Christmas may be ‘the most wonderful’ time of year, but it can also be the most expensive once all the food and present shopping is done.
But that doesn’t mean friends and family can’t still be treated to a delicious wine on Christmas Day, an expert has revealed.
Speaking to FEMAIL, Master of Wine Andrew Caillard listed ten wines that perform well above their budget price tags of less than $10.
‘These wines are incredibly versatile because they are so easy and fun to drink, uncomplicated, fresh and delicious,’ Mr Caillard said.
Master of Wine Andrew Caillard (pictured) listed on Monday ten inexpensive wines that are sure to please guests at Christmas parties across Australia next week
He added: ‘They are all technically budget wines, however there are no intermediaries taking a cut along the way and so the customer is enjoying a huge advantage of a shorter distribution system and effectively paying less for more.’
Here, FEMAIL can reveal the wines that made Mr Caillard’s best value for money list ahead of Christmas.
1. CLEANSKIN NO 76 MARLBOUROUGH SAUVIGNON BLANC – $8.99
Plenty of bang for the buck can be achieved with this delightful bottle of white, Mr Caillard revealed.
His tasting notes included classic lemon curd, tropical fruit, grassy aromas and flavours with ‘generous weight and mineral cut’.
2. JP CHENET FRENCH SPARKLING BLANC DE BLANC NV – $9.99
Mr Caillard praised this bottle’s ‘generous style’, adding lemon curd aromas and a twist of yeasty complexity to his tasting notes.
‘[It is also] creamy and mouth-filling with volume, freshness and persistent bubbles,’ he said.
FEMAIL can reveal the wines that made Mr Caillard’s best value for money list ahead of Christmas. Pictured: Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc (left) and JP Chenet Sparkling (right)
3. MASCHIO PROSECCO DOC – $9.99
The only Prosecco to make it into the top ten, Mr Caillard said this bottle by Maschio is full of character and suited for all occasions.
He added: ‘Effervescent, bubbly joy in a bottle with lemon curd, grapefruit glacé aromas, sweet fruited flavours and superb mouth-filling fresh, smooth, and persistent bubbles.’
4. JP CHENET SAUVIGNON BLANC – $8.99
This bottle of the always popular Sauvignon blanc packs plenty of flavour punch with fruity notes.
Mr Caillard also labelled the bottle – which is the second in the top ten by JP Chenet – as ‘faultlessly made’, resulting in a fresh and beautifully aromatic drop.
5. MINCHINBURY BLUSH ROSE CUVEE NV – $8.99
Mr Caillard labelled this bottle as ‘uncomplicated’, but also delicious to drink.
He added: ‘A classic legacy brand with strong 19th century connections. Lovely fresh red fruits, creamy textures and fine long persistent bubbles.’
Mr Caillard labelled the Minchinbury blush rose as ‘uncomplicated’, but also delicious to drink
6. CLEANSKIN NO 52 CLARE VALLEY SHIRAZ – $8.99
This bottle of red stands out as the only Shiraz to make it into the top ten best value for money.
Mr Caillard calls it a wine that ‘transcends its price category’ with its combination of blackberry, dark plum fruits, supple textures and flavour length.
‘Ripe fruit, dense tannins, superb concentration and impact at the finish give this wine extra dimension and vigour,’ he added in his tasting notes.
7. PIERRE BREVIN ROSE – $9.99
‘Lovely light raspberry cassis fruits, supple textures, attractive mid-palate buoyancy and fine long fresh acidity,’ Mr Caillard said of the Pierre Brevin Rose.
‘Versatility and easy drinking are the hallmarks of this slightly off-dry style from the Loire Valley in France.’
‘Lovely light raspberry cassis fruits, supple textures, attractive mid-palate buoyancy and fine long fresh acidity,’ Mr Caillard said of the Pierre Brevin Rose (pictured)
8. FRONTERA PINOT NOIR – $8.95
Typically one of the most expensive types of wine, this bottle of Chilean pinot noir made its way into the list at the low price of $8.95.
Mr Caillard included fresh strawberry and red cherry, lacy textures and integrated acidity in his tasting notes.
He added: ‘A highly versatile wine with lovely varietal definition, supple textures and mineral freshness.’
Chilean pinot noir Frontera (left) and Maschio Prosecco (right) also made Mr Caillard’s list
9. BALLIAMO PINOT GRIGIO – $9.99
Mr Caillard said you simply cannot go wrong with a wine like this, labelling it as firmly ‘within the zeitgeist of our times’.
‘One of the most fashionable value wines in Australia – flavourful and frisky with brilliant pure fruit aromatics, attractive volume and mineral freshness,’ he said.
10. PAUL MAS CABERNET SAUVIGNON – $7.99
Labelled as ‘the middle-weight champion of the cabernet world’, this drop was lauded for its blackcurrant aromas and saturated flavours.
‘A diamond in the rough and tumble of the commercial wine world,’ Mr Caillard said.
Labelled as ‘the middle-weight champion of the cabernet world’, Paul Mas Cabernet Sauvignon (pictured) was lauded for its blackcurrant aromas and saturated flavours