Christmas already involves enough difficult decisions. Whose family gets Christmas Day? Is it acceptable to regift that candle? And exactly how many bottles of fizz count as being well prepared rather than wildly optimistic?
So, we’ve decided to take one more decision off your hands: which sparkling wine to buy, whether it’s for yourself or someone on your Christmas gift list.
From the Leo who believes every gathering deserves a grand entrance to the Capricorn who’s planned Christmas dinner down to the minute, there’s a sparkling wine to suit every personality.
And while Champagne and Prosecco tend to dominate December’s drinking plans, there’s an entire universe of sparkling wine waiting to be explored.
So, whether you’re buying a bottle for the zodiac obsessive in your life or wondering what the stars have in store for your own festive drinking, we’ve consulted the cosmos (and the cellar) to find your perfect fizz. Armed with absolutely no astrological qualifications, but plenty of wine knowledge, naturally.
♈ What Sparkling Wine Should You Buy an Aries for Christmas?
For the person who turns a quiet Christmas Eve into an unscheduled house party.
Pét-Nat
If anyone is going to suggest an impromptu Christmas Eve party at 10pm, it’s probably an Aries.
Ruled by Mars, Aries is the zodiac’s resident firestarter. Energetic, impulsive, competitive and rarely content to follow somebody else’s carefully constructed plans, they’re the people who turn a quiet evening into a story everyone is still discussing by New Year’s Eve.
Which makes pét-nat an entirely appropriate match.
Short for pétillant naturel, this sparkling wine is made using the ancestral method, where fermentation finishes inside the bottle, trapping the carbon dioxide that creates its bubbles. Unlike traditional-method sparkling wines, which undergo a second fermentation in bottle, pét-nat typically gets its fizz from a single fermentation.
The results can be wonderfully unpredictable. Some are cloudy, some crystal clear, some delicately fruity and others gloriously funky. Depending on the grapes and producer, expect anything from crunchy orchard fruits to citrus, flowers and a slightly wild, yeasty edge.
Much like Aries, pét-nat isn’t especially interested in behaving exactly as expected.
And frankly, Christmas could do with a little more of that energy. Although perhaps not at 10pm on Christmas Eve.
♉ What Sparkling Wine Should You Buy a Taurus for Christmas?
For the person who considers luxury a basic human right.
Vintage Champagne
Taurus has never understood why enjoying the finer things in life should require an apology.
Ruled by Venus, the planet of pleasure and beauty, Taureans appreciate quality, comfort and the particular satisfaction of doing something properly. They’re the ones who insist on real butter, proper napkins and opening the good bottle rather than saving it for an occasion that might never arrive.
For Taurus, Christmas isn’t about excess for its own sake. It’s about making every indulgence count. Preferably from the comfort of a very expensive sofa.
Enter vintage Champagne.
Unlike non-vintage Champagne, which typically blends wines from different harvests to maintain a consistent house style, vintage Champagne is made from grapes harvested in a single year and declared as such by the producer.
It must spend at least three years ageing on the lees before release, although many producers choose considerably longer. That extra time can bring wonderful complexity, with notes of toasted brioche, hazelnuts, baked apples and citrus layered over the wine’s characteristic freshness.
It’s Champagne that rewards attention rather than demanding it.
Taurus understands that some pleasures are worth waiting for. Although preferably not until next Christmas.
♊ What Sparkling Wine Should You Buy a Gemini for Christmas?
For the person who’s hosting a sophisticated dinner party at seven and doing karaoke by nine.
Lambrusco
Gemini has spent years being accused of having two personalities, which seems a little unfair when the world offers so many interesting ways to be.
Ruled by Mercury, Geminis are curious, witty, sociable and endlessly adaptable. They’re equally capable of leading an intellectual conversation over dinner and being the first person to suggest karaoke afterwards. They’ll also have changed their mind about where to spend New Year’s Eve at least four times before dessert.
So naturally, we’ve given them a wine that refuses to fit neatly into one box.
Lambrusco, from Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy, is not one single wine but a family of sparkling wines made from different Lambrusco grape varieties.
It can be red or rosé, dry or sweet, lightly sparkling or properly fizzy. At its best, dry red Lambrusco delivers juicy cherries, raspberries, violets and a deliciously refreshing bite, sometimes with a pleasantly savoury finish.
It’s also brilliant with food, particularly the rich cured meats and cheeses of its home region.
Which makes it a rather inspired addition to a Boxing Day spread.
Gemini doesn’t need to choose between being serious and being fun. Neither does Lambrusco.
♋ What Sparkling Wine Should You Buy a Cancer for Christmas?
For the person who still has every Christmas card they’ve received since 2004.
English Sparkling Wine
Every Christmas gathering has someone quietly making sure everyone else is having a good time.
They’ve remembered who doesn’t eat meat, made up the spare bedroom, found the missing batteries and somehow anticipated that somebody would need another blanket.
There’s a reasonable chance they’re a Cancer.
Ruled by the Moon, Cancer is associated with home, memory, sentimentality and emotional connection. They’re the people who keep family traditions alive, even when those traditions involve decorations that should probably have been retired sometime around 1997.
For Cancer, Christmas isn’t about impressing the neighbours or having the most elaborate table setting. It’s about the familiar faces, the stories told every year and the comforting rituals that make somewhere feel like home.
And English sparkling wine feels particularly well suited to that sentiment.
Many of England’s leading sparkling wines are made using the traditional method, often from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, the same three grapes most closely associated with Champagne.
The relatively cool climate helps preserve the lively acidity that makes these wines so refreshing, while extended ageing on the lees can introduce notes of brioche, biscuit and toasted nuts alongside green apple, citrus and red berries.
The result is a style that can be both celebratory and beautifully understated.
Cancer doesn’t need Christmas to be extravagant. Just memorable.
And preferably with everyone they love around the table, including the person who insists on wearing the same Christmas jumper every year.
♌ What Sparkling Wine Should You Buy a Leo for Christmas?
For the person who thinks the Christmas party starts when they arrive.
Rosé Champagne
Some people enter a Christmas party. Leo makes an entrance.
Ruled by the Sun, Leo is associated with warmth, confidence, generosity and a healthy appreciation for being noticed. But the best Leos aren’t simply interested in having a good time themselves. They want everyone else to have one too.
They’re the hosts who keep the glasses topped up, insist on one more song and somehow make an ordinary Tuesday feel like New Year’s Eve. Although they wouldn’t object if someone mentioned how fabulous they looked while doing it.
There was only ever one possible wine for them.
Rosé Champagne.
Made either by blending a proportion of still red wine into a white Champagne base or through controlled skin contact with black grapes, rosé Champagne combines the region’s characteristic elegance with an extra dimension of red fruit.
Think wild strawberries, raspberries, redcurrants and sometimes delicate spice, layered over citrus, fine bubbles and, in more mature examples, deliciously toasty complexity.
It’s glamorous, certainly, but the best examples have substance behind the sparkle.
Which is exactly how Leo would like to be described.
And if the bottle happens to look spectacular sitting in an ice bucket, well, that’s hardly a disadvantage.
♍What Sparkling Wine Should You Buy a Virgo for Christmas?
For the person whose Christmas spreadsheet has its own colour-coded spreadsheet.
Franciacorta
Virgo approaches Christmas with the precision of a military operation. Every detail has been considered, every possible disaster anticipated and there’s almost certainly a contingency plan for the contingency plan.
Ruled by Mercury, Virgo is associated with thoughtfulness, precision, practicality and an appreciation for things done exceptionally well. They’re observant, quietly discerning and quite possibly the only person at Christmas dinner who notices that the place settings aren’t symmetrical.
Which brings us to Franciacorta.
Produced in Lombardy, northern Italy, Franciacorta is one of the country’s most prestigious traditional-method sparkling wines. Chardonnay and Pinot Nero play leading roles, with Pinot Bianco and Erbamat also permitted.
Like Champagne, it undergoes its second fermentation in bottle, followed by ageing on the lees. The region’s production rules set minimum ageing periods, with longer requirements for vintage and Riserva wines.
The resulting wines can combine crisp citrus, apple and white flowers with more developed notes of pastry, toasted almonds and brioche.
At its best, Franciacorta feels wonderfully composed. Every element has a purpose, and nothing needs to shout.
Virgo will appreciate the craftsmanship.
They may even stop checking whether the roast potatoes are on schedule long enough to enjoy a glass.
♎ What Sparkling Wine Should You Buy a Libra for Christmas?
For the person who makes wrapping presents look like an editorial shoot.
Crémant de Loire
Libra has a gift for making things look effortless.
Ruled by Venus, Libras appreciate beauty, romance, balance and the sort of understated elegance that makes everyone else wonder why their own Christmas table doesn’t look quite as good.
They’re the friends who always choose the right restaurant, give beautifully considered presents and somehow manage to look stylish while carrying six shopping bags.
But Libra’s greatest quality isn’t simply good taste. It’s knowing how to bring different things together harmoniously, whether that’s the perfect outfit, the perfect dinner party or a Christmas gathering where nobody ends up arguing about politics.
Which makes Crémant de Loire a fitting choice.
Produced across parts of the Loire Valley using the traditional method, Crémant de Loire can draw on several grape varieties, including Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc.
Chenin often brings fresh apple, quince and citrus notes, while time ageing on the lees can introduce delicate pastry and toasted nuances. The best examples strike a lovely balance between freshness, texture and complexity.
And because Crémant de Loire often costs considerably less than Champagne, it offers a rather elegant solution to December’s increasingly alarming drinks bill.
Libra understands that good taste isn’t always about spending the most money.
It’s about knowing where to spend it. And making the whole thing look beautiful in the process.
♏ What Sparkling Wine Should You Buy a Scorpio for Christmas?
For the person who knows everyone’s secrets and isn’t telling. Yet.
Sparkling Shiraz
Scorpio has never been particularly interested in revealing everything at first glance.
Associated with intensity, passion, loyalty and mystery, Scorpios prefer conversations that go somewhere interesting rather than endless small talk about the weather. They’re fiercely protective of the people they love, but equally capable of remembering something you said at Christmas dinner three years ago.
They’re the people who can turn a perfectly innocent question about someone’s plans for the New Year into an unexpectedly revealing discussion about their relationship history.
Which is why we’ve given them something dark, intriguing and a little unexpected.
Sparkling Shiraz.
A distinctly Australian speciality, sparkling Shiraz turns the familiar full-bodied red grape into a wine with bubbles. Many examples are deeply coloured, rich in flavour and unmistakably festive.
Expect ripe blackberries, dark cherries, plums and spice, sometimes accompanied by chocolate, liquorice or savoury notes in more mature examples.
Styles range from dry to noticeably sweet, so it’s worth checking the bottle rather than assuming every sparkling Shiraz will taste the same.
It’s also a surprisingly good match for rich festive food, from roast beef to strongly flavoured cheeses and even certain Christmas leftovers.
Scorpio doesn’t believe that sparkling wine needs to be pale, delicate or polite.
And frankly, neither do we.
♐What Sparkling Wine Should You Buy a Sagittarius for Christmas?
For the person who’s already planning to spend next Christmas somewhere else.
Cap Classique, South Africa
Sagittarius is the person most likely to announce over Christmas dinner that they’ve booked a one-way ticket somewhere.
Ruled by Jupiter, the planet associated with exploration and expansion, Sagittarians are curious, adventurous, optimistic and rarely satisfied with doing things simply because that’s how they’ve always been done.
They love discovering new places, meeting new people and returning home with recommendations nobody asked for but everyone secretly appreciates. They’re also famously direct, so don’t expect them to pretend they loved your Christmas pudding if they didn’t.
Their sparkling wine was always going to take us somewhere interesting.
Cap Classique is South Africa’s traditional-method sparkling wine, made through a second fermentation in bottle. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are particularly common, although other permitted varieties can be used.
The country’s diverse growing regions produce a wide range of expressions, from crisp, citrus-led wines to richer examples with baked apple, toasted brioche and nutty complexity.
Many offer impressive quality at prices that make them particularly appealing for festive entertaining.
It’s a wine that proves some of the most exciting sparkling discoveries happen when you look beyond the obvious names.
Sagittarius would approve.
Although they’d probably insist on visiting the vineyards themselves. And booking the flights before anyone else has agreed to come.
♑ What Sparkling Wine Should You Buy a Capricorn for Christmas?
For the person who’s had Christmas dinner organised since September.
Cava Gran Reserva
Capricorn has little patience for unnecessary fuss.
Often described as ambitious, disciplined and quietly determined, Capricorns appreciate substance, consistency and things that have earned their reputation over time.
They’re the people who organise everything, remember what needs doing and somehow manage to make the festive season run smoothly without demanding applause. Although they’ll certainly notice if nobody thanks them.
For Capricorn, we’ve chosen Cava Gran Reserva.
Made primarily in Spain’s Penedès region, although the Cava designation extends to several other areas, Cava is produced using the traditional method.
Classic varieties include Macabeo, Xarel·lo and Parellada, which can create wines with fresh apple, citrus, Mediterranean herbs and a distinctly savoury character.
Gran Reserva Cava must undergo at least 30 months of ageing on the lees, helping develop more complex flavours of toasted bread, nuts and pastry.
These wines are also required to be dry in style, making them particularly appealing to those who enjoy a structured, gastronomic sparkling wine.
Capricorn appreciates the value of patience, and Cava Gran Reserva demonstrates exactly what time can bring to a bottle.
No unnecessary theatrics. Just the quiet confidence of something exceptionally well made.
And unlike the rest of the family, it will be ready exactly when it’s supposed to be.
♒ What Sparkling Wine Should You Buy an Aquarius for Christmas?
For the person who thinks Christmas traditions are merely suggestions.
Col Fondo Prosecco
Aquarius has never been especially concerned with doing things the conventional way.
Associated with independence, originality, intellectual curiosity and a distinctly rebellious streak, Aquarians are often the first to question why something has to be done a certain way simply because everyone else has always done it.
They’re the friends who introduce you to an obscure band, an unusual restaurant or a Christmas tradition they’ve invented themselves. They might also suggest replacing the turkey with something nobody at the table has ever heard of.
So giving Aquarius ordinary Prosecco would have felt like a missed opportunity.
Instead, they get Col Fondo.
This traditional, bottle-refermented style of Prosecco takes its name from the sediment left at the bottom of the bottle. Unlike the clear, fruit-forward Prosecco most people recognise, Col Fondo is often cloudy and can have a more savoury, textured personality.
Typically made from Glera, it can offer green apple, pear and citrus alongside bread dough, herbs and a pleasantly rustic edge.
Some producers suggest pouring it carefully to leave the sediment behind, while others encourage gently mixing it through the wine.
Aquarius will almost certainly try both.
It’s Prosecco, but not quite as you know it.
Which makes it the perfect wine for someone who has never particularly enjoyed being predictable.
♓ What Sparkling Wine Should You Buy a Pisces for Christmas?
For the person who’s already cried at the John Lewis advert. Twice.
Moscato d’Asti
Pisces has always had a slightly romantic relationship with the world.
Ruled by Neptune in modern astrology, Pisces is associated with imagination, intuition, empathy and the ability to find beauty in things other people barely notice.
They’re the people who cry at Christmas adverts, remember the lyrics to every sentimental song and genuinely believe that the best presents are the ones with a story behind them. Give them something handmade and they’ll probably treasure it forever. Give them a gift voucher and they may quietly question whether you know them at all.
For Pisces, we’ve chosen something delicate, fragrant and just a little bit dreamy.
Produced in Piedmont in northern Italy from Moscato Bianco grapes, this lightly sparkling wine is celebrated for its exuberant aromatics and gentle sweetness.
Expect orange blossom, fresh peaches, grapes, citrus and sometimes a touch of sage, all carried by soft bubbles and relatively low alcohol.
Unlike many fully sparkling wines, Moscato d’Asti is typically only gently fizzy, making it feel wonderfully delicate in the glass.
It’s also an excellent match for festive desserts, particularly panettone, fruit-based puddings and lighter sweet treats.
Pisces doesn’t need the loudest bottle at the party.
Just one that makes the moment feel a little more magical.
Did We Get It Right?
Whether you’re a Champagne-loving Taurus, a Lambrusco-curious Gemini or an Aquarius determined to convince everyone that cloudy Prosecco is the future, we hope your festive horoscope has introduced you to something new.
And if your assigned bottle doesn’t sound like your thing? Try somebody else’s.
After all, it’s Christmas. We’re not going to tell you how to behave.
Still Have Some Christmas Shopping to Do?
Whether you’re buying for the wine lover who has everything, looking for something a little different to put under the tree or simply treating yourself (we won’t judge), we’ve done some of the hard work for you.
Explore our Christmas Shop for gifts, bottles and other good things worth giving, pouring and enjoying this festive season.
Your Horoscope Doesn’t End Here
Already wondering what the stars have in store for your next glass? We’ve consulted the cosmos before.
Discover which rosé matches your zodiac personality in our Summer Wine Horoscope. Because apparently one astrologically questionable wine recommendation per year just isn’t enough.