But, if you’re struggling to find that perfect something for the wine lover in your life, we’ve hand-picked some of this year’s favourites.
Many were tried and tested first hand, some at this year’s Spirit of Christmas Fair in London others at the Decanter’s HQ.
They cover a range of budgets with a few stocking fillers to surprise and delight on Christmas day..
Eto wine preserver, £125, Etowine.com
Christmas celebrations are the perfect time to open lots of wine but what do you do with only half-finished bottles? Introducing Eto’s new stylish wine preserver system designed to keep wine as fresh as newly opened, even after five days. We tested it first-hand at the Decanter offices and were blown away with the results. The wine was still aromatic, fruity and extremely drinkable after five days compared to the same wine left in the bottle with the cork which was completely spoiled, as expected. With this handy gadget there’s no need to finish each bottle or throw any leftover wine away. A five-star wine lover’s Christmas gift. Also comes in a sleek copper and gold finish. For an exclusive discount use the code: DECANTER at the checkout.
Bespoke labelled Champagne, prices start from £35, Rupert Forsythe
Upgrade your Christmas Champagne present this year with a bespoke label. Choose from a range of pre-designed labels such as ‘Merry Fizzmas’ or ‘Festive Fizz’ or create a completely new one to include names or well wishes or your favourite phrase. Start with one of four different types including; Blanc de Blancs, Premier Cru NV, Grand Réserve or Rosé NV in half-bottle, standard, magnum or a hamper of six. A thoughtful and delicious gift.
Jigsaw puzzles, £18.99-£39.99, Bamboozled
Wondering what to buy the wine and puzzle loving person in your life? Look no further than this range of beautifully illustrated, 500-piece themed jigsaws that are not only fun to do but educational too. Created by Master of Wine and Decanter contributor Rebecca Gibb, you can choose whether to complete the famed appellations of Bordeaux or Champagne on their own or go for the gift box option that includes a small bottle of each region’s wine – a glass of which will no doubt helpfully assist the completion process. There is also a new Whiskies of Scotland puzzle broadening the range for spirit fans.
Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Personalised City Arrow, £59, Selfridges
You may have seen these bright yellow boxes on your Christmas shopping trips before but this year you can get your hands on the limited-edition ‘personalisable’ arrows in a new metallic finish which can feature up to 14 characters. These fun tins, which are exclusive to Selfridges, offer a 750ml bottle of Veuve Clicquot Champagne for celebrating over the festive period and a nice keepsake box for all year round.
Wine Cellar Record Book, £35, Top Note Design
Ever wish there was an easy way of keeping wine tasting notes together that wasn’t on your phone? This handy, and well put together book is just what you need. It has great sections for keeping track of wine purchases – allowing you to write multiple tasting notes for bottles from the same case of wine, as well as memories of occasions or meals and one-off individual wines you try. It comes beautifully finished in two colours of linen and is made in England.
Adopt a vine, prices start from £121, Cuvée Privée
If buying a vineyard is out of your price range this year, how about ‘adopting’ some vines and drinking the wine made from them? Membership with Cuvée Privée allows you to select from a range of exceptional vineyard sites from around France (Bourgogne, Bordeaux, Rhône, Champagne, Loire, Alsace, Languedoc) from which you will receive a welcome box with 1 or 6 bottles from that plot. Your final box will contain six bottles from the harvested fruit of your adoption year. During the year of your adoption, you will also be invited to visit the property (and your vines) to taste their wines and meet the winemaker. Subscription periods range from one to three years.
Decanter Premium App Subscription, from £50, Decanter
Did you know Decanter has just launched its Premium App – a brand new way to access wine content with unlimited viewing of Decanter.com and Premium articles as well as 1,000+ new wine tasting notes and scores each month. With a usual Decanter Premium subscription you get priority bookings to all Decanter events, access to ‘My Wines’ and CellarTracker integration, but with the app you can also bookmark articles to read later, download the latest issue as soon as it goes on sale and browse through the vast archive of Decanter magazines dating back to 2013. For new subscribers you’ll need to subscribe before 31st December 2019 and you’ll get app for free for 12 months. Simply select the Premium Digital + Free App Trial to claim this offer. Click here to sign up now.
Decanter’s Spain and Portugal Fine Wine Encounter, Grand tasting tickets £55, Decanter
Know someone who loves Spanish or Portuguese wine? Our bi-annual event covering the wonderful wines of Spain and Portugal is back in 2020. As well as having the exclusive chance to meet more than 50 of the best winemakers from both countries, and taste their wines in person, there will be three expertly led masterclasses including top wines from La Rioja Alta, S.A. – The Art of Ageing, The New Classification of DOQ Priorat and Rare Museum Wines from Portuguese Icons. The event takes place on the 29th February at The Landmark London from 11am – 5pm. Book quickly to avoid disappointment.
Riedel Vinum Riesling Grand Cru/ Zinfandel glasses, £45, Riedel
Decanter’s wine glass brand of choice for all its expert panel tastings, the World Wine Awards and consumer events around the world – using a combined total of more than 70,000 Riedel glasses a year! This one is simply a great all-rounder for still or sparkling wines and makes a brilliant gift for the glasses cupboard.
The Five Regions Whisky Pack with Glencairn nosing glass, £35 (down from £59.99), Really Good Whisky
A non-wine option here for whisky fans. This tasting set offers the chance to sample five different premium single malts from producing regions around Scotland. They come in a presentation gift box with a special glass for detecting aroma and flavour nuance, tasting notes, Whisky facts and information and instructions to carry out your own tasting. You can also add a gift note for online postal orders.
Stocking fillers
24K Gold Champagne Bears, £9.95, Ask Mummy & Daddy
Made with real vintage Champagne and finished with 24k gold leaf, these delicious little chewy sweets make a fun gift for the sweet tooth in your life. The range also includes handmade mojito, pina colada, cuba libre and prosecco flavours.
Mini Moët & Chandon Christmas Cracker 2019, £20.99, Selfridges
This is no ordinary Christmas cracker, inside hides a mini 200ml bottle of Brut Imperial Champagne. Perfect as a luxe treat on the Christmas dinner table or a surprise stocking filler. There’s a Rosé version too for fans of pink fizz.
Wine Folly: A Visual Guide to the World of Wine, £12.78, Amazon.co.uk / $25 WineFolly.com
A great gift to welcome someone into the wine world. Using an array of colourful and informative info-graphics and flowcharts, this book provides a host of wine fundamentals covering tips on which glasses to use and flavour characteristics of grapes as well as food and wine pairing advice.
