Time to start making your Christmas list

WE’RE mainly focusing on one particular retailer for this week’s highlighted wines, but let’s start with the exception — the Cono Sur Pinot Noir is widely available at independents as well as the big supermarkets.

It earns its place here in the run-up to Christmas as a single-bottle solution to the traditional main course of turkey and ham and all the trimmings — crisp, bright, fresh pinot noir.

The rest are all from Dunnes Stores which has just kicked off its latest price reduction cycle and today I’m highlighting some of the best wines among their current reductions. Bearing in mind some of the ‘destination’ wines that people will be thinking of for the festive dinner, I’m emphasising some of their excellent (and very good value) Bordeaux, along with a brilliant South African red and a shellfish-friendly reserve sauvignon blanc.