T’IS THE Season to be jolly! And to eat, drink and be merry. So what are the best food pairings this festive season? Here’s our handy guide to the best festive tipples, so whether you are having traditional turkey, smoked salmon or goose, Sam Wylie-Harris suggests the best wines to make the most of the big day.

She suggests that to herald in the most important meal of the year, a champagne celebration and glass of Veuve Monsigny Champagne Brut NV (£12.99, Aldi) will make the most discerning drinker rejoice. These fine bubbles not only represent value, but impress with their aromas of pastry and brioche, creamy texture and fruity, crisp finish.

When it comes to selecting the wines to grace the table, nothing's carved in stone - it's simply a matter of style and taste.

After all, there is no perfect wine to serve with Christmas dinner, but you can have a jolly good time pulling the corks on some of my suggestions below.

SMOKED SALMON AND GOURMET BITES – Try the Co-operative Truly Irresistible Chablis 2014, France (£9.99.) A Burgundy blonde with style and verve, this Chablis displays lively, citrusy fruits and great mineral-driven purity without being too steely. With delicate floral aromas and refreshing acidity, it's a delicious match with smoked salmon and gravlax, and versatile enough to serve with roast turkey.

Or there’s always the Sancerre Les Ruettes 2014, France (Currently £9.50 from £14.50, until January 1, 2016, Marks & Spencer). A refreshing, pristine white from the Loire Valley, this sauvignon blanc is racy and herbaceous with just a trace of grass. With classic gooseberry, grapefruit and lime flavours and a flinty note running through the lifted fruit, this will wash down beautifully with shellfish, smoked salmon and goats cheese.

TURKEY AND ALL THE TRIMMINGS - Try Les Jamelles Reserve Mourvedre 2013, Pays d'Oc, France (£7.49, The Co-operative). With such a fanfare of food, sometimes an easy drinking, rustic red with brambly fruit aromas and juicy dark fruits laced with sweet spice is all you need to add scent and flavour to bronzed birds, and complement the multitude of trimmings.

Or why not try the Serabel Gigondas 2014, France (£10.99, Lidl). A classy looking red from the Southern Rhone with grenache, herbs and spice at its core, it's full-bodied and rounded with plenty of herbs, cassis and spiced, ripe blackberry and mulberry fruits with enough grip to cope with chestnut stuffing, cranberry sauce and lashings of gravy.

GOOSE - Try the Graffigna Centenario Malbec Reserve 2013, Argentina (£7.50, Sainsbury's). A real crowd pleaser, this vibrant malbec works wonders with the rich, gamey flavours of goose. With sweet, plump, berry fruits on the nose and seductive cherry, blackcurrant and brambly fruits underscored by fragrant spice, it finishes with soft tannins and a brightness to keep you coming back for more.