现已开放 | 伦敦当日送达及英国次日送达（礼品选项）
The best wines with Christmas pudding are sweet, rich and at least as sweet as the pudding itself: Pedro Ximénez sherry, Rutherglen Muscat, tawny port, sweet Madeira and Tokaji Aszú all work. Dry wines, including brut champagne, taste thin and sharp next to it. Serve a small glass, lightly chilled.
Christmas pudding is one of the densest, sweetest things on the British table. It is packed with raisins, currants, sultanas and candied peel, bound with suet and dark sugar, spiced with nutmeg and cinnamon, and usually soaked in brandy, stout or both. Then it is served with brandy butter, custard or cream.
That combination defeats most wines. The working rule for any dessert is simple: the wine should be at least as sweet as the food. When the food is sweeter, the wine loses its fruit and tastes sour and hollow. A dry red or a brut sparkling wine that was lovely with the turkey will taste noticeably worse with the pudding. It is not the wine's fault. It is simply in the wrong place.
So the shortlist is made up of properly sweet wines, and the best of them share the pudding's own flavours: dried fruit, caramel, nuts and spice.
| Wine | Where it comes from | Main grapes | Typical strength | Serve at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pedro Ximénez sherry | Jerez, Spain | Pedro Ximénez | 15–17% ABV | 12–14°C |
| Rutherglen Muscat | Victoria, Australia | Muscat à Petits Grains Rouge | About 17–18% ABV | 12–14°C |
| Tawny port (10 or 20 year old) | Douro, Portugal | Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz | About 20% ABV | 12–14°C |
| Malmsey Madeira | Madeira, Portugal | Malvasia | About 19% ABV | 12–14°C |
| Tokaji Aszú | Tokaj, Hungary | Furmint, Hárslevelű | About 11% ABV | 10–12°C |
| Sauternes | Bordeaux, France | Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadelle | About 13–14% ABV | 8–10°C |
| Demi-sec champagne | Champagne, France | Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Meunier | About 12% ABV | 6–8°C |
| Moscato d'Asti | Piedmont, Italy | Moscato Bianco | About 5% ABV | 6–8°C |
Pedro Ximénez, usually shortened to PX, is made from grapes dried in the sun until they are close to raisins. It must contain at least 212 grams of sugar per litre, and it tastes of raisins, figs and treacle. It is essentially Christmas pudding in liquid form, and it is the one wine that is never overpowered. Some people pour a spoonful over the pudding as well.
Rutherglen Muscat is a little brighter, with orange peel and toffee alongside the raisin. An aged tawny port is drier than either and brings walnut and caramel, which makes it the better choice if you find PX too much. Malmsey, the sweetest style of Madeira, has a sharp streak of acidity that cuts through suet and brandy butter very well.
If you want to understand the two classic Christmas fortified wines before choosing, our guide to port versus sherry at Christmas sets out the differences.
After a long lunch, not everyone wants something at 20% ABV. Tokaji Aszú, from Hungary, is the best of the unfortified options. An Aszú must have at least 120 grams of sugar per litre, yet its high natural acidity keeps it lively, and its flavours of apricot, marmalade and honey sit comfortably beside dried fruit and spice. It is usually sold in 50cl bottles.
Sauternes is the famous name, and it is a fine wine, but be realistic. Its delicate honeyed character can be flattened by a dark, boozy pudding with brandy butter. It does better with a lighter pudding served with cream or custard, or with the blue cheese that follows.
Moscato d'Asti is the lightest option of all: gently sparkling, grapey and low in alcohol. It will not match the pudding's weight, but it refreshes, and it suits a table that has had enough richness.
You can, but choose the right sweetness. Brut champagne has less than 12 grams of sugar per litre and will taste sharp against the pudding. Demi-sec has 32–50 grams per litre, which is enough to hold its own with a lighter pudding and custard, though not really with brandy butter. If the only bottle you have is brut, it is better opened before the meal, or saved for the toast, than poured with dessert. You can compare sweetness levels across our champagne collection.
Often, no. If there is already a tawny port, a cream sherry or a PX open for Christmas, it will do the job well, and buying a second sweet wine for one course is rarely necessary. Fortified wines also keep for weeks once opened, so nothing is wasted.
A dedicated dessert wine earns its place when you want something lighter than a fortified wine, when you are also serving a fruit tart or blue cheese, or when the bottle is a gift for the host. In those cases a half bottle or a 50cl bottle is usually enough. Our wine collection is the place to start.
Sweet wine is poured in small measures, typically 60–75ml, which is about half a normal glass of wine. A little goes a long way.
| Bottle size | 60ml glasses | 75ml glasses |
|---|---|---|
| 37.5cl half bottle | 6 | 5 |
| 50cl bottle | 8 | 6 |
| 75cl bottle | 12 | 10 |
For reference, a 75ml glass of an 11% ABV sweet wine is about 0.8 UK units, and a 60ml glass of 20% ABV port is 1.2 units.
Drinks House 247 delivers across Greater London 24/7, typically in 30–45 minutes, and next day to mainland UK when ordered by 4pm. There is no minimum order, and you can add a free personalised gift note if the bottle is for your host.
Yes, if it is sweet enough. Demi-sec champagne has 32–50 grams of sugar per litre and suits a lighter pudding with custard or cream. Brut champagne tastes sharp next to the pudding and is better served before the meal.
Both work. Pedro Ximénez sherry is sweeter and tastes of raisins and treacle, so it matches the pudding most closely. Aged tawny port is drier and nuttier. Use whichever is already open.
One 50cl bottle gives eight small glasses of 60ml, which is enough for one serving each. A 75cl bottle gives twelve glasses of 60ml if you expect people to want a second.
Yes, lightly. Serve unfortified sweet wines such as Tokaji and Sauternes at about 8–12°C, and fortified wines such as tawny port and Pedro Ximénez at about 12–14°C. Too cold and the flavour is muted.
18+ only. Challenge 25 applies. Please drink responsibly.
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香槟占我们订单的一半，凯歌香槟黄牌的订单量约为酩悦香槟的两倍半，每十单中就有一单是在午夜至凌晨6点之间下的。以下是伦敦全年配送订单所呈现的数据。
