Two wines for the impecunious
You don't find many drinkable wines for under £3 - not by my definition of the word, at any rate - but here are two that should keep the credit card companies at bay until February. Sainsbury's Chilean Red (£2.83) is a grassy perfumed blend with a touch of tannic grip, while the Table Mountain Chenin Blanc (£2.99, Morrison's/Safeway) is a creamy, tropical fruity Cape white with a little bit of sweetness. Ideal for bulk buying.
A wine to get rid of lingering neighbours
There are plenty of candidates here, from Blossom Hill to almost anything produced in Eastern Europe, but the 2003 Barbadillo White (£2.99, Morrison's/Safeway), a spectacularly awful Palomino from the south of Spain, would clear a room faster than a cobra. Now you know why most Palomino is turned into sherry.
Two bargain bottles of champagne
Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without champagne. At least it wouldn't for me, which is why I like to have lots of the stuff to hand on the day. For a cheapie, Tesco's refreshing, all Chardonnay Blanc de Blancs (£16.99) is hard to beat for consistency and value for money. In a more complex style, the 1998 Jacquart (£29.99, or £19.99 if you buy three bottles, Majestic) is a forward, toasty vintage fizz with considerable length and complexity. Very attractive, especially at the three bottle price.
Two budget sparkling alternatives
New Zealand makes the best sparkling wines under £10 in my view, but if you don't want to spend that much, Cava can be a decent alternative. The 1999 Marqués de Monistrol Vintage Cava (£3.99 until 2 January, Co-op) is good enough to serve without orange juice. If you want to have a bit of fun, try the perfumed, bittersweet, vibrantly coloured 2002 Concerto Lambrusco Reggiano, Medici Ermete (£6.99, Booths), a damson and plum skin number that is robust enough to stand up to food.
Two great Christmas lunch whites
Some people regard white wines as something to rinse the palate with before they move on to some reds, but these two wines are worth a few minutes' pause. The 2002 Chateau des Eyssards, Cuvee Prestige, Bergerac (£6.99, Unwins) is a waxy, toasty, Semillon-based blend from south west France, while the 2003 Pewsey Vale Riesling, Eden Valley (£9.49, Thresher, Oddbins, Sainsbury's, Fortnum & Mason) is a class act from Australia. This minerally, beautifully defined cool climate Ries ling is a refreshing delight. It would also double as an aperitif if you don't like sparkling wines.
Two great Christmas lunch reds
You might as well serve something fairly serious with the turkey, the goose or the nut roast, because the chances are that you'll be sitting around the table for a while. The pure Sangiovese 2002 Villa Caffagio, Chianti Classico (£9.99, Marks & Spencer) is consistently one of my favourite Italian reds, a concentrated, modern style Chianti with notes of plums and raisins. If you're more of a Bordeaux drinker, the 2001 Cape Mentelle Cabernet/Merlot, Western Australia (£11.99, Majestic; buy two save £2) is one of the most under-valued fine wines in the world, an elegant, finely crafted Aussie red that's better than most clarets at the price.
Something sticky ...
Christmas is one of the few times during the year when I eat puddings (it's not that I don't like them, but they really pile on the pounds), but I'm happy to drink sweet wines all year round. Two of my current favourites are the honey and marmalade-like 2003 Maculan Dindarello, Veneto (£7.89, Oddbins) made entirely from the Muscat grape and Henriques & Henriques' 15-year-old Malmsey (£16.99 per 50cl, Waitrose), a rich, appealingly funky, sweet Madeira with characteristically pointed acidity and a finish that's longer than the director's cut of Apocalypse Now.
Something to drink before you fall asleep watching the Queen's speech
A glass or two of Asda's competitively priced 1997 LBV Port (£6.57) should set you snoring nicely by about 3pm. It's a punchy, fiery young red with just the right balance between vibrant fruit, tannins and fortifying spirit.
A Christmas gift for her ... and him
Berry Brothers is offering 1995 Berry's United Kingdom Cuvee Champagne and handmade Prestat truffles at £40 (plus £7.50 delivery) and a bottle of 1994 Smith Woodhouse Vintage Port and Paxton & Whitfield Stilton for £50 (plus £7.50 delivery). Call 0870 900 4300.
The best wine books of 2004
I greatly enjoyed Biodynamic Wines by Monty Waldin (£25, Mitchell Beazley), a scholarly, lucid, well-researched guide to this most baffling of subjects. In a lighter vein, Oz Clarke's Australian Wine Companion (£14.99, Webster's) is a colourful, up-to-date and characteristically enthusiastic guide to what's what and who's who down under.
The best wine guides of 2004
The Which? Wine Guide (£14.99, Penguin) is the most informed guide to the UK retail scene and has greatly benefited from a redesign. The 2005 Wine Report by Tom Stevenson et al (£9.99, Dorling Kindersley) is the second edition of a fascinating overview of the wine world, full of gossip, strong opinions and insider knowledge. In different ways, they are both indispensable.
An immediate candidate for the local Oxfam shop
Planet Wine by Stuart Pigott (£18.99, Mitchell Beazley) contains more cliches than a bad wedding speech. It's such a turkey that I was half tempted to stuff it with sage and onion. Great for insomniacs.
If you want to learn more about wine
Fed up with being patronised by sommeliers? Baffled by the wall of wine in your local supermarket? Then the best Christmas present you can receive is not a supermarket wine box but a wine course.
· Tim Atkin is running six-week Beginners' and Intermediate Courses in London, starting 24-25 January. Contact Karen Sykes on 0207 3 79 5088.
