First, though, what exactly qualifies a wine to merit the ‘winter warmer’ tag? For most of us, the prime criterion will probably be that such a wine should be red. And most likely a richer, bolder red – Cabernet Sauvignon or Shiraz rather than Pinot Noir or Grenache – made in a fairly full, ripe, generous style, perhaps with a touch of oak, maybe a fair bit of extraction. All in all, a worthy accompaniment to the hearty, warming, wintery dishes that will doubtless be infusing the kitchen at this time of year.

Gone are days when wines from the ‘New World’ (itself a slightly outmoded term) would automatically tick this box, but there is something to be said for warding off winter nights by indulging in a wine or two from a place currently basking in the joys of summer. Call it the power of suggestion, but the sunshine-in-a-glass vibe becomes a little more vivid when you know the sun is likely to be shining back at the source of your wine, be that Argentina or Australia, Mendoza or Margaret River.

But once that box is ticked, such wines don’t automatically need to be red. A rounded, full, and yes, possibly oaked, white can be just as satisfying in the depths of winter. So again, that likely means varieties that lend themselves to such vinification – less Picpoul de Pinet and Pinot Gris, more Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc.