Tis the Season for Great Wine!
While the streets are aglitter with tinsel and lights, and roaming carollers spread Yuletide joy throughout the city, like many, I will have to wait until Christmas Day before ‘all is calm’ and ‘all is bright’. Christmas is almost upon us and while I am eagerly anticipating a beautiful day by the beach with my family, right now I am caught in the intense and demanding pre-Christmas tempest.
I can’t help but feel that the peace and joy of Christmas Day is amplified by the sudden cessation of the preceding frenzied chaos. After weeks of work parties, present buying, menu planning and shopping, everything stops. From speed to stillness, from clamour to calm; we can finally stop and relax (or collapse from exhaustion) and enjoy the fruits of our efforts. No wonder Christmas is our most celebrated day of the year.
Christmas is the perfect occasion to immerse yourself in the comfort of family and indulge in quality delicacies. It is tradition in our family to annually source our Christmas treats from smaller produce-specific concerns; ham from our butcher, a box of cherries from the grocer, cheese from Little Cheese Shop (see September’s blog) and of course, great wine from La Vigna.
Opening beautiful wines is a special part of Christmas Day and as one would expect, the selection usually falls to me; a responsibility I relish. I love that Christmas in Australia means a clear blue sky and soaring temperatures which inspire me to choose light, cool, refreshing bottles. Some of my Christmas lunch favourites include Prosecco a fresh, light, Italian bubbles and Beaujolais a delightfully vitalising light, French red. Fortified sweet wines are a perfect compliment to dessert; Moscato D’ asti with its fun delicate personality is a perfect choice. Alternatively, why not try a nip of sherry or port with dessert this year?
If you are looking for a special gift for a whisky lover the new Australian Starward, produced in Victoria is delightful; and if you really want to spoil someone, give them a bottle of twenty year old Australian St Agnes brandy. This luxurious nip stands up to the French Cognacs in every dimension and will be a well received treat. In fact the twenty year old St Agnes brandy is truly intriguing, you must try it. I am in the process of arranging a tasting for early next year, so stay tuned!
As 2015 accelerates towards its end, I would like to thank you for taking the time to peruse The Secret Cellar this year. I have enjoyed sharing my thoughts and experiences, and look forward to exploring more delicious varieties with you in 2016. For Christmas I wish you all good food, good company and great wine – enjoy!
The Secret Cellar $250 Christmas 2015 Mixed Dozen, pick up only
For this year’s Secret Cellar Christmas 2015 Mixed Dozen I have drawn upon my classic favourites and all the wines of 2015 which have excited me, ticked all my boxes or the wines I simply keep coming back to and recommending again and again…
* 1 bottle Rumball Sparkling Shiraz 750ml
* 1 bottle Rumball Sparkling Merlot 750ml
* 2 bottles San Martino Prosecco 750ml
* 2 bottles Domaine de Ponteveze Rose de Provence 750ml
* 2 bottles Donnafugata ‘La Fuga’ Chardonnay 750ml
* 2 bottles Cordula Mando 750ml
* 1 bottle Martinez Triplovo Marsala 750ml
* 1 bottle Laughing Jack Lily’s Cane Cut Semillon 500ml
You can order more than one mixed dozen, but the selection of wines is fixed as listed above. Order by opening the Wine order form below and once you have submitted your request, I’ll be in touch to arrange payment.
**Please pre order to ensure your Christmas dozen is ready for collection before the big day. Please note this offer is pick up from La Vigna only – delivery is not available**
