The party pantry of December

Welcome the month of celebrations by stocking up on premium wines, craft chocolates and award-winning cheeses:

Source Sauvignon Blanc Reserve

Welcome drink

The Source Sauvignon Blanc Reserve by Sula is aged in oak for complexity and foregrounded with pleasant aromatics. Its tropical citrus notes pair well with all kinds of cheese.

Priced at ₹1,195 for 750ml (in Mumbai)

Subko Coated Milk Chocolate Almonds

Spicing it up

This is chocolate meets chilli meets podi. A desi version of spiced Mexican chocolate, it combines mulagapodi or gunpowder with cacao from Kerala and roasted almonds.

Priced at ₹795 for 250g at subko.coffee

Vina San Pedro ‘Sideral’

Robust red

This is a red wine that really brings the party home. The Chilean blend, named Sideral, has a mouthful of grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Carménère, Petit Verdot and Cabarnet franc. The dry-style vino has mature tannins and a smooth finish.

Priced at ₹8,750 for 750ml (in Mumbai).

Tequila Rose Strawberry Cream Liqeuer

Tequila sunrise

This is a delightful cream liqueur with strawberry and tequila. Drink it like a shot, drizzle it over ice cream and brownies, or mix it up with cocktails. The flavour profile and mouthfeel are similar to a rose milk shake. Whether a guest nurses just one drink through the party or prefers a liquid diet, the indulgent liqueur will appeal to all.

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Priced ₹4,800 for 700ml (in Mumbai).

Eleftheria Brunost cheese

A cheese with top honours

Last month, homegrown cheese brand Eleftheria was crowned a winner at the World Cheese Awards third year in a row. It’s a Norwegian-style whey cheese, named Brunost, that almost tastes like a mithai with a rich texture akin to mawa, hint of sourness and a bit of jaggery-like sweetness.

Priced at ₹400 for 150g. To buy, visit eleftheriacheese.com

La Folie Berry Good Bar

Party gift

This is the kind of chocolate that’s best reserved as a return present. LaFolie’s The Berry Good Bar is a luxurious combination of Guatemalan and Kerala chocolate. The silky smooth texture is punctuated with strawberries, raspberries and wild blueberries. For “livers" (cue in the viral videos of Orry), this is the perfect giveaway.

Priced at ₹330 for 60g. To buy, visit lafolie.in

Fratelli Wines Chhedarg

Cheese from a wineyard

This is a unique cheese made in Fratelli vineyards. It ‘s a “chhedarg" that blends two cheeses (cheddar and cornish yarg). Each block is wrapped in Sangiovese leaves and matured for up to five months. The smokey notes will go well with a variety of drinks.

Priced at ₹450 for 150g. To buy, visit fratelliwines.in.