quite an unusual wine, because the area of Limoux in France is very far south. It’s got a hot climate so you would think big, chunky wines like merlot come from there. However, this is grown at high altitude and, as a result, it’s very similar to a white burgundy, without the price tag. A lovely accompaniment to your turkey dinner.

Alchimie, SuperValu (Was €14.99, now €10) Don’t know much about Alchimie? Well this is a sauvignon blanc you can really impress your friends with. Coteaux du Giennois isn’t a very well-known area. However, its neighbour, the region of Sancerre, is a big name that can demand big prices. As these regions have the same soil, their wines both deliver a similar stony minerality with citrus notes, meaning you get all the flavours of a sancerre wine without the price. If you’re preparing any fish dishes that will be covered in delicious squeezes of lemon and lime, then get this wine chilling in anticipation.

Silver Frond Malborough Sauvignon Blanc 2014, Marks & Spencer (€20.49) Those kiwis certainly have a hold over our Irish palates when it comes to sauvignon blanc. It’s a wine that is often on special offer around the €12 to €15 mark, but if you are looking to spend a little bit more for an excellent bottle for Christmas, then Marks & Spencer’s Silver Frond is a great option. The minute it hits your tongue, you get a burst of ripe gooseberry with fresh lime. It works well as an aperitif. If you’re planning a posh fish-and-chips dinner, pop open a bottle of this.

Chateau de Beauregard Pouilly Fuisse, Burgundy 2013, JM Wines (€28.95/ €26.06 bulk buy) JM Wines has warehouses in Dublin and Co Down and if you’re a big wine fan, they have some really special bottles that are hard to find anywhere else. We’ve selected this Pouilly Fuissé from Burgundy as a top find in their warehouse.

It’s quite an interesting taste, because you’ll find it’s very fresh and balanced but also has a creamy core and a honey finish. This is because half of the cuvée is fermented in oak barrels while the remainder is in stainless steel tanks under temperature control to maintain maximum freshness. This results in a fusion of flavours that really works. Pouilly-Fuissé is a great food match for scallops, grilled fish and poultry.

Listen to a discussion of these wines in our podcast below:

Red

Tesco Finest* Rioja (€12) If there is anything we’ve learned in recent years it’s that there are some very reputable, quality producers behind own-label brands, and this applies to wine as well as food.

Tesco Finest’s rioja is made by Baron de Ley, an award-winning winery in the heart of Rioja and was a silver winner at the International Wine Challenge. It’s carefully aged in fine oak barrels for 20 months, resulting in a rich, fruity flavour of red berry fruits with a layer of oak spice – the perfect flavours for Christmas that will pair beautifully with rich meaty stews or strongly flavoured dishes

Priorat Garnacha, Aldi (13.99) This Priorat was another fantastic find in Aldi. It’s part of their LOT range, where wineries produce small batches exclusively for Aldi, and when they are gone, they are gone. Priorat is quite a rare wine, grown in northern Spain. The region is quite close to Barcelona but, because of limitations in accessibility, it actually takes about three hours to get there.

This climate means it is a rich wine with flavours of mulberry and dark chocolate, perfect for Christmas but it doesn’t feel thick and heavy. In fact, you might say it’s a quite a posh wine so, at €13.99, it’s very good value. Just 36,000 bottles were produced for sale across all stores in the UK and Ireland, so if you’re a fan, you might want to stock up.

Ammasso, SuperValu (Was €18.99, now €15) The thing that makes this wine quite special is the process it goes through, called appassimento. The grapes are dried out, reducing the water content, concentrating the natural fruit sugars and, as a result, the flavours of the wine. Because of that, it is a great accompaniment with intense food flavours. So if you’re planning a bold beef pie, a casserole or rare meat with rich sauces, pop the cork off this Ammasso from Sicily. It also works well with hard cheese and dark chocolate.

Telegramme, Chateauneuf du Pape, Rhone 2012, JM Wines (€35.99 / €32.39 bulk buy)

Again, if you’re planning on spending a little more on a bottle of vino this Christmas, this Chateauneuf du Pape will really get the guests talking. This is an organically produced wine from the Vieux Telegraphe Brunier family (isn’t it nice to hear about the family behind a wine?).

If the whole ageing process of wine baffles you, this is all you need to know: 2012 is an excellent vintage and it’s drinking beautifully at the moment. It’s got a lovely deep red colour with raspberry and bitter cherry flavours, which get even better when the wine has been aired. It’s a really elegant Chateauneuf that is worth the extra few euros.

Bubbly

Tesco Finest* Bisol prosecco (€17.99, currently reduced to €15 until 1 December 2015) This International Wine Challenge bronze winner is a soft yet refreshingly crisp prosecco that pairs well with smoked salmon or served as an aperitif.

Graham Beck The Rhona Brut Rosé, Marks & Spencer (€22.50) Pretty in pink, savour this versatile fizz chilled either as an ideal aperitif or with dishes ranging from smoked salmon blinis with crème fraîche to berries with cream.

Billecart Salmon Brut Reserve Champagne, JM Wines (€42.95, Christmas offer) Brut Reserve is one of the most reliable and over-delivering (flavour-wise) treats on the shelf. Creamy, smooth, uplifting, you simply cannot go wrong with this spectacular champagne in your glass.