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What to serve when

Country Life UK

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November 29, 2023

Village drinks? Teenage gatherings? Carol singers? Christmas and Boxing Day lunch? Wine savant Nicola Arcedeckne-Butler MW has a wine for every festive occasion

What to serve when

Carol singers

In our (quite remote, even for Hampshire) village, the carol singers are driven around by tractor between three houses at different points along the length of the village. When we host, we have a fizz from The Grange, as the vineyard is literally in the village and it would be heresy to do otherwise (01962 458069; www.thegrangewine.co.uk). Alongside this, we’ll have some tasty mulled wine (this is homemade, of course—there are no sachets here) for those who believe that drinks for carols have to feel Christmassy. The secret is to use a red with low tannin and lots of fruit and don’t go too cheap. Find something from southern France or Argentina at about £10 a bottle, if you don’t want to suffer the next day.

Village drinks party 

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