Botrytised wines such as Sauternes, Tokaji and German beerenauslese and trockenbeerenauslese tend to have flavours of candied citrus fruit peel, peaches and pineapple, with notes of butterscotch, vanilla and sometimes coconut. We all know this traditional dessert can be incredibly sweet and already quite boozy on its own – especially if you’ve been feeding it with brandy – so a nice chilled glass of light-bodied Moscato is rather refreshing. Sparkling Moscato is a great all-rounder as it’s light enough for a morning toast, an ideal aperitif to accompany party snacks and sweet nibbles, and a thirst-quenching pairing for many popular puddings. These wines tend to work really well with fruit-based desserts (lemon tart is a wonderful combo) or comforting 'nursery' puddings such as bread and butter pudding or fruit crumble. If the wine still has a lot of sediment in it at the bottling stage you may find it can make an off flavour in your wine.

Any instances of goods being delivered below expectations, such as broken bottles, should be reported immediately on arrival but within 7 days, upon which we will issue a refund for the damaged bottles. It has a rich and syrupy mouthfeel, making it a more intense pairing with Christmas Pud, so you only want a very small amount in your glass. And of course there is always dessert wine like Sauternes which will pair well with most desserts and – perhaps more surprisingly – with blue cheeses like Roquefort (and with foie gras for those with a preference for more savoury dishes). Once your kitchen has filled with a Christmas aroma that will make you sing jingle bells, our the must into your sterilised fermentation bucket, top up with water to just over 2 gallons, and allow to cool before pitching in the yeast. Cold desserts might be best with chilled dessert wines, whereas warm or hot pudding can be served with room-temperature or slightly chilled wines.Please note that we are not IOSS registered due to the nature of our products (alcoholic beverages).

A key rule when pairing wine with specific tastes is to pair sweet wine with sweet food – but the rule only works if the intensity of sweetness in each component is equal. Try the Tenuta Olim Bauda Moscato d’Asti Centive, which also pairs very nicely with fudge, trifle (a simple, non-alcoholic one) and panettone.Due to their richness and dense body, these Christmas dessert wines are best enjoyed as an after-dinner tipple rather than before you sit down for a big meal. You may be surprised that white wines feature prominently in this section but white wine doesn’t have the tannins that clash with the saltiness of many cheeses. Nobody does it like the French when it comes to Sémillon-based dessert wines, so look to the subregions of Bordeaux – The Château du Seuil Cerons and Château Gravas Sauternes are both sensational options, and also match wonderfully with creamy desserts like crème brûlée, and apple tarts.