“Wine is the only artwork you can drink” - Luis Fernando Olaverri

Go on, be honest and tell me when was the last time you had a sherry other than in your Christmas trifle?

We’ve probably all been introduced to it by our grans, who all seemed to have a bottle of Cyprus sherry in a decanter on the sideboard, a product that really is a crime against humanity.

Inevitably said sherry had been open since last Christmas and was a tad more oxidised than the Forth Bridge.

Mind you, the product itself is a tad confusing with a myriad of styles ranging from the bone dry to liquidised dates, but you could always take my advice and ignore most of the styles altogether.

The only time you need cream sherry is in the trifle, and seriously who cares if amontillado is supposed to be nutty or manzanilla is salty, I couldn’t care less about either flavour in my sherry.

Then we’ve got palo cortado which is just a confused amontillado and so all that leaves is fino and PX, or as the meerkats would say ‘simples’.

For me, sherry is all about Pedro Ximenez or PX for short.

These dark, treacly wines with their toffee, maple syrup and creme brulee flavours all fighting to dominate your palate are one of the best things about Christmas, other than Santa of course.

Anyway, I’ve babbled on an awful lot today but I’ve got my log fire on and a snifter of PX just winking at me across the room so pip pip for another week folks.

Antique Fino, Fernando Castilla

Aromatic with a crisp palate of roasted nuts and winter fruits.

The Sampler £26.00

Delicado PX

An incredibly complex sherry for the price with dark sticky treacly fruits wrapped in creamy caramel. Mmmm

Waitrose £15.99

Gerard Richardson MBE

Drinks Columnist for Newsquest