I don’t know about you, but my idea of hell is having to go to the shops on Christmas Eve, and, if I do, it’s more likely to be because I’ve forgotten the sprouts than the sauvignon blanc. Be realistic, though: there’s a fair chance that the relatives will have already drunk you out of house and home, that you suddenly have extra bums on seats or that you’ve forgotten a last-minute present and a smart-looking bottle will save your blushes.
You may be so frazzled that a trip to the supermarket seems the only option (you can pick up those sprouts at the same time), but if you actually want to enjoy yourself and talk to a real live human being, may I suggest you spend a happy half-hour in your nearest bottle shop/winery/brewery/distillery or anywhere where you can support a local producer? And, for a start, how about a bottle of English fizz rather than champagne?
