Pete Stewart

We are incredibly lucky to have ready access to a mind-boggling selection of wines in every style imaginable and from all corners of the globe.

Alsace is a small, but perfectly formed region in France which borders Germany and traditionally has something of an identity crisis as to which flag it flies.

I love a big bowl of spicy chilli at this time of the year, especially if you have a full of character, full-bodied and full-on spicy red to go alongside.

If you’ve already managed all of your Christmas shopping , whether on the High Street or on Amazon Prime, then you definitely deserve a seasonal glass of mulled wine. If you’ve not started the shopping, I’d still recommend the mulled wine whilst compiling your list.

A tradition in France and Italy, of which I am fond, is that of the digestif. This can be a liqueur, an eaux de vie or a brandy and is taken after a large meal to aid digestion. This is in contrast to an aperitif which is enjoyed before the meal to stimulate the appetite. You can, of course, do both.

In Scotland we have never needed an excuse to celebrate or start a party. Every occasion is the perfect time to raise a glass or three. From Christenings to weddings to funerals we know how to have a good time. Hogmanay and Burns Night have a dedicated following, but what about St Andrew’s Day?

If you like a bit of game at this time of year, you have the perfect excuse to head to the Burgundy shelves of your local wine emporium.

Now that we’re into November, more and more people are turning to a wee glass of port to warm up at the end of the night. I love port, and I happily quaff it throughout the year, but as a nation we drink a lot more of it in the winter months. It has a way of warming the bones and fortifying the soul.

Nothing works so well to lift the mood as a chilled glass of your favourite Champagne. It always feels a wee bit decadent putting a bottle of Ruinart in the fridge outside of family birthdays and special anniversaries, but I think we all need a bit of decadence in our lives every once in a while.

Tahbilk is one of Australia’s oldest wineries, and they have the largest and oldest single holding of the grape variety Marsanne in the world. Established in 1860 in the Nagambie Lakes area of Central Victoria (120km north of Melbourne), the estate has a unique terroir that favours Rhone varieties in particular. It’s the red sandy loam soils with high levels of ferrous oxide that get a great minerality into the wine and a balancing acidity into your glass.