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Australia’s Sommelier of the Year Shares His Christmas Wine Recommendations
Award-winning Xavier Vigier of CIRCL reveals the bottles he turns to when the table matters most — from briny oysters and long lunches to the quiet brilliance of festive leftovers, each pour chosen with instinct, generosity and joy.
If there’s a trusted voice you’d want guiding your Christmas pours, Xavier Vigier is a very good place to start. Fresh from receiving the Sommeliers’ Choice Award at Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards, he’s the quietly brilliant mind behind CIRCL, which this year led Victoria’s emphatic sweep of national honours.
CIRCL emerged as the standout, crowned Australia’s Wine List of the Year and Best Wine List Victoria, alongside an extraordinary run of category wins spanning Champagne, sparkling, by-the-glass and Victorian listings. It’s a result that speaks not just to cellar depth, but to a deeply considered philosophy of how people actually drink.
Spend five minutes talking wine with Xavier and it becomes clear this isn’t about flexing rare labels or obscure regions. It’s about hospitality in its truest sense: bottles that move a table from first oyster to final slice of pavlova, keep the mood buoyant, and make everyone feel genuinely looked after.
So, how does one of the country’s most respected sommeliers actually wine at Christmas?
The One Wine That Truly Works Across the Whole Christmas Spread, $52
Printhie ‘Swift Cuvée’ NV, Orange NSW
Xavier starts strong with bubbles, but not just any sparkling. A serious, Champagne-method wine like Printhie Swift Cuvée is his quiet Christmas hero. Textural enough to hold its own beside glazed ham and roast meats, yet citrus-driven and refreshing enough to reset the palate between seafood courses, it’s the bottle he trusts to run the full table.
“It’s the kind of wine we lean on at CIRCL,” he says, “because it genuinely works across an entire Christmas spread.”
The Bottle That Never Lets You Down With Prawns and Oysters, $33
Deviation Road ‘Altair Brut Rose Réserve’ NV, Adelaide Hills
For seafood-first tables, Xavier gravitates toward bone-dry, saline sparklings. Deviation Road Altair Brut Rose Réserve delivers chalky precision, lemon-peel brightness and gentle savoury complexity that mirrors the sweetness of prawns and the brininess of oysters, while keeping everything lifted and light.
The Crowd-Pleaser That Wine Lovers Still Appreciate, $22.99
Oakridge ‘Over The Shoulder’ Chardonnay, Yarra Valley
When the guest list spans casual drinkers to serious wine lovers, familiarity matters — but so does finesse. A well-made Yarra Valley Chardonnay like Oakridge Over The Shoulder hits that balance beautifully. It’s generous and comforting on first sip, yet layered enough for those who want to linger over acidity, subtle oak and stone-fruit drive.
It’s exactly the balance Xavier aims for on CIRCL’s award-winning list: nothing intimidating, everything considered.
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The Sparkling That Earns Its Place Every Summer, $61.99
Arras ‘Brut Elite’ NV, Tasmania
Tasmania’s precision has a special place on Xavier’s festive table. Arras Brut Elite moves effortlessly from aperitif to seafood to lighter mains, offering citrus, brioche and gentle savoury notes without ever feeling heavy in the heat.
The Red That Behaves in Warm Weather, $39.99
Kooyong ‘Massale’ Pinot Noir, Mornington Peninsula
Reds aren’t off the table at Christmas; they just need to behave. A mid-weight, chill-friendly Pinot Noir like Kooyong Massale brings lifted red fruit, fine tannins and bright acidity, making it ideal for long lunches, charcuterie, turkey, duck and lighter grilled meats, especially when served just below cellar temperature.
The Underrated Bottle Xavier Loves Recommending, $30
Mount Langi Ghiran ‘Cliff Edge’ Riesling, Grampians
Ask Xavier about overlooked gems, and his enthusiasm lifts another notch. He’s quick to champion high-quality Victorian wines from quieter regions, with Mount Langi Ghiran’s Cliff Edge Riesling a standout. Lime-edged and fresh with a subtle savoury spice, it slips effortlessly between seafood, salads and glazed ham, bringing lift and clarity without ever stealing focus from the table.
The Best Value Wine to Impress Without Overspending, $35
Giant Steps ‘Yarra Valley’ Chardonnay
For hosts wanting to impress without stretching the budget, Xavier points to meticulously farmed Victorian Chardonnay. Giant Steps’ Yarra Valley Chardonnay delivers serious craftsmanship and table presence at a fraction of the cost of comparable European labels.
The Ultimate ‘Fridge-Door Wine’, $25
Jim Barry ‘Lodge Hill’ Riesling, Clare Valley
Every great host has one bottle that’s always cold and always ready. For Xavier, it’s Jim Barry Lodge Hill Riesling. High-acid, low-alcohol and endlessly adaptable, it’s just as happy with chips and olives as it is with prawns, salads or leftover roast chicken the next day.
The One Bottle He’d Bring Without Knowing the Menu
Clover Hill Tasmanian Cuvée NV, Pipers River
If forced to bring just one bottle to an unknown Christmas table, Xavier reaches for Clover Hill Tasmanian Cuvée. Balanced, generous and endlessly adaptable, it bridges canapés, seafood, poultry and richer sides with ease.
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What He’s Pouring for Friends and Family…
Something rare. Something unexpected. Something generous.
“The bottles that really mark the moment are the ones that usually stay buried in the cellar,” Xavier says. “Opening something people have heard whispered about but never expected to see poured shifts the focus from tasting notes to stories, memories and conversation.”
Which, really, is exactly what great wine — and a great Christmas table — should be about.
At Christmas, the best wines aren’t about prestige or perfection. They’re about flow, generosity and bottles that carry a table effortlessly, letting the people, not the labels, take centre stage. For more festive inspiration, explore our guides to little luxury gifts under $50 and the best rosé picks for summer.
