IF YOU’RE A NOVICE, TRY THESE
Torres Sangre de Toro 2018
Yes, it’s a little corny, but at least this wine always has a red bull on its label. It’s also just straightforwardly delicious and surprisingly on-trend given that wine producers around the world are waking up to the charms of Spanish-origin “Rhône” grapes like garnacha (grenache) and carineña (carignan), with their ability to produce pert-fruited, spicy reds on a lissom frame. Also, at this price point, you won’t feel like you’ve taken a bull’s horn to the wallet.
Ruinart Brut Rosé NV Champagne is a standard gift, but white isn’t a great look for Lunar New Year, so why not pick a rosé instead? Ruinart’s label and bottle are delightfully plump and harmoniouslooking, giving good seasonal vibes, and as champagne’s oldest maison, you couldn’t find a much better symbol of longevity. The wine itself is brilliantly structured and energetic, meaning it can be laid down and enjoyed many moons hence, which is fortunate, because you may not have much budget left for gifting next Lunar New Year if you pick this option.
Vega Sicilia Oremus Tokaji Aszu 6 Puttonyos 2008
Mere mortals can send oranges while you send a wine that tastes of candied orange peel and looks like liquid gold. Usefully, this exquisitely sweet but precisely balanced elixir has the sugar to stand up to all those cheeky Lunar New Year snacks. Just make sure you get the “6 Puttonyos” and not the “5” or you’ll erase all the positivity of choosing 2008.
IF YOU’RE A WINE LOVER ... ... AND THEY’RE A WINE NOVICE
Alter Ego de Palmer 2008
It appears that the 2018 vintage of Alter Ego de Palmer, with its luxurious gold label and holidayfriendly red capsule package, is already sold out in many parts of Asia. However, the 2008 vintage of this merlot-dominant second wine is now beautifully mature, with meltingly suave tannins, mellowed dark berry fruit and a lifted, peppery quality.
... AND THEY’RE A WINE GEEK
Movia Lunar 2008
Apart from the fact that it actually says “Lunar” on the label, which is an obvious score, it’s also an orange wine (get it?). Although this is obviously not the one to send your tea-drinking aunties or your Bordeaux-loving boss, anyone on your list regularly seen experimenting with their facial hair, bowler hats or braces will appreciate this savoury, golden-fruited treat from one of the orange wine OGS.
... AND THEY’RE A WINE SNOB
Paul Bara Special Club Rosé Grand Cru 2008
Those in-the-know know that 2008 was probably a once-in-a-lifetime champagne vintage and hunting down this Special Club rosé (a real rarity) shows a level of dedication far greater than just nipping round to the shops for 2008 Dom Pérignon (though we certainly wouldn’t say no to the latter). Bara’s wines are generous, expressive and rich, something we would all like our friends to be.
... AND YOU NEED ONE WINE TO PLEASE THEM ALL
Duckhorn Napa Valley Merlot 2018 With a gentle nod to good luck symbols (the duck, the year ending in “8”) and the quietly luxurious tan/yellow label with gold hot-stamping, this gift is still predominantly about the wine inside the bottle. It’s an oldschool classic, appealingly rich in blackberry and red plum fruit, sweet spices and soft, woolly tannins. Plus, as a Napa Valley merlot, it boldly says, “I don’t let Paul Giamatti movies from the mid-2000s dictate my wine choices.”
Kumeu River Hunting Hill Chardonnay 2018
Much as it would sadden me to see this wine sell out again, as happened when it was served to President Xi Jinping during his 2014 visit to New Zealand, if there’s a white wine that feels appropriate to give at Lunar New Year, this is one that at least has the right story. More importantly, it’s simply a divine chardonnay—lithe and sinuous but with curves in all the right places. Plus, if you’re still looking for a hidden numerological reason to pick it, the Hunting Hill vineyard is almost exactly eight acres in size.