Dessert wines: Canadian ambrosia, a tarte tatin confection, and spiced Christmas-cake port

Plus three to try for a night in, a dinner party, and to splash out

Before turning to the serious subject of Christmas stickies, let me regale you with a couple of festive treats too distinctive to miss. The first is technically a cider – no ordinary cider of course, but a tarte tatin confection oozing liquid toffee apple and crunchy on the finish. Stand up the 2014 Neige Ice Cider, £19.99, half-bottle, Lidl. Second comes the Pedrino Alcoholic Tonic, £1.90, Waitrose, a marmaladey sweet yet bitter-tasting quinine and tonic drink made from Montilla's Pedro Ximénez grape.

Returning to sweet and sticky vinosity, Pillitteri Vidal Ice Wine, £14.99, half-bottle, Lidl, is Canadian ambrosia made from vidal grapes, frozen on the vine, producing a mouthwatering crystallised peach and pineappley nectar. I also love the lusciously rich, lime marmalade tang of the Cape sweetie, 2014 Paul Cluver Noble Late Harvest Riesling, £14.99, half-bottle, Marks & Spencer. My surprise treat is Surrey's 2014 Denbies Noble Harvest Botrytis Dessert Wine, £19.99, half-bottle, Waitrose, an outstanding homegrown sticky made from the ortega grape, boasting wonderfully pristine flavours of ripe peach and honeyed richness.

After the Christmas meal, it's port o'clock and there's an unenviable number of fine examples to go with the Stilton, the Cashel, the Crozier or Beenleigh blue. At 20-years-old, Taylor's 1995 Quinta de Terra Feita, £25, Marks & Spencer, is amazing value, rich, spiced Christmas-cake port, and Maynard's 40-Year-Old Tawny Port, £29.99, Aldi, is a stonking buy, not just for its box, but the voluptuous fudge and walnutty finish.

De Bortoli's rich Show Liqueur Muscat, £14, Tesco, is a marmalade-rich, nutty alternative, the spicily fragrant, toffeeish Santa Cristina Vin Santo, £9.58, half-bottle, Waitrose, down from £11.99, and the 1996 Rivesaltes Vin Doux Naturel, £13.50, The Wine Society, more rich and nutty confections. Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without an unctuous Pedro Ximénez, and both the rich Morrisons Signature Pedro Ximénez NV, £6, and, even prunier Barbadillo Pedro Ximénez £10.99 – £11.99, Adnams, slurp.co.uk, Harrogate Fine Wine, should be poured over vanilla ice cream to be enjoyed at their hedonistic best.

Three to try

Night in

2014 Paul Mas Clairette du Languedoc

A bright, dry white with an apple-and -pear quality that works well as an aperitif or with a seafood tagliatelle. £8, Morrisons

Dinner party

2013 The Co-operative Truly Irresistible Premier Cru Chablis

There's a purity and creamy richness about the chardonnay fruit and a mineral bone-dry finish. £14.99, The Co-operative

Splash out

2009 Château Laroque, Saint Emilion, Bordeaux

A youthful claret from a great Bordeaux vintage, with ripe red fruits and vanilla. £22.99, down from £28.99, Waitrose