A Fun Family Christmas Box Set - A six bottle mixed case

Remixed and reimagined for 2025 here's a slightly alternative Christmas collection sure to impress the hip kids home from the big cities but not too natty to scare away your nan. A box set that will broaden your drinking horizons but won't blow your mind. Naturally delicious fun for the whole family (who are of drinking age!)

Sparkling Wine

Tim Wildman, Piggy Pop Pet Nat, South Australia, Australia - 

'My pet-nat brings all the boys to the yard' - the perfect mantra for this fun, smashable bottle of bubbles. Made for sharing at the beach or any sunsoaked equivalent that ol' Blighty may provide.

The piggy pop is a refreshing concoction of Italian varieties grown across South Australia. Expect a soft explosion of cherries and liquorice spice, with a zesty lick of natural acidity and a plummy fruit driven finish. 

For maximum enjoyment, chill down and shake a little to mix the sediment before drinking.

Producer - Tim Wildman
Country - Australia
Region - Adelaide Hills, Mclaren Vale, Riverland
Variety / Blend - Nero d'Avola, Lagrein and others
Wine Style - Sparkling Wine
Farming - Sustainable
Vegan, 

White Wine

Loxarel, Cora, Penedès, Spain -

Josep Mitjans made his first 1000 bottles of Cava at just 16 years old and while he is the fourth generation of his family to farm the vineyards he is the first to turn away from using the grapes to produce bulk wine and to focus on quality. 

He created name of the winery, Loxarel, to honour the local grape variety Xarel-Lo and has developed a range of wines which champion the grape, the region and the spirit of this part of Catalunya. Working following Biodynamic principles and with minimal manipulation in the winery to produce wines that are truly expressive of the land and also delicious to drink.

This wines is a blend of local grape Xarello with Muscat d’Alexandria from the hills of Alt Penedès within what is known as the Xarel-Lo triangle. Loxarel farm biodynamically and are well known for quality, traditional method sparkling wines (ie Cava but good Cava not nasty Cava).

Perky is a good description of the aromas and flavours of this wine and these have been preserved by the use of dry ice during a 6 hour maceration on the skins. Floral but not OTT, finishing dry with hints of quince and limes and a slightly saline edge. A lovely aperitif or “I fancy a glass of wine” wine but nice with a salad or fresh shell fish too. Drink young while still perky.

Producer - Mitjans

Country - Spain
Region - Catalunya

Sub-Region - Penedes

Variety / Blend - Xarel-Lo, Moscatel, Sauvignon Blanc

Wine Style - White Wine
Farming - Organic / Biodynamic

Vegan
Low Sulphates

Orange Wine

Heinrich, Naked Orange, Neusiedlersee-Hügelland, Burgenland, Austria -

Gernot and Heike Henrich are life long innovators. Since taking over the family estate in 1985 they have constantly sought to improve and explore. Now farming biodynamically, which they see as being right for the planet and better for the wines, they were among the first to move to focus on quality and champion local grape varieties. 

Naked wines are made with minimal intervention, nothing to hide behind. 

Made from fruit from both sides of the Lake Neusiedl, this is a blend of all your favourite Austrian varieties. Two weeks on the skins and 18 months between amphora and big ol' oak barrels made with super lo-fi winemaking. Zesty, juicy blood orange and citrus fruit.

Producer - Heinrich
Country - Austria
Region - Neusiedlersee-Hügelland, Burgenland
Variety / Blend  - Chardonnay, Weissburgunder, Roter Traminer, Muskat Ottonel, Grauer Burgunder (Pinot Gris)
Wine Style - Orange Wine
Farming - Biodynamic
Vegan      

Red Wine

Domaine Lapierre, Raisins Gaulois 2024, Beaujolais, France - 

There were a couple of crucibles of the natural wine revolution in France. One was the Loire valley centered on Nicolas Joly. Another was in Beaujolais, where Jules Chauvet, a fourth generation winemaker but also a chemist, took a critical view of what they were being encouraged to do in the vineyard and in the winery and decided that over-use of chemicals in both was bad for the environment and bad for the wine. Several other growers in Beaujolais followed M. Chauvet’s lead. Known as the Gang of Four, among them was Marcel Lapierre. Sadly he died quite young in 2010 but his wife Marie carried on the estate as well as farming her own Chateau Cambon and has now been joined by their son Mathieu and daughter Camille. ‘Raisin Gaulois’ is labelled Vin de France as it is mainly from vines around Morgon but with a little from outside so doesn’t fit a suitable Beaujolais appellation.

It is 100% Beaujo though, lovely, lively fruit, juicy, soft and ever so drinkable.

Producer - Domaine Lapierre
Country - France
Region - Beaujolais    
Variety / Blend - Gamay
Wine Style - Red Wine
Farming - Organic / Biodynamic
Vegan

Viñedos de Alcohuaz, Grus 2021, Elqui Valley, Chile  - 

This is the big red in the box. Alcohuaz is a little village located 2200metres in the Elqui valley, a valley rich in volcanic soils and rich in granite, a corridor between the cool Pacific of northern Chile and the Andean mountains in the east of the country.

Alvaro and son, Patricio, are the masterminds behind this extraordinary project. However they realised they would benefit from local expert help and called in Juan Luis Huerta and his wife Helia Rojas as well as Chile's most experienced, artisan winemaker, Marcel Retamal.

Grus is named after the constellation of stars which can be clearly seen from the Elqui Valley in the incredible clear night skies of Chile.

Made from a blend of grapes, foot trodden in stone lagares before a wild yeast fermentation and 12 months ageing in concrete eggs, this is a true mountain wine, created by the unique soils and climate of the place and crafted by experts. 

Producer - Viñedos de Alcohuaz
Country - Chile
Region - Elqui Valley
Variety / Blend - Syrah, Garnacha, Petit Syrah and Petit Verdot
Wine Style - Red Wine
Farming - Uncertified Organic/ Biodynamic
Vegan

Stella Bella, Pink Muscat 2024, Margaret River, Australia (37.5cl) - 

Stuart Pym and Janice McDonald created the Stella Bella winery back in 1999, Stella Bella meaning beautiful star, the name chosen to “encapsulate the beautiful colours, aromas and flavours we enjoy and talk about in wine”. Luke Joliffe is now the chief winemaker and has built a reputation for crafting wines of real elegance and purity. 

They are acutely aware of the pristine but fragile nature of the Margaret River region and do all they can to protect this and avoid causing any harm. For example planting swards of rye and clover between rows to prevent soil compaction, and introducing native ladybirds to combat mealy bugs.

The Pink Muscat was one of Stella Bella's first wines, inspired by Stuart and Janice's love of northern Italian wines and Moscato d'Asti in particular. Pink muscat grapes are handpicked, crushed and kept on skins for six hours to extract colour and aroma. Fermentation is stopped once the desired sugar / alcohol levels are by rapid chilling to preserve the flavours and natural CO2. The finished wine has delightful aromas of rosewater and orange blossom. On the palate it is sweet and fresh with a lovely, delicate fizz. 

Beautiful served with a creamy blue cheese or light desserts such as pannacotta or a slice of panettone. 

PS you might want to add an extra bottle of this, just in case. It's incredibly drinkable...

Producer - Stella Bella
Country - Australia
Region - Margaret River
Variety / Blend - Muscat rosé à petits grains
Wine Style - Sweet Wine
Farming - Organic