Forget the credit crunch and enjoy a festive feast with an extra touch of class. Christmas without fine wine would be unthinkable, so add these top five luxury wines to your shopping list and turn your festivities into a 5-star event

Step out with confidence this party season with the perfect ambassador; sleek, chic and enviably contemporary, let Champagne Thienot Brut NV assert your style, leaving you to sparkle as you lap up the compliments.

'Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home' - Edith Sitwell Make the most of the dark, cosy evenings. Light the fire, pour yourself a drink, and indulge in good old-fashioned home comforts, because staying in this winter doesn't mean missing out when you can enjoy one of these six specially selected winter wines.

Golf apparel and technical clothing label Scorpio Golf announced today they have formally signed LET player Elisabeth Esterl to wear their new ladies' range for 2009 / 2010. The 32 year-old Esterl from Dingolfing near Munich has been attached to the Emirates Golf Club since 2008.

Those looking for an excuse to dedicate time to their swing need look no further than the recently launched golf package at Aston Hotel Dumfries. Set in the heart of the Dumfries and Galloway region, this stylish hotel is in the perfect location to enjoy a golfing break. Furthermore, from April to October guests can enjoy a two night stay for the bargain price of 𧴯 per person, which will be sure to please every aspiring golfer.

Victoria, BC: As a follow-up to our recent feature on the 2006 Golf Destination of the Year, this is news of how a trip to British Columbia could be superb golf plus food and wine of your dreams - start packing your clubs and your taste buds for this Summer .... Coming soon to Bear Mountain Resort? is Howard Soon, master winemaker for the award-winning Okanagan winery, Sandhill. Taking place on Tuesday, March 13 at 6:30 p.m. at the Westin Bear Mountain Victoria Golf Resort & Spa, the evening kicks off with a winemaker's reception followed by a five- course dinner in the ballroom. Tickets are CAD $95 (USD $85*) per person, and can be reserved by calling 250-391-7160.

Acclaimed chef John Elliott has come a long way since he had to persuade his teachers in Southampton to let him study cookery. ıIt was called home economics in those days and only girls were allowed to do it,ıı said John, 39, who has been appointed head chef at the Macdonald Botley Park Hotel and Country Club with the aim of making the restaurant one of the best in Hampshire