“Alcohol may be man’s worst enemy, but the bible says love your enemy” – Frank Sinatra.

Thanks, Frank and I for one fully intend to embrace my enemy as much as possible over the season – starting on Christmas Eve when I make my ever-so-alcoholic trifle.

I keep it simple with sponges soaked in half a bottle of 30-year-old cream sherry, with me soaked in the other half. To be honest, I rarely open sherry but when I do it’s always PX these days.

Christmas dinner this year will be paired with a crisp New Zealand Sauvignon from the Marlborough region and a red Bordeaux, perhaps a St Emilion (although I could be tempted by one of the classic South African claret styles for a change. I guess it depends on how radical the previous evening’s sherry makes me).

The afternoon and evening of Christmas Day is all about Port or Madeira in our house, and this year I’ve kept a cracking bottle of the 75-vintage Sandeman aside. A nice tip with older vintages is to print off the main headlines for the year and take your palate and brain on a trip back in time. I opened a bottle of 1879 Madeira in 2016 and two of the headlines were “Edison files a patent for the light bulb” and “the Sioux sign a peace treaty with the US Cavalry”!

Boxing Day for me is a relaxing day with family followed by a rather luxurious red for the evening. At present it’s looking like the fabulously velvety Truchard Merlot from California but I can feel a bottle of Beronia’s wonderfully creamy Gran Reserva Rioja calling like the temptress that she is.

Mind you, if my lottery numbers come up I’ll keep my eye on a few alternatives. I don’t think I’ll change the sherry for the trifle but the big dinner would definitely get an upgrade. I’d swap the Marlborough Sauvignon for anything from the late Didier Dagueneau’s vineyard in Sancerre and my St Emillion would all of a sudden become a Mouton Rothschild, perhaps the 1995.

As for port, it would have to be the 45 Taylor and my Boxing Day Merlot would transform Cinderella-like into a 2005 Petrus. I know, in theory I’ve just blown a few grand over 36 hours but we can all dream! Pip pip – and have a wonderful Christmas.

Gerard’s picks

n Beronia Gran Reserva Rioja: Sheer bliss with creamy autumn fruit aromas and soft but very lively stewed fruits and vanilla on the palate. Absolutely delicious. Richardson’s of Whitehaven £22.95.

n Charles Melton, Voices of Angels Shiraz: Opens up beautifully on the palate with dark brambly fruits and hints of liquorice. Shill’s of Cockermouth, £38.95.