As I, racked with guilt, slide another translucent green shiny paper between my fingers and gaze adoringly into the chasm of remaining shiny little parcels of delight, it hits me that the reason I’ve currently got problematic skin is the Quality Streets I’ve got through at an astounding rate rather than the wine, such a relief.

There are rather a large amount of empty red wine bottles stacking up in my home that I keep warning people to not put anywhere near the recycling bin, until I have reviewed them. It’s safe to say some have escaped Wining Away the Weekend entirely, but I’m sure we’ll meet them again in the future.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas whatever you may have been doing, I also hope that you’ve managed to come out the other side relatively unscathed. Come January, you will be subliminally bombarded with negativity, be it your friends; once kind, now sober, or perhaps terrible marketing campaigns promoting a better version of you. I’ve never met a better version of me, nor do I wish to, so I will be going into 2018 as this version, spectacular as ever and you should do the same.

Now then, my lovely father produced the most incredible present this Christmas in the shape of a wine rack constructed with both Robbie and Rosie’s old horse shoes – such an amazing gift that I look forward to filling. I was also treated to several exciting bottles of wine, a beautiful decanter and Jancis Robinson’s book, totally spoilt.

As for the wine that was actually drunk over the festive period, I shall review them one by one below (only four have survived) and include a link for purchasing if you’re going into 2018 wet, like me, not dry, like the quitters.

I should start with my favourite place in Stamford for Christmas drinks, The George, which I have written quite a lot on previously which you can read here. I’m very partial to a Bellini at The George – they serve them in the original Coupe style glass using Taittinger as the champagne and obviously adding peach to make it a Bellini. What makes Christmas so special are the stunning Christmas decorations they construct each year, they’re magical, do visit if you get the chance, they’ll be up until around the 6th one imagines.

To buy the wines, simply click on the blue header and you will be taken to various websites, I’m not sponsored I just want you to find good wine.

2014 Berry Bros. & Rudd Rioja by Bodegas Amézola de la Mora

I bought this because I love a good solid Rioja – this particular bottle is medium-bodied, dry and 14%. I drank it with a friend, no food involved and it was delicious. Extremely easy drinking, classic, quite oak heavy but I prefer that. It’s £11.95 which is great value for such a lovely bottle.

Catena Zapata, D.V. Catena Malbec 2015

You can buy this outstanding Malbec from Sainsbury’s for a tenner, it’s a bargain! I shared this over a meal of prawns in a tomato and garlic sauce followed by a Moroccan lamb dish that I love cooking. It’s very plummy with ripe notes of blackcurrant cutting through to give that delicious long finish.

Cuvée des Vignerons, Beaujolais, French

This red wine is currently only £5.99 from Waitrose so I will certainly be buying a lot more, it’s good to keep an eye on the 20% off offers at Waitrose, they’re often great value.

Anyway, I’ve decided I love Beaujolais wines, they’re such easy drinking you could easily get through three bottles over a meal without realising which is ideal. This would pair beautifully with cheese, or any food really because it’s not overpowering in any way, if you’re looking for a cheap wine to please everyone, this is your ticket.

Casillero del Diablo, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, Chile

I think everyone has tried this wine at least once – it’s a go to good red from Tesco with deep body, rich flavours and at £6 and sometimes less it’s also great value. Astoundingly the annual production for this wine is around 2.2 million cases – so you know it’s leaving the shelves!