Christmas party tips

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• Have some nibbles on hand

Slow down the intake of alcohol with some food. It may help you to avoid that morning-after wine headache and pacing the drinking will help your wallet.

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• Ditch the Champagne flutes

One of the latest wine trends, and it is even backed up by some science. Using white wine glasses allows the flavour and aroma of your Champagne or sparkling wine to escape more easily from the wider rim, enhancing both scent and taste.

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• Keep it simple

Stick to one wine of each type you intend to serve – e.g one red, one white, one sparkling. Don’t over-complicate the logistics for yourself and confuse guests when they come to ask for a top up!

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• You don’t need to push the boat out

Guests are usually happy just to be invited to your latest soirée. Rarely will they expect you to bring out the best wines, although they will assume they are at least drinkable.

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• Stick to the middle ground

A great rule for pleasing your guests is to avoid wines that stray too far either side of the ‘middle’ – look for wines that are pleasant and easy drinking without being too weird and wonderful (guaranteed to alienate your guests), too tannic, too rich, too acidic or too light.

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