“When the main event rolls around,” says Dan Murphy's Wine Merchant Richard, “I like to keep it traditional. Let’s start really dry and crisp with whites – a riesling from James Halliday’s Winery of the Year. It’s great with all those salty, smoky, canape-style things. Let’s follow with a Petit Chablis. Traditionally we’d break out the oysters but the Simonnet-Febvre is food- friendly enough to partner with a range of seafood dishes, provided they’re not too intense. Then, let’s move forward with an old-school style of chardonnay. The Petaluma is rich and textured enough to see us through turkey, roast pork and the like.

“For reds, pinot is great for an Aussie Christmas. This Punt Road number is light enough for a warm day, and the berry flavours mirror all those Christmas condiments like cranberries and Cumberland sauce," says Richard. "Then, an elegant, medium-bodied cabernet is a great foil to both turkey and ham. The Majella has a couple of years on it, and it’s looking really special. Finally, a sparkling shiraz – it’s not an Aussie Christmas without it! There are plenty of different styles, but I love the lower dosage on this one – it’s not as sweet, so it slides in beautifully with all the savoury main course dishes.”