Guigal produce some of the finest wines of the appellation, with illustrious vineyards on precipitous hillsides, only workable by hand. This is a real charmer of a red, made with 96% Syrah and a splash of 4% Viognier to lift the delicate aromatics of the wine, it has layered complexity and round soft tannins with nuances of pepper spice, and bramble jelly on the palate.

It's spicy, red berries and delicate oak aromas on the nose are oh-so-Christmassy. This wine deserves centre stage and performs well with a supporting act of small game, red meat (roast beef) and cheese. If you can't bear to drink it just yet, this is one that has an ageing potential of up to 20 years.

For lovers of Sauvignon Blanc, Ladoucette Pouilly Fume 2008 this is a dream come true from the state-of-the-art winery at Chateau du Nozet. This is a Christmas cracker of a wine with a serious pedigree behind it, a wine that truly reflects the areas climate and soils. It is reputedly the preferred white wine of Napoleon and this one is from the most famous names in Pouilly-sur-Loire.

The Baron de Ladoucette and his family have been making outstanding wines in the Loire since 1787. To achieve the quality of this wine, the grapes are handpicked so that anything damaged or under ripe stays on the vine and what goes into this bottle are the finest of grapes.

This is wine has a considerable intensity on the nose, with an exceptional range of floral, exotic and citrus fruit aromas, with a mineral note of 'gun-smoke' (flint stone heated by the sun hence 'fume'). It has fruit roundness of pear, green apples and citrus and a pleasant lemony freshness and makes a beautiful accompaniment to white fish or shell-fish.

Kendall-Jackson Vintners Reserve Pinot Noir 2008 comes top of the Christmas tree when it comes to Californian winemaking. Pinot Noir has a reputation as a heart-breaker and only the most determined wine-makers succeed in producing a wine that expresses the delicacy of the variety and the sense of place from which it comes.

Jess Jackson is one of the most influential wine-producers in California and this is his signature range. Made entirely with estate grown grapes from Kendall-Jackson's premium coastal vineyards across California, each region adds a unique element to the wine - Monterey County for its strawberry jam and rose-petal character, Santa Barbara County adds pepper, cola and earthiness and Mendocino County for black cherry and currant.

This is a medium-bodied wine, with good freshness and liveliness, is exactly what you'd expect to taste in good Pinot Noir. A great choice if you are looking for a red wine to serve with turkey.

If Christmas could be bottled, Trapiche Malbec Single Vineyards Via Adolfo Ahumada 2007 would be the result. This wine, from Mendoza, Argentina, shows the rich diversity and potential of Malbec at high altitude.

Each year Trapiche select their top three growers of the vintage and honours them with a special bottling as part of their Malbec Single Vineyard range.

These wines have proven over the past years to be among the finest high-class Malbec. Trapiche credit these independent growers by putting their name on the label, this year Adolfo Ahumada had that honour. A deep, ruby coloured full-bodied wine with spicy aromas of incense and sandalwood. On the palate it features smoky berry fruit and hints of fruit cake with a toasty finish. This is best served with meats and hard cheese and is ready for drinking now through to 2022.

Wines like Hugel Late Harvest

Gewurztraminer 2003 only come along in the finest years and this one is the pride and joy of the Hugel family who pioneered the Late Harvest styles of wines they produce, gaining worldwide recognition for their quality. Wines must pass a blind taste test at least fifteen months after harvest to win the right to declare this classification on the label, and this one won hands down. This is a wine of extraordinary depth and concentration, which will develop in bottle for decades, and it is best saved for a special occasion. It has a luscious nose of orange blossom and jasmine with honey, lychee and mango notes. In the mouth it is suave and silky and utterly charming and makes a brilliant accompaniment to a myriad of Christmas deserts, blue cheeses or foie gras.

What better excuse than Christmas to try out five of the finest wines and turn your festivities into a 5 star event.

Guigal Cote Rotie Brune et Blonde 2006, available from Waitrose £ 38.99, Majestic £ 35

Ladoucette Pouilly Fume 2008, available from Majestic, £ 22

Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Pinot Noir 2008 rrp £ 15.99 available from everywine.co.uk, Bashall Barn, Morecombe Bay Wine and Spirits, Remarkable Wines, Hailsham Cellars

Trapiche Malbec Single Vineyard Vi?a Adolfo Ahumada 2007, rrp £ 26.99, available from Handfords, Humble grape, Wooden Wine box

Hugel Vendange Tardive Gewurztraminer 2003 - rrp: £ 31 from everywine.co.uk