If it’s not beginning to feel a lot like Christmas, then maybe a slug or two of this will help…

Harveys Signature 12 Year Old Cream Sherry, Spain (£11.99 per 50cl Tesco)
Packed with Christmas cake flavours – fig, walnut, candied peel and raisin, plus notes of cloves and cinnamon – and while it is sweet, there the bracing, scalp itching intensity of acidity to keep it all fresh and twangy. Would be good with Xmas cake (hold the icing), but I’d like to try this with mature hard cheeses – Gouda, Cheddar, Parmesan, that sort of thing. S(+)