Christmas is a lot of people’s favorite time of the year. With friends dropping in for drinks and dinner parties, catching up with our loved ones and raising a toast to the coming year. But hey, what is Christmas without wine?  

Whether you are planning for a casual affair with friends or daylong family-filled extravaganza, we’ve got you covered with the best wines from the christmas brunch straight to leftovers. Now the only question remains, what wine though? Do we go with a light and crisp white or a bolder, bigger red?  

Our judges have tasted their way through different types of wines and selected these 17 wines to serve on christmas that’ll please your holiday crowd. Even the grinch won’t be able to resist a glass of these! (Ranking in no particular order)

1. Descendants Leigeois Dupont Syrah 

The 2014 Descendants Leigeois Dupont Syrah by Hedges Family Estate has dark, gorgeous purple color. Intense dried blueberry cinnamon roll with a hint of maple bacon. Slight sweet vanilla with cloves, cinnamon and just a hint of smoked cedar. Cinnamon, blueberry and smoke on the palate that fills your mouth due to the lush texture of this wine. A nice tartness balances out the fullness and a slight taste of anise on the spicy and lush finish. A real treat, this Syrah has a pleasant richness, yet is also noticeably delicate and elegant. The wine won Red Wine of The Year, Wine of the Year, Wine of the Year By Country (United States) and Wine of the Year by Varietal (Syrah) 

2. Armand Riesling Kabinett 

The 2016 Armand Riesling Kabinett by Weingut Reichsrat von Buhl GmbH has an ABV of 8%, you can expect exotic notes with a spicy finish from this vintage. The sweetness is perfectly countered by the invigorating acidity.The wine won White Wine of The Year, White Wine of the Year BTG, Wine of the Year BTG, Wine of the Year By Country (Germany) and Wine of the Year by Varietal (Riesling) . 

3. Rose Et Or  

The 2018 Rose Et Or by Chateau Minuty is a Grenache Blanc varietal. The colour is pale with translucent reflections. On the nose you will get sharp notes of citrus fruit and white flowers. The palate is complex with an exceptional freshness and finesse offering notes of pink grapefruit and white peach. The wine won Rose Wine of the Year. 

4. Schlumberger Grüner Veltliner 

Schlumberger by Niche Import Co. has an expressively fruity aroma, it is deliciously dry, fresh, and spicy, with a lingering finish. It is peppered with subtle hints of apple, pear, ginger. The wine won Sparkling Wine of the Year.

5. Sonoma-Cutrer Russian River Valley, Pinot Noir 

Crafted from 100% Russian River Valley fruit you will find this Pinot to have incredible depth, with a concentration of red and dark fruits. The 2016 Sonoma-Cutrer by Brown Forman won Red Wine of the Year By The Glass and Wine of the Year By Varietal (Pinot Noir). 

6. Zonin Prosecco 

The Italian Sparkling wine- Zonin Prosecco by Zonin USA, Inc. Is made with 100% Glera grape and has a pale, straw yellow color with subtle green hues with rich mousse and persistent perlage. A sophisticated and elegant bouquet is enhanced by pleasing fruity notes. The palate is dry and pleasantly fruity with a fresh, aromatic note on the finish; reveals an abundance of almonds and hints of fresh citrus. The wine won Sparkling Wine of the Year By The Glass and Wine of the Year By Country (Italy). 

7. Burgans,  Albariño  

The 2018 Burgans by Bodegas Martín Códax is a bright greenish yellow color with golden highlights. A uniquely fruity aroma where the variety is clearly appreciated, highlighting hints of ripe apples, apricots, and peach aromas. In the mouth, it is rich, mellow and well-balanced. The aftertaste is fully rounded and off dry on the palate with juicy fruit flavors, clean acidity and a long, mineral-dominated finish. The wine won Spain’s Wine of The Year award. 

8. ZO Wines Zinfandel 

The 2017 Zinfandel by ZO wines is a garnet color wine. On the nose, you get the aromas of blurberry, pepper, fig with a hint of bay leaf. In the mouth, the bold entry reveals a gorgeous mid palate consisting of blueberry pie, dark chocolate and slight blackpepper hints. The moderate acidity carries through the entirety of the wine and finishes beautifully. The wine won Wine of the year by Varietal (Zinfandel).

9. The Winemaker, Cabernet Sauvignon 

The 2017 Winemaker by Loscano Vineyards is a complex, well-balanced wine in a deep red color, it delights the senses with fresh herbal aromas of tea leaves and snuff, excites the palate with notes of spice and plum jam, lingers with a gentle tannin pull, and finishes with hints of oak. The wine won Argentina’s Wine of the Year award. 

10. Mitchell McNicol, Riesling 

The 2008 Mitchell wines by Red Earth Wines has the bouquet which reveals toast and lemon curd, ginger and wet slate aromas, the palate is generous and sweet-fruited with vibrancy and complexity all playing key roles; long and luscious finish. The wine won Australia’s Wine of the Year award.  

11. Lot 631, Pinot Gris 

 The 2017 Lot 631 by Cameron Hughes Wine pours a beautiful pale yellow, with aromas of honey, almond, acacia flower, citrus zest and asian pear immediately out of the glass. A pleasant delineation on the palate introduces yellow apple, wet stones, and hints of melon with a clean finish that carries a kiss of spice. A classy, elegant white wine that will feature seamlessly at dinner tables and cocktail parties alike. The wine won Wine of the Year By Varietal (Pinot Gris).

12. 2018 te Pa Sauvignon Blanc 

2018 te Pā Sauvignon Blanc is te Pā Family Vineyards’ flagship wine. Grown from premium vineyards across the world-famous Marlborough region of New Zealand, it can be described as fruit-driven and expressive Sauvignon Blanc. The wine won New Zealand’s Wine of the Year. 

13. Bird in Hand Sauvignon Blanc 

The 2018 Sauvignon Blanc by Bird in Hand is an elegant wine which exhibits tropical fruit flavours like passionfruit, grapefruit etc. It has herbaceous, citrusy, fresh and intense palate with regional minerality and a creamy textured lively finish. The wine won Wine of the Year By Varietal (Sauvignon Blanc). 

14. VIK Milla Cala 

The 2014 VIK Milla Cala by Guarachi Wine Partners is a vibrant wine with aromas of red fruits (strawberry and raspberry), which blend perfectly with the notes given by the barrel. The attack is very fresh, silky and smooth, with elegant and round tannins that last.  It is friendly to the palate and at the same time round and satisfying, very accessible, with a beautiful structure, simultaneous to a complexity that expects to be explored.  It is a harmonious wine, with an elegant persistence, which shows balance between aromas, body and complexity. The wine won Chile’s Wine of The Year. 

15. Teachworth Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon 

The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon by Teachworht Napa Valley has beautiful depth of color and an almost lavender meets pomegranate hue. Abounding with the inkiness famous to the Napa Valley, the nose emanates dark, lifted aromatics of blackberry and tobacco. The Teachworth profile of plum, bramble berries, and a touch of gunpowder follows underneath. The wine won Wine of the Year By Varietal (Cabernet Sauvignon).  

16. Culinaria Chenin Blanc 

The 2017 Culinaria Chenin Blanc by Leopard’s leap Family Vineyards has a well-defined ripe fruit character, showing aromas of ripe white peach and melon. These aromas are supported by sweet-spice flavours and a vibrant acidity. Elegant oak nuances give this wine its structure and make it a unique food companion. The wine won South Africa’s Wine of the year. 

17. Elaine, Chardonnay 

The 2017 Elaine Chardonnay by Elaine Wines LLC is a elegant, Russian River Valley Chardonnay with notes of lemon, apple, pear and tangerine. The wine wone Wine of the year By Varietal (Chardonnay).