Beyond the Bottle: Introducing our 2025 Christmas Wine Expert, Olly Smith
Published on 30th Oct, 2025
Christmas is officially upon us, and with it comes the delightful challenge of selecting the perfect sips for every festive moment. From dazzling dinner party pours to cosy Christmas Eve tipples by the fire, deciding what to uncork can feel a little daunting.
That’s why we’re thrilled to announce that this Christmas, we have teamed up with with award-winning TV presenter and drinks legend, Olly Smith!
You know Olly as the TV presenter and award-winning wine expert with an infectious passion for all things vino – and now he's teamed up with Morrisons to make your Christmas sips spectacular. Olly has meticulously curated ‘Olly’s Wines of Christmas’ – a collection of 28 exceptional wines, carefully chosen to pair perfectly with your holiday feasts and suit every taste and budget (available online and in-store from October 20th!).
We sat down with Olly to get all his top tips. Want to know the surprising TV show he used to write for? Or his personal favourite from the Morrisons Christmas collection? What about the absolute best wine for your Christmas cheeseboard, or how to really tell if a wine has gone bad?
Dive into our chat below as Olly shares his journey into wine, reveals his top picks, offers brilliant food pairings, and gives essential wine tasting and storage advice. Get ready to impress your guests this Christmas!
A Bit About Olly
For those who don't know you, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your journey into the world of wine?
I started out working in a wine shop and after taking a detour screenwriting for film and TV I entered a competition called Wine Idol which I won and landed me an audition for presenting wine on TV. Here I am twenty years later still doing it!
What's your favourite part about being a wine expert?
Always meeting people and finding out what wines they love! My favourite part of the job is to listen to what people enjoy sipping and then recommend something great value that’ll thrill them even more.
Any surprising or fun facts about yourself that our customers might not know?
I used to write scripts for Pingu on TV. I had to cover everything that you see on screen, even writing the dialogue so that the voice artists could then translate it into the made up language that Pingu and his family spoke. Great fun!
Inside the Christmas Wine Collection
With 28 wines in the collection, how did you go about selecting a range that would cater to all tastes and budgets?
I was knocked out by the quality on offer across the wine range at Morrisons so I had a fantastic spread to choose from and picked out a balance of wine made from different grape varieties and countries so there’d be something to appeal to all tastes and budgets.
What’s your personal favourite wine from the selection, and why?
Morrisons The Best Fitou a real favourite that's nothing short of epic in its sense of harmony. Rich and peppery with a delightful hint of perfume, it's a red that's well worth decanting into a jug before you serve it in glasses - it’s like turning up the volume on all those tantalizing aromas and flavours.
What wines from this collection would you recommend as a gift for a wine lover?
Morrisons The Best Cremant De Limoux Brut a dazzling bubbly that's spot on for a gift thanks to its thrilling refreshment. The hallmark of top quality fizz is always plentiful tiny bubbles and this wine has both. Joyfully complex with outstanding pedigree, a glass of this feels like a generous dose of festive cheer - perfect to share!
Beyond the festive period, which wine from this collection do you think would be a great go-to for all year round?
The Best Grüner Veltliner is a white wine that’s delightfully crisp and fresh - a bit like skiing in a t-shirt! I love it year round for its breezy refreshment and bright purity.
Olly's Expert Pairing Advice
For those who are new to wine, what's a great 'entry-level' wine from the collection that's easy to drink and perfect for a festive party?
Morrisons The Best South African Chenin Blanc there's a balance between gorgeous purity and some decent texture too. This one is as pristine as a pineapple carved from a diamond. With liveliness and zing, it's ideal for serving chilled from the fridge at parties and has just the right welly to match with party bites.
For a quiet Christmas Eve, what's a comforting wine to enjoy by the fire?
If you’ve got a sweet tooth, Morrisons The Best Pedro Ximenez is luscious and dark and tastes like liquid Christmas Pudding. It’s also amazing as a treat poured over vanilla ice cream!
What's a brilliant wine to pair with a traditional roast turkey on Christmas Day?
Morrisons The Best Gran Reserva Chilean Pinot Noir Top level Pinot Noir has elegance, silkiness and memorable finesse. This one from Chile has all that and more, with extra perfume, intriguing spice and a lift of freshness all rolled into one. Some of the grapes for this wine are from a famous vineyard - the perfect pedigree for turkey with all the trimmings.
For those having something different at Christmas dinner, what wine would you recommend with a vegetarian main?
I love fragrant white wines such as Morrison The Best Viognier which, as well as being refreshing, tastes beautifully peachy.
Can you suggest a delicious wine that's great for the Christmas Day cheeseboard?
Morrisons The Best 10 Year Old Tawny Port Tawny Port should always be served cool and its flavours are a world of festive spices wreathed around a core of sweet sultana-like fruit. It has a big flavour with a tangy twist and is a classic fortified wine to pair with Stilton - its sweetness is a striking contrast with the salty cheese.
Your Wine Questions Answered
For our customers who are a bit new to wine, what are the basics they need to know about tasting?
You can always tell the quality of a wine by how long the flavours linger once you’ve sipped it - the longer the better. And you can never make a mistake with wine, your taste will be different to other people, in the same way as we all have our favourite movie stars, so you’ll find a wine that’ll thrill you. Always trust your tastebuds - and if you want to find out more, my new book “WINE: Everything You Need To Know” covers everything from the basics right to the top.
What's the difference between a dry and a sweet wine and what do each of them pair well with?
Dry wines are light, zingy and tend to taste of citrus flavours, they pair brilliantly with light bites, fish, salads and shellfish. Sweet wines are rich and luscious, and feel like a real treat when served with desserts - and some, like Morrisons The Best Pedro Ximenez are sweet enough to sip chilled with a box of chocolates.
What's the most common mistake people make when buying wine for Christmas, and how can they avoid it?
There’s no need to over-stretch the budget thanks to the excellent value on offer across the range of wines at Morrisons. The Best range is a fabulous place to start exploring wine.
What's the correct temperature to serve red/white/rose wine?
Red wine is generally room temperature or cooler, 16-18 degrees Celsius works really well. Whites and rosés are great fridge cold, between 10-12 degrees Celsius.
What does it mean for a wine to 'breathe' or be 'decanted'? (And when should you do it?)
Pouring a wine into any jug (the shape doesn’t make a difference) will help open up aromas and flavours on all wines (except fizz, no need to decant that or you’ll loose the bubbles!). Thanks to the air getting to the wine, you’ll find it’s a bit like turning the volume up on your vino and it’s ready to serve at once - and there’s no need to splash out on a fancy decanter.
What's the best way to store leftover wine, and how long does it last?
You can store wine of any colour in the fridge to slow down oxidation for a couple of days at least. With reds just take them out a couple of hours before serving and bring them gently back to room temperature.
How can someone tell if a wine has gone bad?
If it smells of vinegar or oxidised (think sherry) then it’s gone over.
Final tips for how customers can get the most out of this wine collection, from buying to enjoying it?
When you enjoy a wine, try to remember the grape variety and the place it came from and explore both of those to find more wine gems that you’ll love. And always share your wine, I reckon it always tastes better in good company!
Well, there you have it! A huge thank you to the brilliant Olly Smith for uncorking so much fantastic wine wisdom, from surprising Pingu facts to perfectly paired festive sips. We hope you feel inspired and ready to make your Christmas celebrations truly memorable. So, what are you waiting for? Head online or pop into your local Morrisons from October 20th to explore Olly's Wines of Christmas and find your perfect festive pour. Cheers to a delicious Christmas!
