When he was in the White House, Richard Nixon used to drink a lot of Château Margaux. Quite right, too, you're probably thinking. If you were President of the United States, you'd need the occasional bottle of first-growth claret to take your mind off more important matters - like Vietnam, China and Watergate break-ins. But, true to type, Tricky Dicky served his Château Margaux in an underhand way. At official dinners, the red wines were served blind from decanters. For his amusement, Nixon drank his favourite Bordeaux, but served his guests a lesser California Cabernet Sauvignon.
I'm not suggesting you do the same to your friends and family this year (mine would thump me with a double magnum if they found me serving them sub-standard booze), but you might want to 'prioritise your drinking', as an American friend of mine likes to put it. No point in serving the neighbours your last bottle of La Tâche if they'd be perfectly happy with Kumala Zenith. You should open your best bottles only for people who will appreciate them.
With that in mind, I've come up with a two-pronged approach to Christmas wine-buying.
The first prong is made up of a dozen £20-plus bottles with which to treat yourself and the wine lovers in your life (or give as presents if you're feeling generous). I've majored on classic, mostly French regions and wine styles here.
The second prong is good party wines, none of them costing more than £6 and most of them considerably less. I've made a broader choice here, but have slanted it towards quaffable, crowd-pleasing wines. If you've got some left over after you've toasted the House of Windsor (or not, in my case), you could always use the latter for a New Year's Eve bash. And whatever you drink, be it Château Margaux or Château Hornsby, may I wish you an enjoyable Christmas and New Year.
12 wines that make great gifts: from £20 to £50
White, 2004 Meursault, Cave de la Colombe
£20, Marks & Spencer
Sourced from 40-year-old vines, this is a multi-layered white Burgundy that's tighter and more focused than some Meursaults. A delicious Chardonnay with notes of vanilla and lemon zest.
Red, 1999 Château Cantemerle, Haut-Médoc
£22.49, selected branches of Oddbins
This supple, silky Bordeaux red is the perfect sub-£25 claret for Christmas lunch. At seven years old, it is at its peak right now, showing fruitcake and cassis notes and sweet tannins.
Red, 2003 Château Pichon-Lalande, Réserve de la Comtesse, Pauillac
£21.99, Tesco
If you want something from Bordeaux with a bit more structure (and that will age for a few more years), this is just the ticket.
Red, 2003 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Domaine Charvin
£21.55, Vine Trail, 0117 921 1770
Domaine Charvin may not be one of the famous names in Châteauneuf, but it should be. This is a rich, spicy, wine but it's not a brute by any means.
Champagne, Taittinger Prélude Grands Crus Non Vintage
£24.99 each for three, Majestic; £34.99, Tesco
I've already snapped up a case of this remarkable champagne, made from equal amounts of Pinot Noir/Chardonnay sourced from four Grand Cru sites.
Red, 2000 Peter Lehmann Stonewell Barossa Shiraz
Vin de Van, 01233 758727; Noel Young, 01223 844744; Jeroboams, 020 7259 6716
I can't remember the last time I had a bad wine from Lehmann. Their top Shiraz is a belter, with powerful flavours of mint, coconut, liquorice and black fruits.
Sweet white, 2000 Vin de Constance, Constantia, 50cl
£27.50, Swig, 020 8995 7060
Made at one of the oldest wineries in the New World, this is my favourite Southern Hemisphere sticky, with sweet, fresh grape and marmalade flavours and perky acidity.
Red, 2001 Barbaresco Serraboella, Cigliuti
£26.90, Upton Wines, 01684 592668; £28, Green & Blue, 020 8693 9250
This ripe, perfumed, beautifully proportioned Nebbiolo is just getting into its stride, with firm tannins balanced by savoury red cherry and damson fruit.
White, 2004 Chablis Grand Cru, Les Preuses, William Fèvre
£30, Majestic Fine Wine
William Fèvre wines have doubled in quality in the past five years. This minerally, refreshing Chardonnay is about as good as Chablis gets. One to put away in the cellar.
Port, 1996 Quinta do Vesuvio
£35, Berry Brothers & Rudd, 0870 900 4300
There are cheaper single quinta ports on the market at the moment, but this is the one to buy. It's fiery, sweet and peppery with masses of fruit and dark, brooding concentration.
Red, 2002 Beaune Premier Cru, Clos des Mouches, Joseph Drouhin
£35, Waitrose
You can sense the feminine touch of winemaker Laurence Jobard in this supple, ultra-refined red Burgundy. It would turn anyone into a Pinot-phile.
Champagne, 1998 Billecart Salmon, Cuvée Nicolas Francois Billecart
£41.66 each for six bottles, Oddbins or £49.99 per bottle
The best I've had yet from this exemplary Champagne house. Fresh and youthful, but shows remarkable depth and complexity. Treat yourself.
...and 12 of the best gluggers to give your guests at parties: all under £6
Red, 2006 Viña Ulmo Cabernet Sauvignon, Central Valley
£3.59, Marks & Spencer
The kind of wine that's a gift in a blind tasting, this unoaked, mint and blackcurrant-pastille-like Chilean Cabernet could only come from this part of the world.
Red, 2005 Sainsbury's Australian Cabernet/Shiraz
£3.99
If you like the full-on flavours of Australian reds, this is just the ticket. It's got soft tannins, a patina of sweet oak and plenty of sunshine-filled plum, cassis and strawberry fruit. Scores high on the gluggability rating.
Sparkling white, 2001 Marqués de Monistrol Vintage Cava
£3.99, Co-op, until 31 December
Even at its normal full price, this Spanish fizz is good value. But at £3.99, it's by far the best-value sparkler in the country.
White, 2005 Terra de Lobos Ferñao Pires/Chardonnay, Ribatejo
£4.79, Waitrose
It's a clever idea to combine the relatively unknown Fernao Pires with Chardonnay - both for flavour and accessibility. This complex white is a great advert for Portugal.
White, 2006 Spier Discover Sauvignon Blanc, Western Cape
£4.99, Tesco
South African Sauvignon Blanc is mounting a challenge to New Zealand and the Loire Valley, especially at prices like this. It's nettley and slightly sweet with bright gooseberry fruit.
Red, 2004 Porta Selection Pinot Noir, Bio Bio Valley
£5.33 each for three, Threshers; Wine Rack
You'd be a mug not to go for the three-for-two option at Threshers - it brings the price down substantially on this minty, fleshy, attractively concentrated Pinot Noir from Chile.
Red, 2005 Mas des Brousses, Chasseur des Brousses, Vin de Pays
£5.95, Stone, Vine & Sun, 01962 712351
I could drink this by the magnum. This southern French blend of Grenache, Merlot and Cinsault is perfumed with a hint of Mediterranean spice.
White, 2005 Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Mâcon Villages
£5.99
One of a number of excellent TTD wines at Sainsbury's, this is almost a New World-like Chardonnay from the southern end of Burgundy with ripe peach and pineapple flavours.
Red, 2005 Morgon, Château de Pizay
£5.99 each for two bottles, Majestic
Is Beaujolais making a comeback? By that I mean the serious stuff, rather than inconsequential Nouveau. This densely flavoured Gamay will develop interestingly over the next five years.
White, 2005 Pirineos Mesache Blanco, Somontano
£5.99, Oddbins
The mountainous region of Somontano is producing some of Spain's best whites. This elegantly defined, unoaked blend of Chardonnay, Macabeo and Gewurztraminer is a great aperitif.
Red, 2005 Finca Flichman Malbec Oak Aged Reserva, Mendoza
£5.99, Waitrose
If Argentina can make reds like this on a consistent basis under £6 then it'll be a match for any New World country. This is smoky and violet-scented with a lovely depth of sweet blackberry fruit.
Sparkling Ros&eactue; Lindauer Rosé, Montana
£5.99 each for three, Threshers; Wine Rack
At the three-for-two price, this Kiwi sparkler is perfect party fizz material, with an attractive pale pink colour, a lively mouth-filling mousse and notes of strawberry and redcurrant.
