Best wine advent calendars to toast the festive season

Bestselling and ever reliable, Virgin Wines’s advent calendars are always worth the money – in fact, the brand brought the concept to the UK in the first place. There are all-white and all-red versions but, for the best of both worlds, this mixed calendar features 24 mini bottles of red, white, rosé, and sparkling wines. From bold reds from the Andes to a crisp New Zealand sauvignon blanc and a festive prosecco from Veneto, each door reveals something special. As a bonus, there’s a full-sized bottle of shiraz waiting behind door 25 – perfect for Christmas Day. This beautifully designed box is filled with unique, smaller producers, making it an exciting gift for any wine-lover.

This festive treat counts you down to Christmas with 23 quarter-bottles of red, white, and rosé wines from around the world. But that’s not all – for the first time ever, Laithwaites is including a premium bottle of Alessandro Gallici’s prosecco (worth £25) to enjoy on Christmas Eve. The selection of vinos hidden inside the calendar is varied, with wines of all styles included. Demand is likely to be high for this one, so, grab yours while you can.

For more fine wine, how about Perfect Cellar’s advent, featuring 24 expertly curated wines from world-class regions. From bordeaux and burgundy to barolo and rioja, this limited-edition calendar offers generous 100ml servings of fine wines, each chosen to impress. Whether you’re treating yourself or sending this calendar as a luxurious gift, each day promises a new discovery, including top-tier selections such as Margaux and cru classe provence. It’s a festive countdown for those who truly appreciate the art of wine.

The Little Fine Wine Co offers a simple, quality membership scheme, with rotating themes each month and half bottles delivered to your door. These same half bottles are what you’ll be opening every other day with this advent, which features a mix of elegant styles, from rich reds and crisp whites to champagne, sweet, and fortified wines. Highlights include a brunello, grand cru bordeaux, and two bottles of sparkling wine. Alternatively, you can make things more of a surprise with the bespoke mystery cases, which are tailored to individual tastes.

If you want something even more Christmassy, what about a calendar full of delicious port? As pioneers of port innovation and sustainability, the Quevedo family has poured decades of expertise into their wines, and their focus on converting vineyards to organic makes this calendar not only a delicious treat but also an ethical one. Based in the heart of the Douro Valley, the Quevedos have made a name for themselves with their small-batch, high-quality ports. When it comes to this calendar, each day brings a new port to savour, from rich ruby ports to rare, aged tawny ports. Highlights include a 30-year-old tawny port, exclusive to this calendar, and a colheita 1997 port, making this a truly luxurious advent experience.

Good Pair Days is a wine subscription service that matches people with wine, based on their tastes – and the reviews are seriously impressive. The brand is so confident you’ll love its choices, in fact, this is one of the few calendars to include full 750ml bottles – perfect for sharing and celebrating on Christmas Day. The wines inside are a delightful mystery, offering a mix of indie gems and iconic favourites from around the world. With curated tasting notes, recipes, and wine pairings, plus a free insulated tumbler to keep your mulled wine warm or your bubbly chilled, it’s a hefty package. There are a few classic options (mixed, chillable and red), but then some ‘fancy’ upgrades for an extra £100, if you really want to treat yourself to some even special wines.

Last year, The Online Wine Tasting Club took buyers of their calendar on a B-Z varietal tour, and this year they’ve come up with another interesting concept: a globetrotting adventure. Beginning in England’s Crouch Valley, you’ll make your way back home to Sussex, but not before stopping off in Europe, China, Australia, Uruguay, and Portugal, to name a few. With all bottles ranging between £12 to £40, there is a clear focus on quality wine that expresses wildly different terroir.

Back for its fourth year, the Brixton Wine Club advent calendar brings a festive twist to anyone wanting to explore UK-based start-ups and award-winning independent producers. Each can comes with tasting notes, ensuring you’ll learn something new while sipping some truly exciting wines. With a focus on fun and approachability, this calendar features 24 delicious cans of wine, ranging from 187ml to 250ml, all sourced from 10 countries. Highlights include a Mediterranean orange wine, a low-intervention riesling from Germany, and sparkling wine from New Zealand.

The iconic private members club and wine connoisseur’s playground has its own swanky advent calendar devoted to fine wine. Replicating the building itself, the calendar takes things to a whole new level of elite wine discovery, housing 24 miniature glass bottles. As you might expect, the selection has been curated featuring fine wines from celebrated regions such as Burgundy and Bordeaux, with a few less-well-known gems, too. Every bottle comes with a QR code leading to an expert-led tasting video, so you can swirl, sip and taste with a virtual pro, and, unlike the club, you don’t need to be a member to enjoy it. While the calendar may not be the cheapest, 67 Pall Mall recently made a commitment to support the Golden Vines Foundation, which enables key programmes aiding those from underrepresented communities within the wine and spirits industry. So, you can sip knowing you’re also supporting a good cause.