On the twelfth and final day of…. the Alternative Majestic 12 Days of Christmas…. How to serve Champagne! John takes the sensible approach and shows us how to open and pour in the proper fashion for Christmas, New Year and in fact… any time of the year…

On the eleventh day of…. the Alternative Majestic 12 Days of Christmas…. I had a look through the Majestic video archive and thought this dish would be a perfect light meal in between Christmas and New Year, matched up with Chablis Jean Bourguignon…

On the tenth day of…. the Alternative Majestic 12 Days of Christmas…. Big red wines compliment big rich meals. Hannah breaks down why certain red wines partner up so well with certain foods.

On the ninth day of…. the Alternative Majestic 12 Days of Christmas…. Ever wondered what those tears streaming down the side of the wine glass are? Hannah unravels the mystery.

On the eighth day of…. the Alternative Majestic 12 Days of Christmas…. How can you tell if a wine is corked? We’ve all had that moment in a restaurant, ‘oh that smells a bit funny’, and never say anything. John tells us what to look out for…

On the seventh day of…. the Alternative Majestic 12 Days of Christmas…. What is Terroir? It’s not a word to be afraid of! John keeps it simple in video No.7 of Back to Basics.

On the sixth day of…. the Alternative Majestic 12 Days of Christmas…. Champagne! There is so much to know about this sparkling wonder. John from Majestic Aylesbury strips it right back to the basics.

On the fifth day of…. the Alternative Majestic 12 Days of Christmas…. Ever found yourself short of a corkscrew at that vital bottle opening moment? John explains why we use cork and screwcaps.

On the fourth day of…. the Alternative Majestic 12 Days of Christmas…. The great Chablis mystery. Hannah from Majestic Macclesfield explains all.

On the third day of…. the Alternative Majestic 12 Days of Christmas…. What food do white wines compliment best? Hannah from Majestic Macclesfield pairs them up.

On the second day of…. the Alternative Majestic 12 Days of Christmas…. Hannah from Majestic Macclesfield explains what’s what when chilling your whites and serving your reds to get the best out of all those flavours.

This December we’re really excited to launch a new series of wine videos: Back to Basics!

Starting from Thursday 1st December we’re releasing a new video daily. So keep your eyes peeled for an alternative ‘Majestic 12 days of Christmas’ on the Majestic Wine Facebook, Twitter and Blog.

We all love talking about wine and these videos strip back that old stuffy wine knowledge leaving you with top tips and the right answers to those sometimes awkward wine questions.

Whether you’re chatting and drinking wine out with friends, choosing few bottles online, or picking wine for supper tonight, Hannah and John from Majestic Macclesfield and Majestic Aylesbury have you standing in good stead.

Here’s John pinning down his swirl and sniff technique; it’s all in the wrist!

Find all the videos released daily > Majestic Wine 12 days of Christmas: Back to Basics

Sample a variety of wines as you discover the labels to look out for this season.

Ask a member of staff when you can turn up, taste away and dip into the conversation too. Our staff will be on hand to offer tips and advice, as well as the odd choice nibble to help things go down smoothly.

Wine Events are listed on each store’s web page. To book your place, RSVP with your local store, which can be found here: majestic.co.uk/storelocator

Watch Ian from Majestic Wine Muswell Hill hosting a Wine Evening below.

A few weeks ago, the organisers of the ‘Good food would choose Bordeaux’ campaign invited us to take part in The Great Bordeaux Cook-off, in which members of the nation’s wine trade would compete to create some Bordeaux-friendly taste-sensations to be judged by professional chefs. Never ones to shy away from a bit of friendly (or even unfriendly) competition, the Majestic team of Kim Smith and me, aka The Not-Very-Hairy Bikers were all too keen to give it a shot.

We were drawn in the starters category, against the ‘Birds With Bottle’, wine writers Mel Jones MW and Sandra Clement. A restaurant kitchen is a hot, frantic, exhausting working environment, but we all just about managed to get our creations out on time. How the professionals endure it for an entire evening, turning out dish after perfectly-prepared dish, I will never know. This video simply doesn’t do it justice!

Unfortunately, our herb-crusted mackerel fillet with oriental noodle salad was no match for The Birds’ excellent tiger prawn risotto, but we had great fun nonetheless, and I still maintain that our dish would have made a great match for a classic white Graves! Mel and Sandra were formidable opponents, who went on to place runners-up in the final, so there was definitely no shame whatsoever in losing to them… in fact, the overall standard of cooking by all the entrants was remarkable, clearly showing that there’s an unmistakable foodie streak running through us wine enthusiasts. Although Kim and I will quite happily admit that we’ve always been better at eating than we are at cooking!

Try Portuguese wines this Autumn and discover some hidden gems tucked away on Continental Europe’s most westerly point…

Portugal’s diverse climate helps it to produce a great variety of wines. The coastal weather lends itself to crisp, light-bodied wines like Vinho Verde, from the north. Further inland, Douro’s hotter, drier climate is behind some fantastic-value reds.

Have a look at what Jancis Robinson, Jane MacQuitty, Charles Metcalfe, Tom Cannavan and Portuguese producers are saying about Portuguese Wines at the annual tasting of Portuguese Wines in London at Lords Cricket Ground:

See the whole Portuguese range at Majestic
*Excludes fortified wines.

IWC: High Street Chain of the Year 2011

What the judges said, Nigel Barden:

“Even though there is not significant competition in their sector, Majestic continues to do an outstanding job. Building on their successful move to 6 bottles, they have advanced significantly through their Lay and Wheeler acquisition, as well as their commercial section. Majestic has witnessed notable success online also.”

Decanter: Readers’ National Wine Merchant of the Year 2011

Becky from Ecommerce went along to the awards ceremony…

“One of the aspects we at Majestic pride ourselves on is excellent customer service, so to win the Decanter Reader Award of Best National Merchant for the fourth consecutive year is fantastic. Voted for by Decanter readers, we were commended for ‘quality service’, ‘knowledgeable staff’ and ‘a friendly atmosphere’. Thanks to all the people who voted for us!”

It wasn’t just the Wine Merchants being celebrated, wines from across the world received deserved praise, many of which are stocked at Majestic.

Overall our wines won: 216 medals: 8 Trophies, 6 Golds, 38 Silvers, 100 Bronzes, 64 Commendeds

A special wine mention must go to the International Trophy Winners:

Best Sauvignon Blanc under £10

Waimea Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2010, Nelson

Region: Nelson, to the west of better known Marlborough region.

Style & Characteristics: Blends Old World techniques with pioneering new methods to outstanding effect. Here gooseberry and floral notes lead to a clean, mineral finish.

Majestic tip: Excellent choice for white fish – ideally spiked with dill, tarragon or fennel.

Best Sauvignon Blanc over £10

Vavasour Sauvignon Blanc 2010, Awatere Valley

Region: Awatere Valley, south-east of Blenheim (where the vines are harvested slightly later)

Style & Characteristics: The grapes are harvested at night to retain flavour and freshness, enhancing the wine’s acidity.

Majestic tip: Genuinely stands out from its similarly priced counterparts. A joy to drink alone or with scallops and pancetta, and good company.

Best Chardonnay under £10

Mâcon-Villages Blanc ‘Les Pierres Blanches’ 2010, Cave de Lugny

Region: Situated in the heart of the Mâconnais, Cave de Lugny produces white Burgundy that’s fantastic value.

Style & Characteristics: Fresh and appley, citrus undertones highlight classic mineral streaks typical of this region.

Majestic tip: Delicious with hot smoked salmon blinis and the last of the autumn sun.

You can see the full Majestic Medal Winning Wines on our website here.

At Majestic we love talking about all things wine. Whether it’s tasting through some of the many wines on our free tasting counters or debating the best food and wine match, we want to make sure your wine experience is the best it can be.

John and Hannah from Majestic Aylesbury and Majestic Macclesfield are stripping wine right back to give you snippets of essential Wine Knowledge.

If you’ve got a question you’d like answered with a Majestic video, add it on our facebook poll. Psssst also click on your favourite video from the list!

You can also tweet me any suggestions @majesticwine (I always reply)! Or pop it in the comments box below.

Whether you’re looking for ideas for your next dinner party or just having a glass of wine with your evening meal, Neil from Majestic Ashbourne and Andrew from Majestic Leicester give you a few pointers as to what to look out for with their Perfect Pairings for wine & charcuterie…

Grüner Veltliner 2009/2010 Weingut Pfarre Weissenkirchen and Parma Ham

Grüner Veltliner is an aromatic variety primarily from Austria. The colour of fresh straw, an alluring nose of gooseberries with a hint of green apple and flowers. Well balanced acidity and citrus fruits leading to a spicy, lively wine of minerality and elegance. Drinkable at any time over the next six years. An excellent accompaniment to Prosciutto, seared scallops or bisques.

Martinborough Vineyards Te Tera Pinot Noir 2009/2010 and Melton Mowbray Pork Pie

The nose displays succulent ripe cherry, berry and plum fruits combined with gamey, savoury notes and a hint of mocha. Fine tannins and supple oak complement the fruit giving further texture and a generous lingering finish. An elegant Pinot Noir that is approachable in style and whilst drinking well now, will reward further cellaring.

Domaine Zind Humbrecht Riesling 2009 and Salami

Deliberately made in a dry, elegant style, with moderate alcohol, making it easier to drink. Characteristic citrus and apple flavours are enhanced by notes of minerals and herbs. A slight element of residual sugar also helps cut through any saltiness in the salami that Neil and Andrew taste.

If you’d like to hear more about what Neil and Andrew are up to you can follow them on twitter @majesticashbn and @majesticlei

It’s managed by our en primeur specialist, Lay & Wheeler, so members benefit from unsurpassed knowledge of the best fine wines to lay down, from brilliant, sought-after growers. And storage is taken care of at Vinothèque, a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to professional storage of fine wine, for a very reasonable annual fee.

To help get your new wine collection off to a good start, we’ll give new subscribers a fantastic free six bottle case of Croix de Beaucaillou 2009, the second wine of top St-Julien property Ducru-Beaucaillou from the heavily sought-after 2009 vintage.

With all the excitement that’s building around Bordeaux 2010, now is a great time to start your plan. I’m already a member of the plan; if you’re interested in joining me, find out more at majestic.co.uk/finewineplan.

Matt Philpott, Majestic Marketing Manager

Have a look at our latest Everyday Excellence offering if you’ve not yet seen it on the Majestic homepage. The Everyday Excellence range shows you one of our Majestic manager’s cook their tasty yet simple-to-make dishes and then pair them with an affordable wine from the Majestic range. It just goes to show that you don’t need to be a master-chef to cook up a real treat!

The latest film sees Al put together his speciality dish of pesto pasta with oven-dried tomatoes, bacon and peas. At the time of filming Al was manager at Majestic Wine Marlborough but he has since been promoted to Senior Wine Advisor at Lay and Wheeler (a fine wine specialist that Majestic acquired in March 2009).

Watch the short film here to see how simple this dish is to cook. Believe me, it truly is a fantastic melody of flavours and then see why Al has paired his dish with Ramon Bilbao’s Rioja ‘Single Vineyard’ from Spain.

To re-create Al’s pesto pasta we’ve put together a simple step by step recipe guide below. All you need to do is pop to a shop with the shopping list and away you go!

Al’s pesto pasta with oven-dried tomatoes, bacon and peas

Ingredients (serves 2)

* 6 vine tomatoes
* 1 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
* 50g fresh basil
* 30g pine nuts, lightly toasted
* 30g parmesan cheese, freshly grated
* 1 clove of garlic, whole
* 85ml olive oil
* Penne pasta (50g per person)
* 100g dry cured smoked streaky bacon or pancetta
* 75g frozen peas
* Extra virgin olive oil
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. To prepare the tomatoes, cut them in to wedges and arrange on a non-stick roasting tin. Sprinkle over the chopped garlic, season generously, then drizzle with olive oil.
2. Place in a preheated oven at 160 degrees Celsius and roast for 45 minutes. (Once cooked these tomatoes can be stored in a jar, covered with olive oil).
3. In a frying pan over a medium heat, toast the pine nuts until they just begin to colour.
4. Place the pine nuts in a blender with the basil, garlic clove and parmesan, and season well with salt and pepper, then blitz.
5. With the blender still running, slowly add the olive oil and continue to blend until a smooth texture is achieved.
6. Now cook the pasta in a pan of boiling water according to the packet instructions.
7. In the meantime, fry the bacon or pancetta until crispy, then add the peas and roasted tomatoes to the pan and heat through.
8. To serve, add the pesto sauce to the pan and combine with the pasta. Sprinkle over some grated parmesan and garnish with torn basil leaves.

Wine match
Rioja ‘Single Vineyard’ Ramon Bilbao, Spain

Al says:
“This wine has absolutely beautiful brambly fruit and a touch of spice which works well with the pesto, but what’s key is it’s also relatively high in acidity which also works with the tomatoes. Although quite full-bodied, it’s still really soft and easy drinking, so is ideal with a mid-week meal.“