What We're Drinking This Christmas
With a little help from the talented buyers in our Wine & Spirits team, we've assembled a little list of just a few (but certainly not all) of the exceptional bottles we'll be opening this Christmas.
From reds and whites perfect for sipping with your centrepiece feast, to decadent creations sure to lift your Christmas spirits, discover a handpicked assortment of what we're drinking this festive season. So without further ado, let's set the first cork a-popping...
Fortnum’s Brut Réserve Champagne, Roederer, 12.5%
A toasty, rounded Champagne from one of the region’s greatest producers
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A pale light gold colour, on the nose this exceptional Champagne delivers a rich, subtle bouquet of orchard fruit and white flowers. Perfectly balanced, full-bodied and generous — with a refined, lip-puckering zing too — it's wonderful as an aperitif, and equally enjoyable with food; particularly your Christmas Goose, or your Boxing Day charcuterie board.
Fortnum’s Sauternes, Château Briatte, 13.5%
A famously versatile sweet wine from Bordeaux
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Hailing from the heart of the appellation in close proximity to Château d’Yquem, our Sauternes is an essential wine for your festive dining table. This delicately honeyed, golden nectar shows apricot fruit perfectly balanced by fresh and vibrant acidity, allowing it to compliment everything from Foie Royal to fruity baked desserts – as well as a cheese board.
Fortnum’s Saint-Véran, Joseph Drouhin, 13.5%
A superb unoaked Chardonnay from a legendary Burgundian family
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This crisp, pure white Burgundy delivers layers of subtle fruit peach and pear fruits with fresh almonds and honey. Wines of this style are perfect for enjoying alongside your centrepiece roast turkey or other poultry; the wonderful stone fruit notes and mineral acidity act as the perfect foil for white meats and roast vegetables, particularly when served with rich gravy and sweet sauces.
Fortnum’s Margaux, Cantenac Brown, 13.5%
A silky, opulent Bordeaux from one of the region’s rising stars
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Our Margaux is the second wine of Château Cantenac Brown, made from a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Warm, inviting aromas of black fruit, spice and flowers precede a silky, sensual palate of cassis and subtle vanilla. Typical of the character that makes Margaux so special, it's a perfect match to Christmas roast beef, and also pairs superbly well with other seasonal meats and game dishes.
Fortnum’s 12 Year Old Christmas Cream Sherry, Bodegas Tradicion, 18.5%
Our extraordinary tribute to the Cream Sherry of yesteryear
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Following the golden rule that one's dessert wine should always be sweeter than the dessert itself, we've married 70% dry nutty Oloroso with 30% of younger, sweetly aromatic Pedro Ximénez to create a rare and special blend which, quite unlike most Cream Sherry, is at least 12 years of age. Seductively silky in texture and overflowing with figs, oranges, dried fruits and roasted nuts, it's made for our famous mince pies, and is also delightful with paté, sweetbreads, and cake-type desserts.
Fortnum’s Christmas Pudding Madeira, Barbeito, 19.5%
Created especially to complement the rich flavours of our iconic Christmas Puddings
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A divine marriage of sweetness and freshness, this magnificent creation stands up to the rich flavours of our Christmas Puddings in a way that no other sweet wine can. Hailing from the famed isle of Madeira in the North Atlantic Ocean, it boasts a pleasingly zingy acidity and deliciously complex aromas and flavours of fig, walnuts, caramel and spice.
Fortnum’s Toasted Panettone & Saffron Liqueur, Reverend Hubert, 21.9%
An original creation inspired by the indulgence of toasted Panettone
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Superior quality Panettone is a well-established staple within Fortnum’s festive offering, and after so many years eating this iconic Italian favourite, we thought it was high time we re-imagined it in spirit form. A rich gold in colour, aromas of hot buttered toast and opulent saffron unfurl into a palate of candied orange and lemon, heady-sweet dough, and subtle saffron dryness. A sumptuous accompaniment to — what else? — Panettone, it's also a wonderful partner to fruity desserts, and your after-dinner coffee.
Fortnum’s Amalthea Dry Gin, 43%
The perfect dry gin for classic cocktails and Christmas G&Ts
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Proudly crafted at our Piccadilly store in Amalthea – the in-house hybrid copper still on our 3rd Floor – this fresh and bright London Dry is distilled with a rare British Apple Spirit and an array of traditional ingredients, alongside Fortnum’s Earl Grey Tea and Monarch Marmalade. Lovingly filled, sealed, and labelled by hand in-store by our dedicated distillery team, it's superb in a Dry Martini or served simply with a slice of orange and finest Indian Tonic water over ice.
Fortnum’s Vintage Port, 20%
A rich and silky cheeseboard must-have
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Promising sweet flavours of dark damson fruits, liquorice and spices, the vividly fresh and intense nose and deliciously spicy structure of this wonderful Port makes it an unbeatable cheese course partner. Produced especially for Fortnum’s by the one and only Dirk Niepoort — winner of the Decanter 'Hall of Fame; award in 2023 — this exceptional bottle is a delicious testament to Dirk's extraordinary skill, and an essential bottle for the season ahead.
Fortnum’s Grande Champagne Cognac Hors d’Age
A truly extraordinary after-dinner drop
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Exclusively hand-harvested, distilled and aged on the esteemed Frapin family-run estate, each sip of our Cognac Hors d’Age is rich with baked apple and orchard fruits, interwoven with complex smoky spices, vanilla, subtle caramel and hints of chocolate. Selected from the Frapin family's cellars, this patiently-crafted Cognac is a rare and delicious showstopper that's sure to elevate any after-dinner moment. Sip solo or pair it with petit fours, truffles or baked fruit desserts, and enjoy.
Fortnum’s Winter Sparkling Tea, 5%
A perfect partner to your personal favourite festive dessert
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Created with wintertime celebrations in mind, we've blended Oolong, Darjeeling, Jasmine, Silver Needle, two different organic chai teas, and a merry melange of warming spices to create this complex and moreish brew which, unlike our other Sparkling Teas, also has a slight alcoholic kick. Promising warming notes of homemade apple pie, lebkuchen and stollen, it's both a wonderful aperitif, and a natural companion to your sweet festive favourites.
Fortnum’s Christmas Ale
A sensational partner to seasonal savouries and festive nuts
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Made with six Kent-grown hops at the Westerham Brewery, our rich and malty Christmas Ale delivers sleighfuls of sweet caramel and roasted nut notes, and plenty of festive spirit too. Vegan-friendly, gluten-free, and packaged sustainably in 100% recyclable aluminium cans, it pairs perfectly with a variety of savoury delights, including our Cranberry Topped Pork Pie and our Christmas Scotch Eggs.
Inspiration
Our Cranberry Sausage Rolls Recipe
The Christmas Pudding Parade!