Marissa Montgomery and her so-called Pussy Posse know how to party. When not modelling, acting, designing, painting, sculpting or playing in a band, this “creative consortium” of hip teens and early twentysomethings can often be found hanging out at their friends Alex Dellal and Adam Waymouth’s art space, 20 Hoxton Square, sharing a beer, a gossip and some good times. Get-togethers take place to an eclectic playlist of Jimi Hendrix, the High School Musical soundtrack, Rufus Wainwright and the Clash; the girls glam themselves up in an on-the-moment combination of vintage, designer and high street; the boys hang out. In a way, the posse is like a 21st-century salon: members come and go as other commitments permit, and a party can take place anywhere, from a gig to an art opening to even an at-home. “We are all impromptu; things are never a big deal. We inspire each other and we help each other out,” Montgomery says.

Montgomery, 20, spends her days studying for a degree in English and drama at Goldsmiths, although most of her free time is taken up by designing and marketing her Pussy Glamore range of “naughty but nice” lingerie. Then again, having the photographer David Montgomery as your dad and the PR maven Martine Montgomery as your mum means a career in fashion was in the genes.

Today, Montgomery’s model-in-chief, the society girl Alice Dellal, slouches around waiting for the photographer, while east London band the Daze lark about with a few bottles of Carlsberg Export. Montgomery chats to the Daze’s lead singer, Freddie Cowan, whom she has known since she was three, and Charlie Casely-Hayford, who has pitched up in a vintage 1980s jacket designed by his father, Joe.

Still, we can’t all be as effortlessly cool as this lot, so if you need some help to get your party started, check out Joanna Simon's Christmas wine guide and the cocktail maestro Ben Reed’s exclusive recipes for Style.

www.pussyglamore.co.uk; stocked at Selfridges, Topshop, Harvey Nichols and Figleaves.com

THE WINE LIST

A word of advice on the Christmas stock-up: don’t leave your wine-buying to the last minute – least of all if you’re after something special. Quantities of fine wines are finite, and others are subject to offers that close well before the big day.

CHAMPAGNE SUPERNOVA

No matter how good the alternatives, there are times when only the real thing will do. Dramatic price cuts appear as Christmas approaches, and those on famous brands are worth tracking: for example, Waitrose has Taittinger Brut Réserve down to £21.74 from Wednesday for three weeks; and Majestic has reductions (through to February) of up to 50% on a star-studded cast when you buy two bottles. Beyond that, Marks & Spencer has £5 off nearly all its well-chosen range until December 31. As for cheap unknowns, there’s a simple rule: buy to try before you stock up.

Bredon Brut, £10.99/£14.79 Soft, biscuity, coffee flavours. Well worth £14.79, and great value at £10.99 from November 21 (Waitrose).

2002 Saint Gall Blanc de Blancs, £19.99 Poised, creamy, honeyed, vintage blanc de blancs (Marks & Spencer; usually £24.99).

Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve, £26.99 Rich, toasty macaroon flavours and lovely freshness. Very underrated (Tesco; Waitrose).

Larmandier Bernier Terre de Vertus Extra Brut, £23.75-£24.95 All-chardonnay premier cru of crystalline purity (Lea & Sandeman, 020 7244 0522; Vine Trail, 0117 921 1770).

Carlin Brut Rosé, £16.99 Deliciously round and fruity (The Real Wine Company, 01753 885619).

1999 Laurent-Perrier, £26.66/£39.99 Stylish vintage with full apple and brioche flavours (Majestic; also Asda, Oddbins, selected Tesco and Sainsbury’s at £34.99).

1998 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne, £65.99-£110 Seductive, rich, refined blanc de blancs. Top of the tree (Majestic; Oddbins; Waitrose; Wine Rack).

BUDGET BUBBLES

We’re not only champion champagne-swiggers, we down vast quantities of other sparkling wines, too. Duty is higher on sparkling wines than on still, and turning still into bubbly is a costly process even when done with the quickest methods; it’s no wonder cheap fizz is usually inferior in quality to still wine of the same price. That said, cheap, cheerful and sparkling does exist.

Vineyard X Cava, £3.99/£5.99 Crisp, apple/lime flavours – if only all cava were like this (Threshers; Wine Rack).

Gran Campo Viejo Cava Reserva, £6.99 Consistently reliable (Sainsbury’s; Threshers; Wine Rack).

Val D’Oca Prosecco, £5.33/£7.99 Drier than many Proseccos, and all the better for it (Threshers; Wine Rack)

Vouvray Mousseux Brut, J-C & D Aubert, £9.95 Honeyed quince and herb flavours with a soft finish. Terrific (Yapp Bros, 01747 860423).

Jansz Tasmania Sparkling Rosé, £9.99 Polished strawberry fruit and a touch of cream (Oddbins). Mumm Cuvée Napa Rosé, £11.99 Nutty, toasty and fruity. An old favourite revitalised (Sainsbury’s).

CHANGE FROM A FIVER

You’ll be able to find cheaper bottles, but beware your inner Scrooge. These wines all have a degree of individuality and polish – and they’re honest. None has clumsy sweetening while pretending to be dry. Other areas to look out for are white vins de pays from southwest France (eg Gascogne, Gers, Tolosan) and Spanish reds.

WHITES

2006 Dourthe No 1 Sauvignon Blanc, £4.79 Exemplary modern Bordeaux (Waitrose at this price November 21 to December 11; Threshers, £4.66/£6.99; also widely available at £5.99).

2006 Portal d’Aguia, Ribatejo, £4.99 Ripe peach and vanilla with a crisp, refreshing finish (Oddbins).

2007 Tesco Chilean Reserva Chardonnay, £4.49 Lightly oaked, fresh, medium-full. An object lesson in £5 chardonnay (Tesco).

2007 Casablanca Sauvignon Blanc, £3.99 Bristling with zingy gooseberry flavour (Marks & Spencer, £4.99 from November 27).

2007 Tesco Australian Reserve Riesling Gewurztraminer, £4.49 Vibrant, spicy lime and apple fruit (Tesco).

2007 Tesco South African Chenin Blanc, £2.99 Fresh, grapefuity and softly nutty. Ideal party wine (Tesco).

2006 Sauvignon Blanc, Jacques’s Selection, £4.49 Breezily fresh and fruity Vin de Pays d’Oc (Sainsbury’s).

REDS

2005 Walkers Pass Private Bin Zinfandel, £4.99 At that price if you buy two for £9.99 – lusciously ripe and full, with oak and a hint of eucalyptus (Threshers; Wine Rack).

2006 Vineyard X Garnacha, £2.99/£4.49 Spanish bargain – full, plummy, spicy and herby (Threshers; Wine Rack).

2006 Casa Mia Sangiovese, £4.99 Nutty, perfumed, with classic Italian sour-cherry fruit. Medium-full (Sainsbury’s).

2005 Haut Poitou Pinot Noir-Gamay-Cabernet Franc, £4.66/£6.99 An alternative to Beaujolais – summer pudding and leafy, fresh tobacco flavours (Threshers; Wine Rack).

2006 La Sabrosita Old Vine Garnacha, £4.99 Big, ripe Spanish red with a velvet texture (Marks & Spencer).

2006 Asda Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon, £2.98 Bright blackcurrant flavour with a soft, easy finish (Asda).

2006 Spier Discover Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon, £3.99 Supple fruit and appealing freshness; from the Cape (Coop, £4.99 from December 2).

EDGE THE BOAT OUT

Once you’re out of the £5 straitjacket, much more of what you spend goes on the wine (rather than taxes), and the world opens up. My tips: look at Italian whites beyond pinot grigio; make the most of pinot noir – it’s a great Christmas all-rounder and growing fast; buy into the Rhône – cheaper than Bordeaux and Burgundy and has never looked better; try Australian riesling.

WHITE

2005 Etim Blanco, £6.99 Full, fresh, creamy, savoury, spicy – a Spanish alternative to burgundy (Whole Food Stores, 020 7368 4512; Bibendum, 020 7449 4120; Bentleys, 01584 875520; DJ Foodfare, 020 8748 5974; Polygon Wines, 023 8022 8015).

2007 Vergelegen Sauvignon Blanc, £7.79-£7.99 Lush, smoky, herbal, concentrated Cape Sauvignon (Tesco; Sainsbury’s).

2006 Sirch Pinot Grigio, £8.30 Rich, peachy fruit and authentic minerality. Pinot grigio as it should be (Tanners, 01743 234500).

2006 Lalla Gully Riesling, £9.99 Oz riesling bursting with steely citrus and apple flavours (Oddbins, limited stock).

2006 Maycas del Limari Chardonnay, £8.79/£10.99 Ambitious new Chilean with buttery depth and well-toned oak (Majestic).

2006 Verdicchio di Matelica, La Monacesca, £7.99 Pears, apples, lovely freshness,lingering nuttiness (Waitrose from November 26).

2006 Saint-Véran Les Monts, £7.99 Creamy texture, lightly nutty, pure, unoaked burgundy (Marks & Spencer).

REDS

2005 Château Pey la Tour Réserve, £8.99 Dark, plump, contemporary claret with classic cassis and cedar aromas (Waitrose).

2006 Spy Mountain Pinot Noir, £7.99/£9.99 Fragrant, fruity and smooth. Quintessential NZ pinot (Majestic).

2006 Duncan MacGillivray Devil’s Elbow Cabernet Sauvignon, £8.99/£9.99 Powerful but polished Oz red with cassis, mint and pepper in the mix (Majestic).

2004 Valpolicella Ripasso Classico, Recchia Le Muraie £6.99/£8.99 Supple cherry, nut and vanilla flavours with a lasting dry finish (Waitrose, £6.99, November 21 to December 11).

2006 Saint-Nicolas de Bourgueil Les Graviers, Domaine du Bourg, £9.69 Sweet, earthy spice flavours and mineral depth (Corney & Barrow, 020 7265 2400).

2005 Le Pigeoulet des Brunier, £6.90 Poor man’s Châteauneuf-du-Pape, made by the Brunier family over the border in Vaucluse (Tanners, 01743 234500).

2005 Costières de Nîmes, £6.50 Intense, peppery, sweet red fruit – another wine for impoverished Châteauneuf fans (Vine Trail, (0117 921 1770).

2004 Pillastro Primitivo, £6.69 Full, dry southern Italian with warm, spicy berry and chestnut flavours (The Sunday Times Wine Club, 0870 220 0010).

MAKE IT SPECIAL

If you’re looking for presents, these are ideal bottles – although you may not want to let them go when the time comes. I’ve avoided some of the obvious names, but if you want to play safe, you’ll find plenty of fine premiers crus Chablis at this price. The Menetou is best left for light fish, goat’s cheese or salads or as an aperitif, butthe rest can be brought into service for more substantial festive fare.

WHITES

2005 Menetou-Salon Le Clos du Pressoir, J Mellot, £10.25 Smoky, flinty passion-fruit and gooseberry flavours with a fine, chalky texture. Better than most Sancerre (Corney & Barrow, 020 7265 2400).

2005 Ataraxia Chardonnay, £15.50 Complex, layered, textured. Seriously good Cape chardonnay (Jeroboams, 020 7730 8108).

2006 Lirac La Reine des Bois, Domaine de la Mordorée, £12.83-£14.95 Substantial, richly aromatic, savoury Rhône (A & B Vintners, 01892 724977; Lea & Sandeman, 020 7244 0522).

2004 Mercurey Blanc Les Vignes de Maillonage, Domaine M Juillot, £14.95 Toasty, buttery white burgundy with a long mineral finish (Jeroboams, 020 7730 8108).

2005 Condrieu, Les Vins de Vienne, £19.99 Opulent yet elegant, with exotic apricot, cream and wheat flavours (Majestic).

2005 Pouilly-Fuissé Terre du Nord, Eric Forest, £18 Polished and concentrated with nutty crème fraîche richness (Lay & Wheeler, 0845 330 1855).

REDS

2003 Château Clément-Pichon, £14.99 Stylish, ripe Haut-Médoc with mulberry and cigar-box flavours (selected Sainsbury’s).

2001 Rioja Baron de Ley, 7 Vinas, £14.99 A rarity made from all seven Rioja red grape varieties. Stunning perfume, gamey and concentrated (selected Tesco).

2005 Gigondas Les Terraces de Montmirail, Domaine A Jaume, £11.33/£16.99 Top-notch Gigondas, brimful of earthy, stony, pepper and berry flavours (Wine Rack).

2005 Saint-Joseph, Georges Vernay, £15.95 Dark and meaty, with red fruit, bay leaf and black pepper notes (Yapp Bros, 01747 860423).

2004 Allegrini Palazzo della Torre, £12.99 A perfumed, concentrated, velvety, Amarone-like Veneto red (Majestic).

2004 Château Moulin d’Angludet, £12.99/£17.99 Classy second wine of Château d’Angludet in Margaux (Waitrose, £12.99, from November 21 to December 11).

2005 Nuits-Saint-Georges, Domaine R Arnoux, £19.99 Textbook Nuits – young but approachable and very pure (Majestic).

2006 Earth’s End Pinot Noir, £13.99 Seductively cherry-scented, satin-textured New Zealand pinot (Marks & Spencer).

2004 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Avignonesi, £17.95 Long-lasting, mellow, autumnal game and chestnut flavours (Jeroboams, 020 7730 8108).

SWEET

2002 Château Doisy-Védrines, £13.50, 37.5cl Elegant, zesty Sauternes with crème caramel, honeysuckle and candied-peel flavour (Berry Bros, 0870 900 4300).

2001 Castelnau de Suduiraut, £19.99 Honeyed, opulent, cinnamon-scented Sauternes (Majestic).

Ultime Récolte, £11 Rare sweet viognier – exotic apricot and ginger flavour, offset by fine acidity (The Real Wine Company, 01753 885619).

THE SKY’S THE LIMIT

Someone you know must deserve something really special – maybe you? And when you think what you’re spending on the rest of the festive razzmatazz, these are going to look cheap. Sort of.

WHITES

2002 Chablis, Grenouille, £30 Magnificent grand cru Chablis from an excellent year (selected Marks & Spencer).

2004 Chassagne-Montrachet, La Grande Montagne, Fontaine-Gagnard, £30.64 Crisply focused mineral, citrus and walnut flavours and a rich texture (Lay & Wheeler, 0845 330 1855).

REDS

2004 Corton Clos du Roi, Prince Florent de Mérode, £35 Full, complex burgundy with intense perfume and great purity (Jeroboams, 020 7730 8108).

2004 Hermitage La Sizeranne, M Chapoutier, £36 Aromatic and powerful, with layers of rich black fruit and savoury flavours (Waitrose).

1999 Vosne-Romanee Clos de Réas, Domaine Michel Gros, £54 Hauntingly fragrant, polished, mature burgundy (Lay & Wheeler, 0845 330 1855).

1999 Château Ducru Beaucaillou, £55 Velvety, cedary, plummy. Ready to drink – but no hurry (Majestic).

2005 Côte Rôtie, François Arnaud, £21.99 Supple and sophisticated, with benchmark tar and bay leaf flavours (selected Tesco).

COCKTAIL HOUR

Ben Reed, master mixologist and former manager of the Met Bar, has created some seasonal cocktails exclusively for Style. All recipes serve 1

WHITE CHRISTMAS MOCKTAIL

Vanilla sugar
5ml milk-thistle liquid extract (available at Holland & Barrett)
15ml elderflower cordial 50ml fresh white-grapefruit juice
75ml Schweppes Pomegranate Tonic

Edge a short tumbler with vanilla sugar (made by leaving a vanilla pod in sugar overnight), add the milk thistle and the elderflower cordial and stir with a couple of ice cubes. Add the remaining ingredients. Garnish with a thin strip grapefruit zest.

FESTIVE POMEGRANATE PUNCH

10ml sugar syrup
50ml Appleton Estate VX rum
25ml lime juice 50ml
Schweppes Pomegranate Tonic

Make some sugar syrup by dissolving 4 tbsp sugar in 4 tbsp of boiling water and then chilling. Pour all the ingredients into a highball glass filled with ice and stir gently. Garnish with a lime spiral and serve with two straws.

JINGLE BELL ROCKS

25ml amaretto
15ml fresh lemon juice
5ml Campari
50ml Schweppes Pomegranate Tonic

Shake all the ingredients but the tonic and strain into a short tumbler filled with ice. Add the tonic, garnish and edge the glass with a length of orange zest and serve with two short straws.CHRISTMAS SPIRIT50ml Stolichnaya vodka 15ml Cherry Marnier 10ml maraschino liqueur 5ml sugar syrup (see punch recipe) 15ml fresh lime juice Schweppes Russian tonic water

Shake all but the tonic in an ice-filled shaker. Strain into a short tumbler filled with ice and top with tonic. Garnish with a cherry.

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