As I write the talk is all of dogged resolve to change bad habits, detox and diet. Faces are long, humour in short supply but if this year goes to form it won’t be too long before bodies start to fall spectacularly from the wagon.

Far better in my view to adopt a realistic approach to restraint – wine lovers should resolve to substitute excessive consumption for a serious qualitative upgrade to their drinking experience in 2007. As the late great Australian wine guru Len Evans put it “Every time you drink an inferior bottle, it’s as if you took a fine bottle and smashed it against the wall – you’ll never get that bottle back!”

Here’s my 4 part upgrade programme:

Break out of the £5 ceiling for everyday drinking. Remember fixed costs such as packaging, bottling and distribution together with duty and tax mean that every bog-off £3.99 “bargain” leaves only 63p for the actual wine content. Upgrade to a £7.99 bottle and that content value grows by a factor of nearly five to £3.05p – a difference which buys an awful lot of superior ingredients in the vineyard and skill in the winery.

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Even those Whistler readers who’ve never heard of legendary American wine critic Robert Parker may have come across the initials RP next to a numerical score given to wines reviewed in the papers, on restaurant wine lists, or on a merchant’s brochure. Parker is without doubt the most influential and most controversial individual in the world of wine. In the late 70`s, Parker, at the time a lawyer practising in Baltimore, launched his wine journal”The Wine Advocate”. He introduced an infamous scoring system in which wines are given a score out of 100- though in practice they almost all receive scores between 80 and 100. Wines are guaranteed a score of 50 “just for showing up”; those receiving scores of 94-100 are revered by wine collectors worldwide. In addition to the “Advocate” Parker has authored many books, including what many regard as the definitive reference books on Bordeaux and Rhone wines.

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For some of us the question of whether we might suffer from a hangover this Christmas is a question best consigned to the category: is the Pope a Catholic? Let’s face it, there are just too many irresistible tippling opportunities on the countdown to the big day – office parties, “open houses”, family visits, mulled wine - the temptation is endless.

For wine lovers that can mean the disappointment of finding those carefully researched special bottles for Christmas can go under appreciated by those with jaded palates and groaning livers – not least ourselves!

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As the autumn days draw in wine lovers start thinking of snuggling up on the sofa with a robust glass of red – a toasty Rioja or spicy Shiraz perhaps – but West Hill’s party animals will be looking forward to some decent fizz to get them in the festive party mood.

Sparkling wine has the unique ability to appeal to all senses simultaneously - the visual, that captivating rising mousse; the aural, from the pop of the cork to the crackle of the bubbles; and inevitably the physical – who doesn’t feel witty or flirty -or both- after a glass or two.

The default choice may be Champagne, a name that conjures as much a hedonistic lifestyle as an alcoholic drink. It’s fair to say the french “Grande Marques” set the benchmark for quality – but at a price. When quantity or budget is a consideration there are plenty of respectable alternatives, notably the better Cava producers, Alsace and Bourgogne Cremant or try Prosseco from the Italian Veneto.

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