If we believe all the post-Christmas, pre-New Year lists of what’s-what for 2013 then January is set to be a very dull month indeed. According to most if you’re not detoxing then you’re skint, or worse still a lack of funds is forcing an unwanted detox upon you. Either way the predictions of a decrease in wine sales is set to continue throughout the year, with the exception of my place where the impending arrival of Baby-Bouquet means an increase in wine consumption is absolutely guaranteed!

In one such list of what’s-what for wine this year was the rise in popularity of the 50cl bottle. The perfect size to either curb your intake, stabilise the quality and price ratio of your favourite vin or simply to stop wastage. ………

I read in one of my cookery books this Christmas that to ensure a succulent and tasty bird you should spend as much money as you can afford on your turkey. So, as any rookie Christmas chef would do, I immediately popped down to the local butcher for advice and walked out with an order for a turkey that will feed twice as many guests as we’ve got coming. Don’t ask me how many kilos it is, this is a bird that should be weighed in Great British pounds!

If we took this tack with everything for our festive meal we’d be paying off each Christmas so far in arrears it’d make even the Greeks blush. So when it comes to the credit crunch where can we cut back but still balance that feeling of affordable luxury this Christmas? Wine is a good place to start. ………

It’s about now, when bank accounts are still healthy and the excitement of everything Christmassy is in full flow that hitting the streets to hunt out the perfect gift is still an enjoyable activity. It’s a time when any discerning Christmas shopper still has it in them to treat themselves as much as they will the people on their shopping list. For me that involves a dedicated rest time for tea, cake and very, very likely a glass of champagne. It’s Christmas after all!

Give it another few days however and turning on my laptop will be the only present buying option my sore feet and battling elbows will consider which is lucky because that gives you and me both just enough time to get down to Harvey Nichols for some Christmas shopping R&R.
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Pairing chocolate and wine is emerging as a party season favourite. Although we’re well past Chocolate week it’s a trend that that’s appeared partly thanks to the wine trade’s obsession with food as much as it is to do with our love for indulgence at this time of year.

Getting to grips with dry whites with fish and chunky reds with beef is elementary by most people’s standards but there is a fine line between loving the sound of two of our favourite festive groceries pairing perfectly in one sitting and actually achieving the balance perfectly in practice. Here are a couple of ideas to try to sweeten up your food and wine repertoire….

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You get told a lot of stuff from well wishers when you’re pregnant. I’ve perfected my nod-and-smile and chosen to ignore most of it (you’d go mad if you didn’t) but there are two reoccurring themes that have struck a chord:

1. A great big list of stuff I’m not allowed to eat and
2. An insistence to listen to your body

As I’ve been craving chocolate, and it’s not on the forbidden list of food, I’ve chosen to embrace both words of wisdom which is lucky because I’ve just been contacted by Hotel Chocolat with the chance to give away one of three very chocolately Advent Calendars!

With only one week to go until we start counting down the days to Christmas I’m pleased to be in a position that for once allows some guilt-free treats and a real reason to indulge in counting the extra calories…..!

If you’d like to win just be one of the first three to tell me what you’re craving for this Christmas in the comments section below! Competition closes at midday Tuesday 27th November, we want to have enough time to get the calendars out to you before December comes!!

(Competition open to UK residents only)

The inaugural  and sold out Mumsnet blogfest this month proved that blogs in general are building as much in the number of participants writing them as they are in spectators reading them. This is the same fortnight as the esteemed wine journalist and commentator Andrew Jefford announced that the “wine writer is dead.” ………