I’m heading to a friend’s house for a holiday visit. What bottle should I bring them?
This is tricky, as gifts always are, but more so in terms of culture; if it is a gift in terms of Chinese culture, there is the overriding issue of “face.” One has to convey a feeling of respect to the recipient but at the same time uphold one’s own image. This does place a certain focus on the value of the wine—and it is definitely red wine—but you need to have a wine of established value for sure. I personally loathe this but at the same time respect it or understand it. There is also the question of one’s nationality—that is, the person giving the gift—as there is always an added message and sense of pride when giving someone a wine from your home country and the recipient will easily identify with this. I myself usually bring a bottle of New Zealand wine, although depending on the recipient, sometimes something very left field is appropriate if they are wine enthusiasts.

This is all a long-winded way of saying, for a Chinese recipient, I would give Bordeaux Red, from a Grand Cru Classe producer and a good vintage, like 2005. Two of my favourites at present in terms of wines that I feel are punching way above their weight as far as the official  Bordeaux classification (that is, if you can appreciate there is a lot of fabulous 2005 Bordeaux to be had) are the Chateau Malartic Lagraviere Grand Cru Classe Pessac-Leognan 2005, ($105 from Wine Culture,  www.wineculture.com.sg) and Chateau La Lagune – Grand Cru Classes Haut-Medoc 3rd Growth ($165 from Wine Culture). 

As a new world option, and something that would go equally well with the turkey in terms of red, I’d choose a very supple pinot noir from New Zealand. This is one of the best wines one could use to enlighten friends on how well it pairs with many Asian cuisines. The Neudorf Moutere Pinot Noir (Nelson 2006) is a great choice. It’s normally $77.50 per bottle but I understand the importer Cellar Door (www.thecellardoor.com.sg), has a Christmas special price of $62—a bargain!

If I were giving a wine to a connoisseur—that is, someone who really appreciates their wine and has a broad-palate (and is not obsessed with status wines)—I would give something eclectic. A couple of suggestions: A magnum (1.5 litre) of the Fontodi Riserva Chianti Classico Vigna del Sorbo 2004 at $189 per bottle (an awesome wine of immeasurable complexity), or Eban Sadie Columella Shiraz Mourvedre (Swaartland, South Africa 2006) at $110 per bottle—an amazing wine from possibly the most impressive biodynamic wine producer in the new world! Both are available through Singapore wine doyen Dr NK Yong (nkyong@pacific.net.sg, 6474 0076).

We’re having a major turkey-based spread for our holiday meal. What should we drink with all that hearty grub?
There are many variables, however I find that to match with the roasting flavours and white meat of turkey, a rich, full-bodied white wine is a very good pairing. This generally calls for a chardonnay with some maturity or a pinot gris, in the more opulent style of Alsace or New Zealand.

On Christmas day, I’ll be drinking the Seresin Pinot Gris from Marlborough, New Zealand ($53, exclusively from Huber’s Butchery, www.hubers.com.sg) along with my turkey.

But I am also serving up some chardonnay. At our table we like to be wine-adventurous and I also like using big bottles (as in magnums or 1.5 litres), as they always impress and go around a large table. We will be having the benchmark Corton-Charlemagne producer Bonneau du Martray. This is Grand Cru white burgundy, so it’s 100 per cent chardonnay. The Singapore importer, again, is the estimable Dr NK Yong who has 2002 magnums at $332 each, and the 1991 and 2001 only in 750ml at $162 per bottle.

As a new world comparison, I am serving up one of my personal favourite New Zealand chardonnay producers, Kumeu River which finds its way to Singapore through an exporter called Inland Trading, and I believe is available at Crystal Wines (www.crystalwines.com). However you can check with Greg Corra at Inland Trading inland@inlandtrading.com.au  who has a regular weekly air freight service. I will be serving up their Kumeu River Chardonnay 2004 ($60) alongside the single vineyard Mate’s Chardonnay 2004 ($90).

Christmas is typically thought of as a cold-weather holiday. Any advice on celebrating properly in the tropics?
As for summer holiday drinking, frankly I cannot think of anything better than a rosé—a vastly underrated wine in Singapore for reasons I cannot explain—as it goes so well with the climate and Asian cuisine. I always have a six pack of Tarrawarra Estate Pinot Noir Rose at home, with a couple in the fridge, ready to go as it were. This is serious rosé. Well, serious is probably not the right word—perhaps genuine, as it is not made as an afterthought, rather a dedicated pinot noir vineyard that produces it by leaving the skins in contact with the juice briefly. It sings of pinot noir flavour but has all the faculties of a refreshing white. This is available through Wine Directions (www.winedirections.com) at the extremely reasonable price of $29 a bottle. Buy the six pack!

What about Christmas’ signature color—red?
For those who just have to drink red, can I suggest pinot noir as the best variety in which to be indulging as far as elegance, flavour, fruit sweetness, versatility with all cuisines and low tannin which allows you to serve it with a slight chill—making it refreshing drinking in our tropical climate. One of the most impressive examples I have seen this year comes from Tasmania, called Sugarloaf Ridge (www.sugarloafridge.com.au); their 2007 an absolute blinder. The owners actually live in Singapore and you can purchase off them directly at very affordable prices—just $65 per bottle (contact Julian Colvile on 6418 1042 or info@sugarloafridge.com).