As you can imagine, the WSET staff are a passionate bunch when it comes to their favourite drinks – especially during the festive season. Our office is often alive with chatter about the latest wines we've tried, the unique cocktail bars we've explored, and the intriguing drinks we've discovered on our travels. This year, our team’s festive choices are as varied as the drinks world itself: from Janette’s homegrown red wine and Matt’s Australian Semillon paired with fresh seafood to Mirella’s mulled beer and Cindy’s sparkling sake, there’s something here to inspire every celebration.
We’d love to know what’s in your glass this season, too! Share your favourite festive drinks with us using #whatweredrinking and tag @wsetglobal for a chance to feature on our socials.
With a mix of expertise, creativity, and personal touches, we’re raising a glass to a successful 2024. Let’s dive into what we’re drinking this holiday season.
Finger Lakes Riesling in magnums for family feasts
Christine Kamine, Head of APP Development – Americas
My family is from the Finger Lakes region of New York state, so we always use the holidays to celebrate our favourite local wineries. Big bottles always feel extra festive, so we usually break out a magnum of Finger Lakes Riesling. It's great on its own or paired with Thanksgiving turkey or a Christmas meal.
Negronis on Christmas Eve – a family tradition
Joanna Howe, Events Manager
We tend to enjoy a Negroni or two on Christmas Eve. It’s actually become quite a tradition in our family!
Homegrown red wine and sparkling wine for the holidays
Janette Devlin, Educator Development and Training Manager
I’m going to be drinking Ladywell Cru. You may not have heard of it because I grow the vines in my back garden, and I make the wine. The wine is red and made from Regent which is a black grape variety, and it goes very well with turkey and ham which we will be having for Christmas dinner. For New Years celebrations I will be drinking Bowler and Brolly from Aldi.
Champagne for Chinese New Year celebrations
Xiaohua Yin, APP Development Advisor
For me, the festive season continues all the way to Chinese New Year. This will be celebrated on Wednesday 29 January, and of course we will have a bottle of Champagne ready.
Mulled beer with baked apples and spices
Mirella Amato, Senior Business Development Manager – Beer
One of the things I love to make for the festive season is mulled beer. Mulled beer was very popular in the16th century, and I would love to see it make a comeback! Is a lovely spicy drink to warm you up in cold weather. My favourite type of mulled beer is called lambswool and is made with baked apples. Beer + baked apples + baking spices = holiday perfection!
Feeling inspired? You can find the lambswool recipe here.
Family traditions
Michelle Brampton, WSET CEO
A festive tradition is Sloe Gin over ice which I enjoy with my mum on Christmas Eve. On Christmas day we'll have a pre-lunch toast with Champagne or this year Camel Valley Sparkling Rosé. At some point I will also no doubt have a pint of Butty Back with my dad in the village pub.
Aged Hunter Semillon with Australian seafood
Matt Irwin, APP Development Manager - APAC
Downunder it is hot at Christmas, and we often enjoy fresh local, Australian seafood on Christmas Day instead of large hot meals. This year, I will be enjoying an Aged Hunter Semillon from Mount Pleasant matched with local, sustainably sourced seafood of Sydney Rock Oysters, Mooloolaba Prawns and Moreton Bay Bugs (a local crayfish). The piercing, high acidity coupled with the fresh citrus notes in the Semillon matches perfect with the salty, delicate flavours of the seafood. The rounded mouthfeel and toasty notes due to the Semillon’s age gives viscosity and a lingering finish that is the perfect with the creamy texture of our beautiful seafood.
Aged white Rioja with turkey and trimmings
Alex Layton, Head of Brand and Digital Marketing
Festive drinks are a deadly serious business in our household – and this year will be no exception. For the turkey centrepiece, I’m going a little off the beaten track and opting for a sensational, aged white Rioja. This generous, textured white will have enough oomph to meet its match with all the trimmings, yet has a wonderful whipcrack of acidity to not overwhelm and maintain a lovely freshness. The particular example I’m looking for has the added bonus of being aged in barrels and ‘botas’ and undergoing a curious period of biological ageing under a layer of ‘flor’ – like a fino sherry. This gives the final product an extra, super delicious nuttiness. Yum!
Vegan wines for the festive season
Rachel Gray, School Marketing Manager, WSET School London
Outside of work and my Diploma studies, I always look for vegan wines. Thankfully, it’s becoming easier to find them as more producers clearly label their bottles or highlight their vegan credentials online. There are some excellent, affordable options on the market, and I always recommend checking the labels or asking your local wine merchant for guidance.
Champagne and Margaux for Christmas and Boxing Day
Suzanne Stevenson, Communications Manager
I’ll be opening a bottle of Champagne Louis Roederer Collection Cuvée 244 Brut NV on Christmas Day and enjoying this along with smoked salmon and dill crostini with my family beside a blazing log fire in rural Rutland. This will be followed on Boxing Day by The Wine Society’s 150th Anniversary Margaux 2015 (Chateau Angludet), which, with its silky texture, rounded tannins, notes of violets and a hint of cigar box, will pair nicely with the roast pork lunch we’ll be having that day.
Festive White Lady cocktail with cranberry juice
Ed Wicks, Quality Lead Levels 1–3, WSET School London
I will definitely be enjoying a bit of both when it comes to wine and spirits, but my go-to cocktail is a White Lady. The addition of Cranberry juice in my recipe gives the cocktail the festive twist we crave during this time of the year.
Recipe for a festive White Lady
Ingredients:
- Ice
- 50ml London Dry Gin
- 25ml Triple Sec
- 15ml cranberry juice
- 15ml lemon juice
- (optional) half a teaspoon of caster sugar or 5 ml of simple syrup
- 1 egg white or 15ml Aquafaba
Instructions:
- Add all the ingredients except the egg white to a cocktail shaker.
- Shake until the outside of the shaker feels cold.
- Strain the mixture and discard the ice.
- Add the mixture to the shaker again with the egg white, and shake until the mixture is frothy.
- Pour into a coupe glass and enjoy!
Rare Rutherglen Muscat with Christmas pudding
Nicholas King, Head of Research and Development – Spirits
My mother makes a quite spectacular old school Christmas pudding and serves it with equally old school brandy butter (literally sugar, butter and brandy). Now I am a spirits person but the only drink I have ever had that stands up to this sensory onslaught is Campbells Merchant Prince Rare Rutherglen Muscat, a sweet, fortified Australian wine which manages to be both vast, complex and delicate all at the same time.
South African sparkling wine and winter reds
Adriana Schmidt, Digital Marketing Executive
I will be doing my best to support South African wine from afar. Christmas won't be Christmas without some Cap Classique so that's non-negotiable. But we also have a few excellent bottles of red wine ready to be opened on cold winter evenings, including a 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon from Idiom and the Jupiter blend from Kleinhoekkloof.
Sparkling sake for festive gatherings
Cindy Lau, Senior Governance Manager – APAC
During festive seasons, it's common for people in Hong Kong to enjoy something sparkling at parties and family gatherings. Sparkling sake has recently become one of the popular choices. This preference is largely due to the fact that Japanese sake pairs well with many Asian cuisines. The effervescence of sparkling sake makes it a refreshing choice for cutting through the richness and heaviness of the oily sauces often used in Chinese cuisine. I personally love Dassai Sparkling 23.
Sweet vermouth for aperitifs and seasonal cocktails
Charlie McCarthy, Business Development Manager – Spirits
This festive season I'll be sure to have a good quality sweet vermouth to hand. Not only does it make a wonderful aperitif over ice with a slice of orange, but it's also a delicious low alcohol option served long with tonic water. And for the home mixologist, it's an essential ingredient in season appropriate classics such as the Manhattan, Martinez and Negroni.
German Riesling with Christmas turkey
Robert Crouch, APP Development Manager, EMEA
After spending weeks planning our first German language webinar, I think it’s only right that I enjoy some German wine over the festive period. Perhaps I'll pair a bottle of Schloss Johannisberg Gelblack Riesling Trocken Rheingau 2023 with the Christmas turkey.
Sparkling sake as a festive apéritif
Natsuki Kikuya, Senior Researcher – Sake
One style of sake I enjoy during the festive season is sparking sake. It is a newly developing category with a range of sparkling sakes available with different ABV and sweetness levels. It commonly has gentle fizz with delicate sweetness, light body and creamy mousse. It makes a perfect apéritif to enjoy on its own or with seafood canapés!
Homemade mead for the holidays
Saskia Scott, Brand and Marketing Manager
My husband has been experimenting with homemade mead over the past few months, so we will be enjoying some of that during our holiday break.
Californian vin santo and Irish stout with chocolate
Josh Beamish, Digital Marketing Manager
This year, I’ll be turning to Piedrasassi's vin santo, a Californian take on the classic Italian dessert wine that has become a festive staple for me. Made in a traditional oxidative style, it’s decadently rich with notes of dried fruits, caramel, and a touch of spice – perfect for rounding off a Christmas meal. I’ll also be sipping Beamish stout, a family favourite, paired with dark chocolate – a suggestion from Natalya Watson, our beer expert, that I’m excited to explore this festive season.
We hope our choices inspire you to explore new flavours and discover your own festive favourites this holiday season. With such a variety of drinks to enjoy, the possibilities are endless!
For more inspiration, check out:
- Festive beer pairings: Sip outside the box this season
- Festive food and drinks around the world
- A wine guide to a more sustainable festive season
Looking for the perfect gift for the wine, beer, sake, or spirits lover in your life? A WSET course is more than just a qualification – it’s the gift of knowledge and a lifelong passion.
Explore our qualifications to find the ideal course for your loved ones.
Don’t forget to share your festive favourites with us! Use #whatweredrinking and tag @wsetglobal to join the celebration.
