I like to start Christmas with a glass of Champagne and the refined elegance of Billecart Salmon  fits the bill perfectly.

Moving on to white wine to serve with oysters I would select a Chablis, and the biting, mouth-watering minerality of Billaud Simon ‘s wines has no peer in my book.

With turkey I eschew the tannins of Claret in favour of the aromatic quality and silky texture of Pinot Noir. Denis Bachelet’s Gevrey Chambertin Vieilles Vignes does the trick, the older the better as his wines never reveal their true potential in youth.

I prefer a much lighter dessert than Christmas pudding, but if I were having it I would drink a great old Oloroso such as Lustau Old East India; this has amazing raisiny, figgy characteristics with wonderful length and enough concentration to stand up to the pudding.

With cheese I like to have port, particularly for the blue cheese such as Roquefort or Stilton, and I shall be opening Dow 1983 this year in the expectation that it is now reaching peak maturity.

Rounding all of this off, a glass of Berrys Cognac Reserve, a beautifully rounded, aromatic spirit of great smoothness would fit the bill. This acts as a digestif and hopefully wards off the need for Zantac to become the next course!

Have a very merry Christmas!