German Wines can help make your Christmas a fairytale Christmas

Christmas in Germany has been described to me by a friend who grew up in Germany as being "a magical, fairytale time."

She described visits to her grandmothers home in a forest, the Christmas Markets, the fairytale castles with the impossibly ornate turrets, the seasonal special foods, the Christmas spices, the stollen, making gingerbread houses and the variety of wines that Germany is famous for.

There's a wide variety of wines, wider than you might have thought possible. If you pop into Tesco you can pick up a bottle of Peter and Peter Riesling at £7.49. It's a crisp Mosel wine which has fruity notes and tones and even a hint of ripe apples on the finish.

Another Riesling is the Fritz Willi Riesling, it's another Mosel yet is different again from the Peter and Peter offering. Are there hints of ripe peaches there? Yes! Yes there jolly well are! At £11 to £12 a bottle this will be another sure fire winner this Christmas. You'll find it at Noel Young Wines of Cambridge, www.nywines.co.uk.

If you are more of a red wine drinker you will be pleased to know that the German wine makers have not overlooked your needs.

The That's Christmas taste team can also heartily recommend the Villa Wolf Noir 2012, Pfalz. It's a rich blend of all sorts of summer fruits, combined with the flavours of the gorgeous grapes.

You'll find it at £10.49 to £11.49 and it is available at Oddbins.

You'll also find a wide range of fine German wines from your local supermarket, some corner stores and local and national wine merchants. But do make sure that you order early to ensure delivery for Christmas or the New Year.