At least winter is still upon us, with fresh snow falling everywhere (except at the Olympics in Vancouver). With this in mind it therefore does not seem quite so odd to still make mention of Christmas.

A friend of mine in New Zealand has just faxed me a copy of an article published in the January issue of Decanter magazine, which included their Christmas holiday wine recommendations! Yes, I am puzzled too, and I can only assume that the January issue would probably be released in December, as is often the way with magazines. Anyway, he has only just received his copy down in NZ….

In the Decanter article they recommended one wine for each of the twelve days of Christmas, and I am delighted to say that one of the selected wines was our very own Albariño – receiving four stars and 17.5 out of 20 (one of the highest of their Christmas choices). Their tasting note reads as follows:

“Delightful, fresh and vibrant, but invitingly smooth as well. There’s lot’s of interest here with fragrant apple blossom, green fruit, peel, juicy acidity, minerality and a great tangy finish”.

Perhaps this was their recommendation for Christmas 2010? Remember, only 260 shopping days left, so grab your Albariño now before the last minute rush!