With less than a month to go before the festive season is upon us, now is the perfect time to reflect on last year’s festivities and, particularly, the drinks.

Start right back at Christmas day and try to remember what red and white you drank with your culinary creations.

After the pre-dinner festive fizz and party pourers, these two essential wines can either float the day along nicely or, literally, sink the bird!

Yet they are usually left to last-minute panic buying because there is so much else to think about and do.

To allow you more time to make that all important choice this year, we get off the blocks early — sampling some of the options on offer around the area .

We asked each of our Pour & Explore participants to select their choice for Christmas dinner and even beyond.

We ended up with a broad price spectrum - from £4.99 to £14.99 - offering a quality as high as I can remember at this time that should suit every pocket.

Their choices below offer an assortment of successful food partnerships, which is the other important consideration when choosing what fills your glass for the biggest meal of the year.

So, sit back and permit those unsung heroes who order and stock our local booze shelves to help you find the answer to those two very important festive questions - what white and red for Christmas dinner?

Remember, quality and value for money mean more than names or labels.

l Each wine has been individually rated of out five for quality and Value For Money (VFM) rather than against the other wines as, on this occasion, they are not all like for like varietals or styles.

Plato Harrison – Laurence ‘Lorenzo’ Grubb.

Plato Harrison Firestick Chardonnay 2001, 13%, £6.99.

Australia – Adelaide.

Gentle floral and melon fragrances are backed by refreshing lemon aromas that open with some elegance on the palate showing flavours of soft melon and a mild vanilla wood before hints of richer tropical fruits towards a long finish with just a tingle of ginger spice.

Excellent VFM. This will really grace the dinner table for not a lot of money — allowing you to spend on such special eats such as oysters or lobster salad.

Rating: 5/5.

Plato Harrison McGuigan Genus 4 ‘Old Vine’ Shiraz 2000, 13.5%, £9.99.

Australia – Hunter Valley.

‘Meaty’ aromas of plum with spiced wood and minty scents deliver dense plum fruit flavours and festive-spiced wood backing with a great intensity and length.

Classic Oz shiraz that will go equally as well with your goose, duck or turkey.

Rating: 5/5.

Marks & Spencer - Suzanne Graveson.

Marks & Spencer Albariño 2002, 12%, £7.99.

Spain – Rias Baixas Fragrant whiffs of apricot kernel and nut with fresh breezy lemon scents open on the palate with true fresh lemon zestiness before finishing with mild apricot and waxy nut flavours.

This is simply beautifully balanced and extremely fresh with deeper fruit and nut aromas and flavours. Superb Christmas seafood starter partner or more elegant nibbles such as ‘Angels on Horseback’.

Rating: 5/5.

Marks & Spencer Barolo 1999, 13.5%, £14.99.

Italy – Piedmont Classic violet whiffs are joined by spiced raisin and cherry scents that offer their deeper fruit flavours before some sturdy tannins lead the way to a long and returning violet tinged finish.

If you’ve ever had Barolo and hare or rabbit then you’ve had one of those ‘moments’ in your life. It’s a wonderful combination and this Barolo will certainly play its part in an alternative Christmas feast. However, it’s also delicious with simple chunks of fresh Parmesan and a good bread.

Rating: 4/5.

- Barolo requires more attention than your average red wine needing opening or breathing time to perform at its best. Open for a good couple of hours or, better still, decant into a jug with a larger opening for about one hour to allow air in to ‘soften’ the wine.

Windermere Wine Stores - Mike Neal or Joanne Harris.

Windermere Wine Stores Parxet Cuvée 21 Cava Brut, 11.5%, £6.99.

Spain – Catalan.

Lively pineapple chunk aromas tantalise before bursting onto the palate with even more appetising sweet and sour pineapple flavours and a gently drying but still fruit-filled finish.

Totally different and totally delicious. An unexpected gem that will add a sparkle to any Christmas Day.

Rating: 5/5.

Windermere Wine Stores Houghton Cabernet-Shiraz-Merlot 2000, 13.5%, £6.95.

Australia - Western Australia Sheer concentration of aromas develop from initial vegetal whiffs that lay the way for oaky-spiced deep blackcurrant and plum aromas eager to show off their soft rounded fruit flavours in harmony with gentle sweet vanilla oak and maturing sweet-spiced tannins.

A lovely soft blend of three generally dominant grapes that is right on its game now (excuse the pun) and definitely roast partridge and pheasant friendly.

Rating: 5/5.

Morrisons - Jonathan Todd.

Morrisons Colombard-Sauvignon Vin de Pays (3 litre box), 11.5%, £10.99.

France – Vin de Pays des Côtes de Gascogne.

Light and fruity aromas of soft gooseberry with a whiff of crème fraiche deliver zippy flavours of light gooseberry and lemon before a crisp and dry, slightly minerally finish.

If you’re having a crowd around look no further for a crisp and dry party white — there’s enough fruit and acidity here to handle all those fat-loaded nibbles.

Rating: 3/5.

Morrisons Tumara Pinotage 2001, 12.5%, £7.29.

South Africa – Stellenbosch Scented sweet vanilla wood carries plum and cherry aromas with a whiff of smoky coffee delivers deep spiced plum flavours before a structured tannin and fresh skin finish.

A real vinous victory with venison. This has got the power, the fruit, the depth and structure to cut through all those thick gamy flavours — delicious. An excellent example of Pinotage that also needs a little breathing. (see note after M&S Barolo)

Rating: 5/5.

Booths - John Walker.

Booths Tokay Pinot Gris Grand Cru Hengst 2000, 14%, £8.99.

France – Alsace.

Rich, perfumed whiffs of fresh fig, walnut and honey unfold easily to a citrus honey flavoured mouthful with soft orange touches and mildly spiced finish.

A delectable and delicious big drop of wine that has superb richness while retaining the clean freshness to match even the driest of turkey breast meat. Also an excellent partner with any left-over turkey dishes on Boxing Day.

Rating: 4/5.

Booths Cotes du Rhône Guigal 2000, 13%, £5.99 (down from £7.99 until 1/1/04).

France – Rhône Valley.

Deep ripe raspberry aromas and peppery spice scents deliver a smooth rounded mouthful of robust earthy raspberry flavours, firm tannins and classic peppery finale.

Guigal Cotes du Rhône is fast becoming a tradition at Christmas dinner. Bring on the turkey and all the trimmings.

Rating: 5/5.

Cumbrian Co-op - Gail Smith.

Co-op Explorers Chardonnay Reserve 2000, 13.5%, £7.99.

New Zealand – Marlborough/Nelson.

Initial yea sty whiffs can’t hide deeper ripe peach and pear scented oaky aromas which offer an even richer juicy peach and nectarine fruit backed by sweet vanilla oak to much needed fresher acidity on the finish.

A real big mouthful still showing some fresh acidity. If you like oaky fruit flavours then this is for you. A big new world style to match Thai or other oriental dishes.

Rating: 3/5.

Co-op Reynolds ‘The Jezebel’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2000, 13.5%, £9.99.

Australia – New South Wales/Orange Soft and gentle blackcurrant aromas with hints of chocolate and mint remain constant before releasing a concentrated cassis fruit and refreshing acidity that winds its way to fine tannins on the finish with more hints of chocolate.

A gentle and seductive giant with a beautiful balance of fruit, tannin and spice. This truly ‘relaxed’ wine is the one for the goose.

Rating: 5/5.

Asda - Jason Mancini.

Asda Rutherglen Sangiovese 2002, 14%, £4.98.

Australia – Victoria.

Savoury aromas of redcurrant and over-ripe raspberry sprinkled with peppered scents push tangy sweet and sour fruit flavours around the gums with mild yet firm and drying tannins on a spiced-up tingle finish.

Not quite up to full Christmas Day fayre but a good value bridesmaid for Boxing day reheats and party nibbles.

Rating: 3/5.

Asda Pinot Grigio ‘La Vis’, 12.5%, £4.97.

Italy – Trentino Fresh grass and grape fragrance with a mild lemon butter scented backdrop offers crisp and dry ‘Granny Smith’ apple flavours before a mild buttery edge on the finish.

One to match another 70s food revival – the famous prawn cocktail. Crisp and dry enough to bite through all that creamy ‘Marie Rose’ sauce.

Rating: 3/5.

Oddbins - Barry Howarth.

Oddbins Campbell’s Rutherglen Muscat, 37.5cl, 17.5%, £7.99.

Australia – Victoria.

Huge opulent aromas of plump juicy raisins and black treacle with calming hints of rose petal envelope your senses before intensifying further on the palate with luscious flavours of rich toffee and juicy sultana that rolls on and on amid a gently smoked background.

Classic Christmas pud and cake liquid that’s also perfect with Parmesan and wonderful with Wenslydale — a really impressive after diner all-rounder.

Rating: 5/5.

Oddbins Bonterra Zinfandel 2000 (Organic), 14%, £9.49.

USA – Mendocino County.

Rich and juicy aromas of ripe plum and black cherry with mild peppery scents offer mild flavours of clove before a rip-roaring juicy fruit bursts through leading to ripe yet firm tannins taking you on a long finish.

Craftmanship from first sniff to last slurp — big, juicy, ripe and slightly rustic. Perfect with good old Beef Wellington that apparently is back in fashion and favour.

Rating: 4/5.