Christmas Wine Gifts
Christmas wine gifting has its own logic — the season, the recipients, and the occasion all point toward specific styles. Here's how to navigate it without defaulting to the obvious.
· 6 min read
Key takeaways
- Christmas wine gifts cover three different needs: a bottle for the host of a dinner you're attending, a gift for a wine-loving friend or family member, and corporate gifting for professional contacts.
- For a Christmas dinner: something generous and food-friendly. The Rhône Valley (Châteauneuf-du-Pape or Gigondas), a Rioja Gran Reserva, or an aged Bordeaux all work well with the typical Christmas table.
- For a gift that says something: a Swiss wine (Petite Arvine, Cornalin, a top Chasselas) is genuinely distinctive — something the recipient won't have seen at the office party.
- Order early — specialist merchants sell out their best Champagnes and limited bottles in the first two weeks of December. Planning in November is not excessive.
Frequently asked questions
- What wine goes best with Christmas dinner?
- Depends on the main course. For roast beef: an aged Bordeaux Cru Bourgeois or a Rioja Gran Reserva. For goose or duck: a Pinot Noir from Burgundy or Alsace. For lamb: Northern Rhône Syrah or an aged Bordeaux. For a mixed Christmas table with multiple dishes: open both a quality white (for the starter and lighter dishes) and a generous red (for the main). Champagne for the aperitif, always.
- How many bottles should I have for Christmas dinner?
- Plan for half a bottle per person across the meal — more for a long table with multiple courses, less for a short family lunch. For 8 guests: 2 bottles of Champagne for the aperitif (or one magnum), 2 bottles of white for starter and fish, 3 bottles of red for the main, and one sweet wine or Port for dessert. Adjust based on how much your family drinks.
- What's a good Swiss Christmas wine gift?
- A small curated selection of Swiss wines: a Petite Arvine from the Valais, a Cornalin or Dôle for red, and a Swiss Crémant for the festive opener. Three bottles with a card explaining each one tells the complete Swiss wine story and gives the recipient something genuinely distinctive. Alternatively: a single very special Swiss bottle — Chappaz's Petite Arvine or a top Dezaley Chasselas — for a more focused and personal gift.
- When should I buy wine for Christmas gifts?
- By late November for specific bottles you know you want. The best Champagnes and limited-production wines sell out by mid-December at most quality merchants. If you want vintage or aged bottles: even earlier, since specialist inventory of older wines is finite and doesn't replenish. Planning in November rather than December almost always gives you better options and better availability.
Not sure which wine to pick? Tell our sommelier what you are eating or the occasion and we will find the right bottle — or browse the full sommelia.ch collection.