Christmas 2025: Premium promise?
With a myriad pressures threatening to curtail traditional festive indulgence in December 2025, should hospitality businesses brace themselves for a subdued discretionary wine spend? Or will the Christmas spirit once again triumph over an ongoing - and irritatingly stubborn - cost-of-living crisis?
The picture emerging from sommeliers on the front line is nuanced. Reportedly, guests are still celebrating – but they’re doing so with sharper intent, as both the premiumisation narrative itself, and consumer priorities, continue to evolve. Meanwhile, as sommeliers navigate ongoing price volatility and geopolitical disruption, assembling a profit-driving festive selection has arguably never been as challenging – or more vital.
According to Douwe Stevenson, head sommelier at Cycene in London, festive indulgence is still a feature of December 2025 – albeit it is more selective. “I feel like we’re seeing a combination of both Christmas-led premium spend and caution where guests are still seeking out ‘treat’ wines for a memorable dining experience, however, there is a focus on getting one great bottle instead of multiples,” he says. This behavioural shift, recorded by others in the on-trade, has important implications for list construction and stock strategy in 2025.
Indeed, Stevenson freely admits that a premium Christmas list today is quite different from the luxury-led tomes of the early 2000s. “We have made some adjustments to the selection this year,” he reveals, including seeking out “great village wines from fantastic producers in Burgundy that are within a premium house style.”
He continues: “We have also looked further than Burgundy & Bordeaux to sometimes overlooked regions such as Loire and the Jura. We’re also including premium alternative icon wines from Spain, Italy, Greece and South Africa. These wines are not subject to current supply shifts.” In other words, rather than relying on predictable Christmas cues – prestige Champagne, blue-chip Burgundy, Cru Classé Bordeaux – professionals are increasingly reframing luxury through narrative and storytelling. In practice, this means widening the spectrum within premium categories, rather than simply upselling. Supply constraints and sustained price inflation in classic regions such as Burgundy have only accelerated this reappraisal of what constitutes a ‘premium’ festive wine list.
The power of storytelling
This is perhaps the defining – and unifying – theme of Christmas 2025: storytelling. Not as marketing fluff, but as a genuine driver of perceived added value, storytelling is helping restaurants to sell better-quality wines from less familiar regions. At Akub in London, sommelier and consultant Anna Patrowicz explains that “over the festive period, guests have a tendency to look for more ‘special’ and rare bottles, older vintages, and more limited production labels.”
Pursuing a very topical niche, Akub specialises in promoting wines from the Middle East, supported by Nabeeth, the import business Patrowicz co-founded. When discussing these wines, she highlights “the stories, the rarity, the reality of winemaking in that region. It is a small terroir, but the oldest terroir in the world.”
She adds: “Some of our clients (restaurateurs) have decided to focus on the story of the Holy Land in this season,” supporting listings with special pricing for wines served by the glass.
Back at Cycene, Stevenson agrees that by-the-glass pours have become vital in driving sustainable margins during December. For sommeliers, premiumisation no longer needs to be bottle-led to be effective; instead, trade-up can be encouraged through access, education and storytelling.
“The conversation around premium choices have really focused on storytelling of some rare producers and wines that we list. Focusing on winemakers’ great skill and dedication to the craft. We have extended that storytelling throughout the great value wines that we list too, as many are really focusing on modern, authentic wines that tell a story of place,” he explains.
At the same time, Stevenson decided to broaden the “variety of styles and price points within the style in order to tell stories of great producers that we champion in our selection” and drive trade-up. This, he suggests, allows sommeliers to remain credible advisors even when guests are cautious, by offering premium experiences at multiple entry points rather than a single, intimidating price threshold.
Less but better – or more interesting
Of course, not all venues are seeing a decline in interest in good old fashioned, super-expensive luxury brands. At Mana in Manchester, beverage manager Harry Ballmann describes a bifurcated festive market. “So far, ultra-premium is doing very well, but in contrast, so is entry-level by the glass,” he says. This polarisation reflects a broader consumer mindset: either commit to a standout bottle, or engage with single serves.
Nevertheless, while few operators are suggesting prestige brands are going the way of the Dodo, it is increasingly clear that the drivers of festive premiumisation are shifting, as compelling narratives and origin fight for recognition alongside classic cues of luxury brand recognition.
For professionals able to tell compelling stories with confidence, Christmas 2025 still offers the potential for decent margins and satisfied customers – even in an era defined by restraint rather than excess. The ball is in the sommeliers’ court.