Georgina Haughton, head of wine buying at Sainsbury’s, picks her favourite tipples for a cost-conscious Christmas
● TASTE THE DIFFERENCE LANGUEDOC 75CL, £8.50.
A hard-working, distinctive white that’s brimming with peach and lemon flavours.
A great all-rounder, but works very well with smoked meats.
● TASTE THE DIFFERENCE FAIRTRADE CABERNET MERLOT 75CL, £8.50.
A really luscious, intense red with ripe, juicy bramble and plum flavours. Perfect with a slow-roasted beef joint.
● TASTE THE DIFFERENCE CRÉMANT DE LOIRE 75CL, £11.50.
It wouldn’t be Christmas without some fizz, but there’s no need to bust your budget. Crémant de Loire is a great value sparkling wine, made in the same way as Champagne. A perfect fizz to get the party started!
● TASTE THE DIFFERENCE CHOCOLATE FLAVOURED MULLED WINE 75CL, £6.50.
Chocolate makes everything better, and this mulled wine is no different! A velvety red wine with rich chocolate notes, finished with festive spices and a hint of brandy.
● TORRES NATUREO DE-ALCOHOLISED MUSCAT 75CL, £6.
Soft and lightly effervescent with a citrusy finish. This is a great option for non-drinking guests, and particularly good with fish and seafood.
HOSTING FOR LESS
1 MAKE A FESTIVE MENU PLAN.
This will help you organise your shopping list so you don’t over-buy food. Leave two or three meals unplanned – that’s when you’ll be eating up leftovers.
2 TURN OUT THE LIGHTS.
Make a mental note to switch off any lights when you’re not in the room. It might be tempting to leave the Christmas tree lit up all day, but a hefty bill at the end of December might not be worth it.
3 FREE CHRISTMAS MAGIC.
Having young children to stay? Your time is the best gift you can give. Take an exciting night-time walk or drive to admire Christmas lights, snuggle up with a film, or host a festive bake-off. Dig out old board games, or challenge children to a game
