I THOUGHT about introducing this seasonal selection of superlative ‘slurpables’ with a few lines from a Christmas song. All I could think of however, was Mistletoe And Wine by Sir Cliff, so I abandoned the idea hastily.

Then I thought of childhood Christmases during the early 1970s and how much I enjoyed being allowed a very small glass of wine with the turkey dinner, a special treat indeed.

These days, I am likely to be tempted by a glass or two with a meal at other times, for example any day that ends with the letter ‘Y’. But at this time of year the wines have to be extra special, like this lot, my 12 wines of Christmas.

Firstly, two whites to wow your guests if you are serving an aperitif...

M&S has a superb and classy Aussie white made from verdelho, a grape which is also commonly grown in Portugal and Madeira. Fox Hollow Verdelho 2007 (£9.99 at M&S) from the Hunter Valley, is elegant and crisp with stonefruit, melon, blossom, spice and just a hint of traditional lemonade.

South Africa’s Ken Forrester, nicknamed “Mr Chenin Blanc”, produces the explosively fruity Forrester’s Back Chenin Blanc 2007 for Oddbins and it’s far better than its £6.99 price tag suggests. Crisp and dry, it has honey and lemon on the nose, with lime, pineapple and pear on the palate.

The sociable among you will need a reasonably priced ‘house red’ too, something not too heavy, that will work on its own as well as with food. A modern Spanish wine such as Bodegas Muriel JME 2005, Rioja (£5.98 at Asda) is ideal. Full, spicy and brimming with raspberry, red apple, vanilla and clove, it is held together by a firm tannic backbone.

I always have to a have a good rosé on standby in the fridge. The pink stuff is really versatile, pairing with all manner of foodstuffs (such as cold turkey and cranberry) and it’s also good to drink on its own. Villa Maria Private Bin Rosé 2007 (£8.15 at Collingham Wines, Tesco, Thresher and Waitrose) is from New Zealand’s sunny Hawkes Bay region and has aromas that will remind you of the strawberry patch, with ripe raspberry, strawberry and blackcurrant flavours and a silky mouth feel. It’s a mainly merlot blend but with a number of other varietals playing their part too.

If fish is on the festive menu, then choose a riesling. A full, complex food-friendly one such as Concha y Toro Winemaker’s Lot 20 Riesling 2005 (£8.49 at Oddbins) from the up-and-coming Bio-Bio region in Chile. It’s a little similar in style to a rich Alsace riesling and because it’s already got a bit of age to it, the characteristic kerosene notes of the grape are present, with sweet and sour flavours of honey, apple, lemon pith, cinnamon and a good, zesty acidity.

There are two ‘go to’ wines to look for when serving roast beef or steak. Ones made from syrah/shiraz or, alternatively, the Argentinian signature grape Malbec. Since I had a whole piece dedicated to the wonderful syrah grape last week, I’ve opted for the later and Ben Marco Malbec 2006 (£11.99 at Majestic) from Mendoza, which is blended with a smidgen of bonarda. The result is a polished, balanced, concentrated wine with forward fruit, cherry, cassis and blackberry, spiced with clove, vanilla oak and a hint of perfume.

...But come to think, it would be remiss of me not to suggest a stonkingly good syrah as well. A syrah that doesn’t know if it’s French or Australian and is all the better for it. I think you will have to try it to see what I mean. Chapoutier Domaine Tournon Mount Benson Shiraz 2005 (under £15 at Cairns & Hickey, Leeds and Halifax Wine Company) is from a 50-hectare domain in South Australia belonging to the renowned Rhône winemaker, Michel Chapoutier. It is elegant and complex, with ripe blueberry and cassis fruit, hot black pepper and mustard notes, beautifully soft tannins and balanced oak.

Some say pinot noir grown in the Central Otago region of New Zealand can compete with the great reds of Burgundy. They certainly can at the £15 mark, Earth’s End Pinot Noir 2006 (£14.99 at M&S) is quality drinking with velvety textured, bright, cherry and raspberry fruit, a waft of perfume, warming spices and some discreet toasted oak notes. It also happens to be the perfect wine to serve with the traditional turkey roast.

That is unless you would rather have a white wine accompaniment, in which case a serious chardonnay is in order. Sonoma-Cutrer Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2006 (£14.99 or buy two save £10 at Majestic) is rich and buttery in the mouth, with good acidity, flavours of lemon, melon, some ginger and vanilla notes and a long finish. The oak influence is subtle and doesn’t overpower the sunny Californian chardonnay fruit, which is just how it should be.

Sweet wines are the great way to end a festive feast and in my opinion, are all too often overlooked. I love German stickies, Darting Estate Scheurebe Beerenauslese 2005 50cl (£13.99 at M&S) from the Pfalz region is delicious and would be perfect with fruit salad, or on its own. Made from scheurebe, a crossing of riesling and sylvaner, it has peachy, grapefruit aromas and tangy, fresh, honey and citrus flavours.

If you want a wine seemingly made to go with chocolate desserts, then try Domaine Pouderoux Vendange Mise Tardive 2005, Maury 50cl (£9.50 at Waitrose). This sweet red, made from old vine grenache noir grapes, is from the Maury appellation in the Roussillon region of southern France. It is jam-packed with blueberry, cassis, plum, vanilla and chocolate flavours, held together by round tannins. Give it a little chill in the fridge before serving, around an hour should do it.

Credit crunch or not, this is the season to push the boat out for a bottle of port, such as the newly released Taylor’s Quinta de Vargellas 2001 Vintage (around £22 at Tesco, Waitrose, Oddbins and Majestic). It’s a silky textured, mouthful of fruitcake spices, cherry, plum, chocolate and vanilla, which is as near as you’ll get to the essence of Christmas in a bottle.

All the best and cheers!