Christmas Cheese and Wine
We’re delighted to share our cheese and wine recommendations for Christmas and New Year 2024! They’re available for order now, and can be collected up to 4pm on Monday December 23rd for Christmas, and 4pm Monday 30th for New Year. (We’re keeping the 24th and 31st clear for last minute in-store shopping.)
Cheese selections
The festive season is the ideal time to socialise, relax, and indulge in the finer things in life. Like cheese! We always have an extra-special cheese selection at this time of year – usually about 60 varieties at any one time – which changes daily as supplies come and go.
We’re delighted to recommend three cheese selections to take pride of place on your Christmas dinner table. Each selection contains approximately 200g of five different cheeses, which will give six or seven generous servings of each one. Selections can be supplied in a gift hamper for a small extra charge, and crackers and chutney can be added for £7.50.
Selection 1: All I Want for Christmas is Cheese
£28.00 for 200g each of five cheeses
A varied selection of popular cheeses. There’s something there to keep everyone happy!
Dorset Red. A beautiful smoked cheese, bursting with flavour. A splash of orangey-red on the board.
Chaumes. Washed-rind, soft French cheese with a slightly pungent aroma but a rich creamy flavour.
Beemster Gouda. A classic Dutch mature Gouda. Light caramel in colour, with a sweet nutty taste.
Godminster. Sweet and creamy vintage Cheddar with a nutty texture.
Colston Basset Stilton. THE classic Christmas blue – perfect with a glass of Port.
Selection 2: K&G Festive Favourites
£31.00 for 200g each of five cheeses
A selection of our best-selling customer favourites. An ideal gift for the person that has everything!
Cornish Yarg. Wrapped in nettles, a mild and slightly crumbly cheese.
Red Storm Truckle. A creamy vintage Red Leicester style cheese with nutty notes.
Vacherousse. Soft, smooth cow’s milk cheese from southern France. Full and creamy.
Manchego. Matured ewe’s milk cheese from Spain, caramel and nutty. Perfect with membrillo.
Montagnolo. Triple cream cheese with mild blue threads. You’ll enjoy this even if you’re not a blue cheese fan!
Selection 3: Gold, Frankincense and Meaux
£33.00 for 200g each of five cheeses
A luxury selection of some of the finest, most flavoursome cheeses Europe can provide.
Pecorino Truffle. Our most popular Christmas cheese, a mild sheep’s milk cheese studded with black truffle.
Comté. Firm cheese from the Jura mountains. Smooth texture and nutty in flavour.
Brie de Meaux. The perfect Brie, creamy and full of French flavour.
Inverloch Goats. A gorgeous goat’s milk cheddar, with a subtle flavour.
Bleu d’Auvergne. A firm, creamy blue with peppery notes.
SUBSTITUTIONS/BUILD YOUR OWN CHEESEBOARD
All cheese listed above are cow’s milk, unless otherwise stated. Some are pasteurised and some are unpasteurised: let us know if you have a preference.
If you don’t like the look of one or more cheeses in a selection that you otherwise fancy, let us know and we will suggest an alternative.
If you want to make up your own selection, we’ll be happy to help, guiding you through our current choices. But PLEASE order nice and early, especially if you want a special selection: by the week before Christmas the choices will be narrowing…and the queues lengthening!
Some other cheeses you might want to add in – all depending on availability
SOFT
Brie de Nangis, Camembert (in a box), Minger (smelly!), Vacherin (in a box, usually for baking), Chaource, Baron Bigod, Black Crowdie, Taleggio, Peyrigoux
SEMI-HARD
Caerffili, Gjetost (caramel cheese!), Black Bomber, Green Thunder, Lancashire, Wensleydale, White Stilton, Cornish Garlic Yarg
HARD
St Andrews Cheddar, Wookey Hole Cheddar, Dorset Rest (smoked), Jarlsberg, Gruyère, Emmental, Old Amsterdam, Prima Donna, Godminster
BLUE
Colston Basset Stilton, Papillon Roquefort, Barkham Blue, Picos Blue, Gorgonzola, Bleu de Causses, Shropshire Blue
SHEEP’S
Pecorino Truffle, Pecorino Rosso, Pecorino Nero, Villarejo Rosemary, Ossau Iraty, Brebirousse, Wigmore
GOAT’S
Selles sur Cher (in a wooden box), Rosary (soft cheese with herbs and garlic), Rachel, Ticklemore, Murcia al Vino
ORKNEY
Grimbister, Orkney Extra Mature Cheddar, Burnside, Island Smokery Dark Smoked Cheddar
FOR COOKING/GARNISH
Parmigiano, Pecorino Romano, Feta, Halloumi
***All cheeses listed are subject to availability. Substitutions – of a similar style, and equal or greater value – may be necessary. The earlier you order the more likely we can get it in time!***
To order CHEESE, phone us on 01856 888792 or email kirknessandgorie@breckan.scot. We will take payment and agree a date for collection.
Wine boxes
There’s lots to organise over the festive season. Make life easier and more delicious by choosing from our range of Christmas Wine Boxes. We’re searched our shelves and our suppliers’ cellars and put together four selections that are guaranteed to please, whether you want a great-value party box or an indulgent luxury selection.
If you don’t like the look of one or other of these bottles we’re recommending, let us know and we can substitute something else. (Or indeed make up any case to suit your taste, with a little time.) And of course you are always welcome to come into the shop – we’re open six days per week every week, and Sundays too from December 8th to 22nd – to make your own selection.
Box 1: Christmas Party Pack
£60.00 for six bottles
This selection offers popular, easy-drinking wines at great prices. Something for everyone.
Luce D’Oro, Ribolla Gialla Spumante, Italy, NV. Prosecco’s next-door neighbour.
Zagare, Vermentino, Sicily, 2023. Light and lemony, great with fish.
False Bay, ‘Slow’ Chenin Blanc, South Africa, 2023. Fuller bodied, flavours of green apples.
Ancora, Pinot Grigio Rosato, Italy, 2023. Pretty in pink…
Adobe Reserva, Organic Merlot, Chile, 2022. A great all-round red: full of plummy fruit.
Le Perdrix Solitaire, Malbec, France, 2023. Ideal with beef, lamb or pork.
Box 2: Old World Icons
£80.00 for six bottles
High quality wines from some of the best-known areas of Europe. Crack open a classic!
A.J. Adam, Riesling, Germany, 2021. Benchmark Riesling from the Mosel Valley: aromatic, dry, and richly fruity. Perfect with partan, other seafood, and creamy curries.
Domaine du Maubet, Côtes de Gascogne Blanc, France, 2023. Zingy, aromatic, refreshing blend from southwest France.
Borsao, Seleccion Blanco, Spain, 2023. Another blend, another style: rich, silky-smooth, full-bodied white from northern Spain.
Domaine Mas Barrau, Cabernet Franc, France, 2023. A luscious red packed with blackcurrant flavours. Great with lamb or any full-flavoured dish.
Casa Ferreirinha, ‘Papa Figos’ Douro Tinto, Portugal, 2022. From the land of Port…a complex red that would be a good turkey match, but is very drinkable with just about anything.
Vallone, ‘Versante’ Primitivo, Italy, 2023. A classic south Italian: ripe fruit flavours with a Balsamic-like tang. Great with pasta in tomato-based sauce, or pizza.
Box 3: Bright Wines for Dark Nights
£85.00 for six bottles
A collection of New World wines to brighten any dark evening. Bold, fruity, and full of character, these wines will complement almost everything on your Christmas table.
Dandelion Vineyards, ‘Enchanted Garden of the Eden Valley’ Riesling, Australia, 2022. Their Shiraz is a shop favourite, but their Riesling is equally brilliant! Dry and limey – try with any seafood.
Gravel & Loam, Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand, 2023. Everyone loves NZ Sauv Blanc, including us – here’s why!
Rising River, Chenin Blanc, South Africa, 2023. A full-bodied white that would be good with white meat (including turkey) as well as fish.
Pizzorno, ‘M’ Marselan, Uruguay, 2020. A rare and fascinating wine from an unusual wine country! Rich and smooth, with an acidic edge that makes it ideal with fatty meats like roast pork or goose.
Burlesque, Old Vine Zinfandel, USA, 2020. Another super-smoothie, this has sweet fruit typical of California, and interesting spice-box notes.
Mad Bird, Malbec Ancellotta, Argentina, 2022. Malbec gives us dark colour and intense berry flavours. Ancellotta brings beautiful aromatics. (Great label too…) Feed the bird some steak!
Box 4: Flying high
£120.00 for six bottles
Special bottles for an indulgent time of year. Some of our most delicious, characterful wines: easy to enjoy but also rewarding. This selection will provide a top-notch experience from a glass of fizz at the start of the celebrations to your last tipple with a nibble of Stilton.
Domaine Désiré Petit, Crémant du Jura, NV. From the mountains on France’s eastern border…a uniquely flavoursome fizz. Floral aromas and a creamy texture. Superb.
Château de la Gardine, Côtes du Rhône Blanc, France, 2022. Packed with fresh fruit flavours: peaches, apricots, pears. Despite that, it’s light and fresh – a wonderful balancing act.
Greywacke, Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand, 2023. A favourite for many years, this is always a stunner: as aromatic as any NZ Sauv Blanc, with unmatched depth of flavour.
Dandelion Vineyards, ‘Lionheart of the Barossa’ Shiraz, Australia, 2021. Hurray! One of our best-loved red wines! Full and powerful, but with layers of flavour and texture.
Ca N’Estruc, Idoia Negre, Spain, 2018. A rare and delicious Garnacha from just north of Barcelona. It’s elegant but with great length and power. Good with just about anything meaty, or roasted vegetables.
Sandeman, Late Bottled Vintage Porto, Portugal, 2016. Christmas time is Port time, and this is our best seller every festive season.
Unmixed Cases of 6: sixpacks of pleasure!
Pick up an unmixed case or two at very special prices to keep the drinks flowing at your festive parties:
WHITE
Cuvée Jean-Paul, Côtes de Gascogne Sec, 2023. £57.00
Rising River, Chardonnay, South Africa, 2023. £63.00
RED
Ancora, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Italy, 2023. £57.00
Burlesque, Old Vine Zinfandel, USA, 2020. £75.00
TO ORDER WINE, PHONE US ON 01856 888792 OR EMAIL KIRKNESSANDGORIE@BRECKAN.SCOT. WE WILL TAKE PAYMENT AND AGREE A DATE FOR COLLECTION.
CUSTOM HAMPERS
We will also be very happy to make up custom foodie hampers for you. There are too many possibilities to list, as we have a whole shop to choose from!
What generally works best is if you say something like, ‘A bottle of Port, a bit of cheese, and some crackers,’ or, ‘A selection of goodies for someone with a sweet tooth,’ or, ‘£25 (or £50, or any value) of unusual deli goods for a real foodie.’ General guidance like that - and a rough budget - will lead us to a well-balanced selection for you.
We can either supply your selection in a plain bag, or we can present it in a festive red hamper with green stuffing, for a small extra charge. Remember to tell us if you want a gift tag attached.
WHAT ABOUT DELIVERIES?
This year, because we are busier than ever, we are asking you to collect your orders if at all possible. We WILL deliver within Kirkwall (including the isles depot at Hatston) right up to the 23rd, but further afield we will deliver on two set days in mid-December. Please contact us to discuss possibilities.