RAISE A GLASS
I MAKE no apology for bringing this selection of Christmas gifts so early in November. I have many wines to share with you in the weeks ahead of the festive season and I wanted to “get the shopping done”.
Then we can all settle down, knowing the presents are in hand, and concentrate on the next best bits: Wine.
With no science involved other than these could appeal to people who love wine or a drop of something in their lives, here are some thoughts for Christmas 2019.
My sister graced this corner of my wine world some weeks ago when I mentioned she’s a demon on a Monopoly board. She’s also a demon with a jigsaw
(not the carpentry kind) and when I saw this idea I thought yes! These will keep my sister happy on rainy wintry days.
Master of Wine Rebecca Gibb has combined her (obvious) love of wine with an element of mischief with Bamboozled Games. Handdrawn maps are available in a 500-piece jigsaw on the themes of The Whiskies of Scotland and The Wines of Bordeaux.
They’re RRP £18.99 via bamboozled.games, and other retailers including The Whisky Exchange and Hoults Wine Merchants.
There’s some winter warming fun to be had with a cosy-looking Christmas gift of St-Rémy brandy. A bottle of St-Rémy XO French Brandy is available from Waitrose (£22) all tucked up in its warming Christmas jumper.
While the jumper is a bit of fun, the St-Rémy brandy has a heritage traced back to 1886. Aged in small French oak barrels, St-Rémy XO has complex aromas and a rich taste.
One of my favourite unsung heroes of the wine world is Madeira. It’s a fascinating style of wine and one which is amazing with a piece of Christmas cake at the end of your meal. Buy it for someone else and enjoy the benefit.
Blandy’s 10 Year Old tasting gift pack (RRP £36 from Amazon and independent wine merchants) includes four 20cl bottles of Blandy’s 10-year-old Madeiras in ascending order of sweetness.
Discover how the colour and intensity of each wine increases and how different grape varieties give unique character to each wine.
If the wine lover in your life doesn’t already have a lifetime membership of the wonderful Wine Society, then you can buy one at £40 (thewinesociety.com). A gift membership also includes £20 towards the first order.
For whisky lovers, the society has a smashing Whisky & Whisky Stones Gift Set (£46): A combination of sweet, malty Scotch, and whisky stones, an ingenious alternative to ice-cubes.
We all love a Christmas cracker, and mini Moët Christmas crackers are available from Selfridges and clos19.com for £15.99 (blanc) and £19.99 (rosé). They each contain a 20cl bottle of bubble-tastic champagne. Have fun.
■ Next week I’ll share some vegan wines not only to mark World Vegan Month but also to give you some vegan ideas for festive drinkies.
■ Jane is a member of the Circle of Wine Writers. Find her on social media and online as One Foot in the Grapes.