The pressure of getting things right at Christmas can feel overwhelming. From crumbled corks to finding the perfect gift for a self-confessed wine lover, the most wonderful time of year can feel very stressful. Who do you turn to? We’ve all been there – a quick google can answer even the most pressing questions. But this Christmas let Tanners sprinkle some festive magic and solve your seasonal wine dilemmas.

Food and Wine Dilemmas…

What wine pairs with Turkey? Which wine matches mince pies or chocolate? What are the best wines to serve on Christmas Day?

Read our festive food pairings here.

What wine pairs with cheese?

Explore our Christmas guide to Port here.

What do I need to make cocktails at Christmas?

Explore the range of spirits, liqueurs and more. Tanners has everything needed to make show-stopping cocktails and tipples.

I don’t have time to prepare Mulled Wine from scratch. What can I do instead? 

Pick up festive favourite Rotwild Glühwein. Filled with aromas and flavours of warm spices, it’s a go-to bottle at Christmas time.

Gift Dilemmas…

What are the best gifts under £50?

All in one place, explore the Tanner gift range under £50. There is something for everyone!

What’s an affordable sparkling wine?

 £30 or under Sparkling & Champagne

• Tanners Prosecco & Prosecco Truffles
• Tanners Extra Réserve, Brut Champagne
• Nyetimber Classic Cuvée, English Sparkling Wine

What do I buy a wine lover?

Buying wine for someone else can be tricky. Rather than choosing one bottle it may be best to opt for a mixed case. Shop Christmas Gifts at Tanners. These are ready-made gifts that will take the stress out of present buying.

Let’s not create a dilemma…

What do I need to remember for Christmas?

Christmas isn’t always mistletoe and wine, sometimes there are corked bottles, breakages and unexpected guests. So, it’s always best to have a few backup bottles of firm favourites on standby, just in case.

Explore our Tanners own label range or explore the Christmas trios, sixes and dozens for some crowd-pleasing treats.

The fridge is bursting and I need to chill wine, what do I do?

It’s winter, it’s probably cold. Stick any bottles needing a quick chill outside in the flowerpots for a little while to reach peak serving temperature. Or fill a bucket with cold water and put in some ice, give it 20 minutes or so and it’ll be ready to go. You could also give it a quick 15-minute blast in the freezer and be sure to wrap it in a damp tea towel to help concentrate the cooling process. Just don’t forget it in there!

There’s no room on the wine rack. Where shall I keep my wine?

Christmas at home can be nice and toasty from warm kitchens to open fires, but wine is incredibly sensitive to temperature change. So, if you have bottles that you’re keeping safe and sound, it’s important to store them in a neutral room where the temperature isn’t going to fluctuate too much.

See our full guide to serving temperatures here

I’ll have a full house, what wine shall I serve? 

A fussy guest can throw watertight planning and preparation out of the window. In this instance it’s best to pick up some easy-drinking winners – think Tanners Gascony and Tanners Merlot.

With a house full of friends and family, keeping glasses topped up is just one more thing for a busy host to remember. To save opening so many bottles and create a stunning centrepiece, why not opt for a magnum or bigger?

Whether you start Christmas morning in style and pop the cork of Tanners Extra Réserve, Brut Champagne – Magnum or need a stunning centrepiece for Christmas lunch, a magnum (or a methuselah) will be sure to wow your guests. Explore our range of magnums and larger bottles here.

What other bottles do I need?

With the festive meal over, it’s time to relax with a post-dinner tipple by the fire, a warming dram of whisky or a sumptuous glass of Port can round off a busy day of celebration and keep that Christmas spirit flowing.

Christmas cake in a bottle, the Tanners 14 Year Old Glenfarclas Highland Single Malt is bursting with flavours of soft baking spice and rich fruit. Or pick up a Tanners LBV Port that is not only delicious on its own but will make a great partner for chocolate and cheese too.

The technical dilemmas

What do I do when the cork splits or crumbles?

It happens to us all. A broken cork doesn’t necessarily mean the wine is faulty, but it is undoubtedly annoying! So, what to do? Either try again and pierce the cork with the corkscrew diagonally and pull. Or carefully push the split cork down into the wine and then filter it as you pour the wine to catch any broken pieces. If you don’t have a proper wine filter, then a coffee filter, a tea strainer or even a new pair of tights will do just as well. We would also recommend using a waiters friend style corkscrew.

Echoing the above, a crumbled cork doesn’t mean the wine is in poor condition, but if it’s an older wine then filtering and serving needs to be a gentle process.

How do I decant wine?

See our full guide to what, when and how to decant here.

How long will wine last once opened?

Raising a glass or two and celebrating the festive season doesn’t have to lead to any waste. Our top tip here is to keep it cool. A bottle of white or rosé can easily last two or three days if kept sealed in the fridge.  An open bottle of red can last two or three days too, if kept cool – don’t leave it next to the cooker. A good champagne stopper is a Christmas necessity. From bubbly Prosecco to vintage Champagne, using a stopper that hooks onto the lip of the bottle will keep the fizz stable for at least a couple of days (and no, contrary to popular opinion, a teaspoon in the top doesn’t do the trick!) An open bottle of sweet wine will keep for over a week as long as it’s in the fridge.

I’m serving different styles of wine; how do I serve them?

Explore our pragmatic guide to serving here.