8 best wine advent calendars for 2022: Cheers to these Christmas tipples

A firm fixture on many households’ festive ritual list, the advent calendar has had a glow-up of late. Switching out the more-traditional chocolate or cutesy image behind each door, a new wave of calendars is instead opting for luxe surprises.

Over the past few years, the concept of a calendar that delivers additional cheer has taken off, with an increasing number of options available for wine lovers.

These span the full spectrum of tastes, from whites to red and sparkling wines, as well as more niche tastes, with some delivering fine wines or on-the-rise natural wines.

These adult-only advent calendars come in various forms, with some celebrating the 12 days of Christmas, others the full month of December. Some deliver their goods in miniature bottles, others in innovative formats to save on weight and packaging.

As well as providing daily festive cheer, some also offer an education in lesser-known grapes or winemakers, with QR codes and tasting notes to help identify new-found favourites.

How we tested

To test, we assessed each calendar for its design, construction and, of course, its contents. Did they bring joy? Did they provide an adequate countdown to Christmas? And were the wines any good?

Finally, other factors, including size, weight and sustainability also came into play when determining a winner. Bear in mind, the text below contains spoiler alerts, as we call out some of the star wines that illustrate the quality of each calendar.

With the countdown to Christmas now on, the following eight calendars are a perfect way to get the party started.

The best wine advent calendars for 2022 are:

• Best overall for a mixed selection – Virgin Wines mixed wine advent calendar: £89.99, Virginwines.co.uk

• Best for experimentalists – Brixton Wine Club advent calendar: £125, Brixtonwineclub.com

• Best for great value – Aldi wine advent calendar: £59.99, Aldi.co.uk

• Best for wine afficionados – Laithwaites fine wine calendar: £150, Laithwaites.co.uk

• Best for fans of fizz – Freixenet sparkling wine 12-day advent calendar: £75, Notonthehighstreet.com

• Best white wine selection – Smashed Grapes wine advent calendar: £79.99, Smashedgrapes.co.uk

• Best for sophisticated sipping – John Lewis wine advent calendar: £85, Johnlewis.com

• Best for everyday cheer – Wine down to Christmas advent calendar: £79, Prezzybox.com

Virgin Wines mixed wine advent calendar

We can all raise a glass to Virgin Wines, which takes the credit for the very first wine advent calendar released in the UK, and this year’s release is another strong contender. Expect to find 24 miniature bottles from talented, lesser-heralded winemakers across the world.

Standouts included the full-bodied malbec from Mendoza and the citrus and almond notes of a white rioja from Finca Manzanos. Plus, the full-sized bonus bottle behind a 25th door allows for extended enjoyment on Christmas Day.

Buy now £89.99, Virginwines.co.uk

Brixton Wine Club advent calendar

Pioneering subscription service Brixton Wine Club has forged a reputation for challenging perceptions on canned wines with its savvy selection of fascinating tipples. Hidden behind the doors of this compact, golden-boxed calendar are 24 cans, spanning reds, whites and bubbles, with a few surprises coming in the form of pre-mixed cocktails and outré orange wines. The wines in question are excellent, too, ranging from zesty albarinos to a plummy refosco from the Veneto region of Italy.

Buy now £125.00, Brixtonwineclub.com

Aldi wine advent calendar

Having established a growing reputation for a wine section that continues to excel, Aldi returns to the advent-calendar market with this 24-strong box of Christmas cheer. Hidden behind the cutesy image of a gift-wrapped department store are a range of mini bottles from its range, with a mix of styles to keep you guessing each day. Among the stars are a medium-dry Brut d’Argent chardonnay and the oaky Calvert Reserve merlot cabernet sauvignon, while its super-competitive price point is particularly worthy of celebration.

Buy now £59.99, Aldi.co.uk

Laithwaites fine wine calendar

More than 50 years in the wine business makes Laithwaites a trusted source of oenological know-how and its roster of wine advent calendars is among the best on the market. In addition to its standard red, white and mixed advent calendars, this sophisticated selection succeeds in raising the bar. Housed in an elegant midnight-blue box, 24 hatches slide out to reveal 100ml servings of icon wines from both the Old and New World, from barolo and barossa to châteauneuf du pape – exquisite options for toasting the festive season in style.

Buy now £150.00, Laithwaites.co.uk

Freixenet sparkling wine 12-day advent calendar

Adding sparkle to festive celebrations, this beautifully packaged bundle of bubbles serves up a wide range of fizz that comes courtesy of Spanish cava specialists Freixenet.

Spanning half of the period covered by others on the list, the 12-day calendar darts between different styles of sparkling wine – from the apple-and-pear notes of the cordon negro cava from Penedès, through to refreshing rosado and fruity prosecco from the Veneto.

We loved this glitzy format as an easy way to add a sense of occasion as Christmas draws near.

Buy now £75.00, Notonthehighstreet.com

Smashed Grapes wine advent calendar

From verdejos to viogniers – via all the chardonnays, pinot grigios and sauvignon blancs you might expect – Smashed Grapes have put together a palate-widening selection of white wines for this year’s advent calendar. Delivered in a lightweight pouch format, saving on weight, waste and the space necessary to put it on display, each of the 24 wines contained within are hidden within a vibrant festive scene and offer an excellent way to expand your wine knowledge.

Buy now £79.99, Smashedgrapes.co.uk

John Lewis wine advent calendar

Behind the festive foliage design of this elegant advent calendar is a truly expansive selection of international wines to help ease into the Christmas period. With a well-curated roster of 24 big-hitting minis of well-known varietals that span fruity merlots, crisp sauvignon blancs as well as pinot grigio, shiraz and the fruit-forward Hacienda de Calidad malbec, this is a trusty, if (at 10kg) weighty, way to mark the build up to Christmas.

Buy now £85.00, Johnlewis.com

Wine down to Christmas advent calendar

Another hefty 10kg addition to our roster of wine advent calendars comes in the form of this bold, bauble-adorned design. Bearing a 24-strong selection of 187ml bottles that brings together a varied range of well-known red and white wines, expect to find zingy zinfandels, fruity merlots, chardonnays and more. While not as boundary-breaking or palate-expanding as some of the other options on the list, the wine down to Christmas calendar is a solid option, and we found it an effective way for immersing in festive cheer (even while testing in October).

Buy now £79.00, Prezzybox.com

The verdict: Wine advent calendars

The novelty of unveiling new wines behind calendar hatches is an exciting format that continues to expand. Overall, the consistently high calibre of wines, competitive price point and the bonus bottle behind a 25th door marked out the Virgin Wines calendar as a clear winner this Christmas. Elsewhere, Brixton Wine Club offered a similarly impressive selection in an innovative format, while Laithwaite’s fine wine calendar warranted its higher price point with an elegant selection of icon wines.

Looking for something sweeter? The Cadbury’s advent calendars are here, and they’re a chocoholic’s dream come true