READY to get into the festive spirit and stock up on your Christmas drinks this weekend?
Make sure you read this first.
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We test and rate out of five the best bargain booze from the supermarkets, where there are some seriously good offers that will ensure a very merry time.
We also pair up the best alcoholic combos to go with your favourite foodie treats.
And the best part?
None of it will break the bank, so we can all raise a glass to that.
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BEST BARGAIN WINES
Sparkling White: Contevedo Cava Brut NV, £5.45, Aldi
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A SAVOURY style of sparkling wine, Cava is a fab fizz choice for food pairing and this one from Aldi is pretty decent for the excellent price.
The toasty, tinned pineapple notes sit well with most savoury snacks.
It is also a great choice for parties – and is less than £6.
Plus, you won’t feel too guilty about splashing some juice in there for cocktails, such as a mimosa, if that’s your preference.
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RATING: 3
Sparkling Pink: Tesco Finest Pink Prosecco, £8, Tesco
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FRUITY and frothy with notes of strawberry sprinkled with sugar and a moreish, mineral streak.
This is one of the better pink proseccos for the price.
Ideal as an aperitif on Christmas Day or to hand round to visitors.
Also marvellous with meaty snacks and pastry nibbles.
If you have a Clubcard, it goes down to £7.25, making it even better value.
RATING: 4
Lighter Red: Beaujolais-Villages, £5.99, Lidl
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LIGHT-BODIED, slightly perfumed red.
A great all-rounder to have on the festive table.
It won’t make you feel too groggy or put you into a Christmas Day fug as it is so light.
Made with the Gamay grape and hailing from just below the Burgundy region in France.
Think silky, spiced, wild strawberry and crunchy raspberry notes at a super-saver price.
RATING: 4
Heavier Red: Pierre Jaurant Bordeaux Rouge, £5.29, Aldi
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FOR a bolder red, the classic French region of Bordeaux is a great choice for the basket.
These wines are usually pricier but you can find the odd bargain that won’t cost the Earth, such as this juicy drop.
Made with Merlot and a splash of Cabernet, it’s all about darker red fruit and cedar, but light on its feet too, as you’d expect for the super- low price tag.
RATING: 4
Textured White: Marqués de los Zancos Rioja Blanco, £6, Tesco
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WHITE Rioja is not as well-known as its red cousin – but that means there are bargains to be had and this one is a cracker that’s perfect for Christmas.
Made with local Spanish white grapes such as Viura, and Garnacha blanca, it tends to be textured and a bit nutty with a slick of savoury lime.
A decent, versatile drop at a value price.
RATING: 4
Bold White: Porta 6 White Blend, £8.25, Sainsbury’s
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THE sister to a popular red version, this pretty Portuguese white wine looks as good on the outside as it tastes on the inside.
It is made using a blend of quirky local grapes that are hard to say but delicious to drink – and the end result is crisp and refreshing but balanced by a full-bodied palate with peachy notes.
A great crowd pleaser.
RATING: 5
Rosé: Vitis Nostra Pinot Noir Rosé, £6, Morrisons
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ROSE is not just for summer, it is also an excellent choice over the Christmas season and this one is a top pick.
A Pinot is always a posh choice and, as a result, it often comes with a price tag to match.
Not so with this ravishing rosé version from Morrisons, which is packed full of bright and tangy, red and pink fruit.
Even better when you buy six bottles as it is 25 per cent off, so worth stocking up on if pink is your drink.
RATING: 3
Sweet: Graham’s LBV Port, £10 (down from £14.50), Asda
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REMEMBER to get a drop of sweet vino in for enjoying over Christmas too.
A tate bottled vintage port from a famous name such as Graham’s should be much more expensive, as this genuine grab-it-while-you-can discount shows.
Full-bodied, sweet, boozy and concentrated, this is your classic, posh red port.
It could also be a great gift.
RATING: 5
Veuve Monsigny Brut NV, £14.99, Aldi
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BRILLIANT bargain bubbles that offer superb value for money.
You can tell it’s a Champagne clearly made with some aged ‘reserve’ wines, which give it a richer, more biscuity, vintage fizz feel, so it really does taste more expensive than it is.
A drink that for me defines the term “bang for buck”.
I’d choose this over Moët anytime.
RATING: 5
Champagne Montaudon, £14.99, Lidl
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LIGHTER and softer than some Champagnes, with nice notes of baked pear and apple.
Compared to others, it’s more like a decent crémant which is a slightly different style of French fizz.
But it is well made and very easy drinking.
And, at 15 quid a bottle, you really can’t complain.
It would make a mean Buck’s fizz.
RATING: 3
Gartissier Champagne, £15, Tesco
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TRULY lovely French fizz with very good body and beautiful classic brioche vibes.
It tastes a little savoury, with decent fruit notes, and the bottle looks good too.
Ideal for gifting before people realise how cheap it is.
Wrap up a few bottles of this froth for friends before they all cotton on to it.
RATING: 5
Pol Guyot Champagne Brut, £16, Sainsbury’s
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THIS is one for those who like their flute of fizz to be bone dry and mineral in style.
Crisp, lean and leafy, it is elegant with it and refined too, with lots of layers of flavour.
Far more austere than others but if that’s your bag, get it in your trolley quickly.
Can be enjoyed as an aperitif or at any time.
RATING: 3
Henri Cachet Champagne Brut, £15, Asda
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WITH its luxe looks, this bargain bottle of fizz from Asda certainly doesn’t look like it only cost fifteen quid a bottle
Soft and yeasty when you sip with notes of baked apple crumble and spice.
It is flavoursome and fruity with a crunchy, crisp acidity.
RATING: 4
Etienne Dumont Sainsbury’s £18.50 (25% off when you but 6, making it £14)
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My verdict on this fizz is that it’s ‘good enough’.
Damning with faint praise perhaps but it’s a fair assessment because although it tastes like Champagne, it’s just lacking a little pizazz.
It’s still extremely good value at half the price of a bottle of Moet.
RATING: 2
Champagne Charles Clement, Cuvée des Vignerons, £19
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FULLER-figured than most of the other value fizzes so when you pour and glug there’s a lot going on in the glass.
Think toasted hazelnuts and red apple with a crisp, almost salty core.
It taste great with some accompanying canapes.
RATING: 3
BEST TO DRINK WITH…
WM Morrison Palo Cortado, £6, down from £7.25, Morrisons
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Christmas pudding
THIS dessert needs something punchy with a similar, spirit-soaked fruit and orange peel vibe.
This sherry is crisp, dry and saline with aromas and flavours of nutty fudge, boozy raisins and candied peel.
The perfect pour for your annual pud.
Beware though, it is super moreish.
RATING: 4
Amarula Cream liqueur, £12.50, Tesco
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Christmas Cake
A CREAM liqueur like this sipper, with uniquely African ingredients, hits the spot perfectly with a slice of icing-topped fruit cake.
It is a little like Baileys but a bit fresher and with a pinch of caramel that ensures it is sweet enough to not get lost, and rich enough to flatter the fruitcake.
RATING: 2
Irresistible Tillington Dry Cider, 500ml, £2.60, Co-op
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Roast ham
WHETHER it’s for Boxing Day or a lighter Christmas Day lunch, a crisp cider is the order of the day for this salty joint.
Not too heavy or boozy, this Sussex tipple’s ripe apple flavours pair perfectly with pink pork.
Add a baguette, coleslaw and a wodge of camembert and you’ll be in ham heaven.
RATING: 3
Black Sheep Milk Stout, 500ml, £2, Tesco
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Mince pies
DON’T automatically reach for the wine when you are having a mouthful of mince pie.
A creamy milk stout, with its hint of malty chocolate, vanilla and coffee, has the flavour profile to stand up to the spiced mincemeat and is refreshing enough to cleanse the palate.
A top match.
RATING: 4
Specially Selected Sauternes, £7.49, down from £9.99, Aldi
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Cheese Board
THE idea that heavy, fortified red wine goes best with all types of cheese is not true.
Your best accompaniment is often a sweet white.
Sauternes is a luscious, honeyed and citrusy blend that loves anything salty, especially blue cheese.
Normally an expensive tipple so this from Aldi is a real steal.
RATING: 4
Italiano Lambrusco Rosso, £3.15, Tesco
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Pigs in blankets
IF your plan is to serve these as a festive canapé, then pair your piggies with a frothy, fruity red fizz.
Proper Lambrusco, with its vibrant, sweet red fruit and balsamic notes, is perfect with porky cold cuts and salty snacks.
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With a low ABV of 4.1 per cent, it won’t give you too much of a hangover.
RATING: 3
