Blue Pyrenees Midnight Cuvee 1998, $137 This is about the best bubbly available at a reasonable price on the market. It's from the cool climate of northeast Victoria, Australia, but is proudly French owned and operated. Remy Fine Wines (tel: 2523 5904)

Do not - I beg you - use an expensive wine for mulled wine. Go for the cheapest drinkable red you can find.

Club des Sommeliers cabernet sauvignon, $35 This comes from Bordeaux, but it's about as similar to grand cru as the Yuen Long croc is to Gong Li. Take a cautious sip then pour the rest into a saucepan. (A recipe for mulled wine will be published next week.)

Wellcome (tel: 2299 3838)

Banrock Station shiraz/cabernet sauvignon, $119 for a 2-litre box This is really a bit too good to use for mulled wine. Take a swig of this before you pour it in the pot; you might want to drink it neat. ParknShop (tel: 2606 8833)

Having got off to a sterling start with a couple of glasses of bubbly and a mug of mulled wine, it's time to open the bottles for lunch.

Berrys' Own Selection Puligny-Montrachet, $343

This is classic French chardonnay with a magnificent creamy presence, the warm tropical fruit balanced with a citrus acidity. It is a soaring star of the famous village and a fine wine. Berry Bros & Rudd (tel: 2110 1680)

Hunter's Marlborough sauvignon blanc 2002, $132 This sauvignon blanc is made by the guru of Marlborough, Jane Hunter. It is a forceful wine with that evocative passionfruit tang that pervades the best sauvignons from this iconic New Zealand region. Wine'n'Things (tel: 2873 5773)

Pipers Brook 2002 riesling, $148 If you like riesling, you'll love this pleasant wine. It tastes of ample fruit and is a great food wine.

Everwise (tel: 3426 9988)

A strong selection of reds is important to ensure the success of the meal.

Lynskeys Wairau Peaks 2001 pinot noir, $152 Kathy Lynskey makes a small range of hand-crafted wine, and her pinot noir has become a cult item among connoisseurs. This is delicate and sophisticated.

Berry Bros & Rudd (tel: 2110 1680)

Castello di Querceto chianti classico reserva 1997, $384 A reserva means the wine-maker has used his best grapes and gone to the trouble to make a signature wine. An enticing nose of herbs and dried apricots leads to a velvety, fleshy taste with abundant fruit flavours, typical of a good sangiovese from Tuscany.

Orient Pacific (tel: 2791 6332)

Wirra Wirra Church Block 2001 cabernet/shiraz/merlot, $148 This is a dark ruby wine with blueberry, liquorice and smoky plum flavours. It will be perfect with the ripe taste of Christmas pudding.

Kedington (tel: 2898 9323)

As the evening winds down, it's time for reflection, quiet talk and something sweet and sticky.

Carlyle Rutherglen muscat, $115/half bottle The muscats of Rutherglen have the reputation of being the 'world's richest wines'. This golden concoction is a proud flag-carrier for the grape and the region. It's surprisingly inexpensive given its renown and quality. Everwise (tel: 3426 9988)

Berrys' Vintage Character port, $169 This is made by the venerable House of Taylor, an old English establishment that has been shipping this well-rounded, fruity blend from the port of Port for centuries. It is a decent, tasty example of a port that has been made with great skill. Berry Bros & Rudd (tel: 2110 1680)