Introducing Clarky:

With the festive season in full swing the question on the thinking girl’s lips is not so much its time to ditch my YSL’s for Moon boots, but what exactly is the best wine to drink on a hangover?

Granted the notion of hair of the dog is nothing new, but over the past weeks of Christmas parties and lunches I have discovered that certain wines can restore equilibrium to even the most partied out journo and binge drinker, such as myself. Traditionally I am something of a white wine drinker – red’s often leave me with a headache, and the cheaper ones a nasty stain on my teeth. But I have found Red Wine is something of a magic fix when it comes to the hairier of hangovers. ………

Wine: Bellingham, The Bernard Series Roussanne 2009, Paarl South Africa

Style: enchantingly fruity

Outlet: Sainsburys

Price: £9.99

Occasion: One for the sofa, dinner party at yours, dinner party at theirs

Trend: New Romatics

Why you should be seen drinking this wine: ………

So last week when I heard Gary Vaynerchuk, the fastest rising star in the wine world, was coming to London I had to go and hear him speak. He was over here launching his new book “Why now is the time to Crush it! Cash in on your passion” or “Crush It!” for short. If you haven’t heard of him, where have you been? And if you have heard of him where were you? ………

Wine: Ombra Prosecco NV, Italy

Style: light & sparkling

Outlet: Oddbins (in stores & online: www.oddbins.com)

Price: £9.99

Occasion: Prosecco Monday, dinner party at yours, night in, party wine

Trend: Glitterati

Why you should be seen drinking this wine: ………

If there’s one good thing to come out of the credit crunch it’s the opportunity for us to rethink what we do and the way we do it. This is great news if you’re adventurous by nature, but it may be a bit daunting if you’re a pure bred traditionalist.

When it comes to wine for festive entertaining it’s no different. It’s really easy to get stuck in a rut, weighed down by the security of the tried and tested and under the cosy blanket of tradition. For example, Pinot Noir is widely considered to be the perfect red for a standard British Christmas dinner, and if you’re über traditional then you’ll choose one from Burgundy, the home of Pinot Noir. But if you’re ready to listen to your adventurous side there are loads of great alternatives out there to help you spread your wine wings this Christmas and which, importantly, are 100% credit crunch compliant.

Popolino Rosso 2008 from Sicily is a perfect example at £4.95 from Marks & Spencer. This is the best under £5.00 red wine that I’ve come across in a long time, it’s lovely and light, fruity and aromatic with spiced plums, blackberry fruit and a sweet smokiness on the finish. ………