My Hungarian sweetie: The perfect partner for Christmas pudding, chocolate… even Stilton?—

As far as wine goes, Stilton’s blue veins of power take no prisoners. But face this festive cheese armed with a bottle of the sweetest splendour, and you’ll be shielded from the full force of its salty assault.

Stilton’s intense flavour coupled with rich texture contrasts beautifully with a carefully primed depth charge of lusciousness. As the clock strikes Christmas this year, it’s time for you to detonate the golden glory of Hungarian Tokaji.

Pronounced ‘tock-eye’, this sweet treat comes in a variety of guises. My favourite is Tokaji Aszú, made from grapes that shrivel and intensify on the vine under the desiccating spell of noble rot. Sounds less than scrumptious, but the attention to detail and centuries-old know-how culminates in a bottled miracle.

Thanks to the meticulous hand-harvesting of raisin-like purple berries for maceration, fermentation and seasoning in oak barrels, this handcrafted liquid history creates a sumptuously sticky wine.

The number of ‘puttonyos’ on the label ranges from three to six and refers to the amount of aszú berries added to the wine, contributing to the overall sweetness and concentration. Five or six puttonyos are at the sweeter end and both are superb with Stilton and impeccable with cheeseboards all year round.

Served lightly chilled, they also resonate harmoniously with warm fruity puddings, from tarte tatin to Christmas pud. But pair with orangey chocolate and the gates of sweet seventh heaven are opened.

Late-harvest wines are a decent bet to pair with paté and even Indian and Chinese dishes – spice makes wine taste sharper, so the fruity sweetness offsets hot dishes with surprising success.

But for the sweetest of all, pricey Eszencia, which gently seeps out under the natural weight of the aszú grapes, is sweeter than a never-ending holiday with the love of your life.

OLLY’S PICK OF THE BUNCH

PERFECT WITH PATÉ: Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Royal Tokaji Late Harvest 2015 50cl 11% £12  Poised with peachy-lemony sweetness and zest, serve chilled with paté.

CHAMPION WITH CHOCCIES: Aldi St Stephan’s Crown Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos  2013 50cl (10%) £14.99 With a core of citrus sweetness, this is sticky magic with orange chocolates.

SUPER WITH STILTON: Diznoko Tokaji Aszu 5 Puttonyos 2007 (12.5%) 50cl £26.99. Waitrose. Perfectly intense with a balance of sweet power and fresh finesse to pair with Stilton.

CLASSY WITH XMAS PUD: Patricius Tokaji Aszu 6 Puttonyos 2003 (10%) 50cl £29.95 greatwesternwine.co.uk  Aged to perfection, this deep sweet treat is primed for your Christmas pud.

WINE OF THE WEEK

Good Ordinary White 2015 (13%) £8.85 BBR.com. Electrifying Sauvignon Blanc that’s a superb all-rounder for the entire festive season.

This column was originally published in EVENT Magazine, Mail on Sunday 30th November