Christmas gifts Archives - It Must Be Wine O'clock

ADOPT A VINE – A PERFECT CHRISTMAS GIFT

This is an ideal gift for a wine lover this Christmas – Adopt a Vine. Many UK wine growers are now offering this opportunity to own part of a vineyard for a year, and the package usually includes a vineyard tour and wine tasting, as well as a bottle of wine from your adopted vine. What’s not to like? It’s the perfect gift for a wine lover.

We have adopted a vine at White Castle Vineyard near Abergavenny these last few years and visiting the vineyard to see our adopted wine, enjoy a guided tour of the vineyard and then of course taste some excellent wines, including our adopted grape variety, is always the highlight of our trip to Wales.

We always have a great time!

For full details, see here

For other great gift ideas featuring English & Welsh wines, whether bottles, cases or wine tastings, visit Grape Britannia

The Coravin Wine System

On those (admittedly rare!) occasions when you open a bottle of wine but just want to drink a glass or two, wouldn’t it be great if you could reseal the bottle and put it away again?

Good news – the Coravin wine system does just that! It ejects wine from the bottle by pumping in argon gas so the wine doesn’t oxidise. The Coravin wine system inserts a needle into the cork (or screw cap) and as the argon enters the bottle, you can pour as much or as little of the wine as you like. Then you remove the needle and the cork or cap re-seals, protecting your wine till you want to open it again. Ingenious.

What’s more, the wine tastes just the same the next time you have a glass as it did the first time. Incredible but true.

A wine lover’s dream come true. And a perfect Christmas gift- check out the Coravin wine system here

Looking for a stocking filler for a wine lover? Try this

Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book 2024: Latest Edition

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Now in its 47^th year of publication, Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book is the world’s best-selling annual wine guide. The key reference book for any wine lover – with helpful facts and commentary on everything from grape varieties, to vintages, to wine growers and regions, as well as advice on which foods go with which wines. This is the wine book! A perfect Christmas gift.

Waterstones £14.99

For another Christmas gift idea for a wine lover, see here.

Oz Clarke: English Wine – from still to sparkling

An ideal gift for a wine lover who is keen to learn more about the newest New World wine country – England (and Wales). Oz Clarke’s ‘English Wine – from still to sparkling’ tells the story of the transformation of the wine scene on this fair island over the last few decades.

Starting with a history of English wine from how it used to be, Clarke takes the reader through the Nyetimber Effect and the changes it heralded to where we are now. There’s a great section on location and a comprehensive overview of vineyards and wineries across England and Wales, with lots of useful information, including contact details, wine recommendations etc.

All you ever wanted to know about English (and Welsh) wine – all in one place. A great book. And the perfect gift for your favourite wine lover!

Waterstones £20

For other great gift ideas featuring English & Welsh wines, whether bottles, cases or wine tastings, visit Grape Britannia

Kikkerland Wine Bottle Thermometer

This neat wine thermometer is a quick and easy way of checking the temperature of your wine bottle and is a very useful little gadget for any wine drinker. An ideal stocking filler for a wine-lover!

It’s a simple cuff that fits around the bottle and quickly displays the temperature. It also gives the recommended serving temperatures for the most popular wines.

Available from Lakeland, John Lewis, Amazon etc. Priced around £9.00 -£11.00

For other wine-related Christmas gift ideas, see here

A Christmas gift with a difference

If you are looking for a gift with a difference for a wine lover this Christmas, why not treat them to a recognised wine course, or a wine tasting session?

Steve Hovington at Cambridge Wine Academy offers classes for WSET (Wine and Spirit Education Trust) Levels 1-3 and also runs regular wine tastings throughout the year.

I really enjoyed the WSET Level 3 course I took with Steve in 2020 and I learned a lot from his sessions. I have since attended several of Steve’s regular wine tasting sessions and these are always fun, interesting and informative.

So, if you’re looking for that special gift this Christmas, further details can be found here

For other wine-related Christmas gift ideas, see here

Ed Dallimore – The Vineyards of Britain

Everything you wanted to know about English and Welsh wines!

There is much to celebrate in one of the world’s most exciting wine regions – England and Wales.

This new book by wine expert and photographer Ed Dallimore is a fantastic resource for any wine lover wanting to know more about English and Welsh wine. Ed takes you on a fascinating adventure through Britain’s wineries and vineyards. You get to meet the people making top-quality wines, learn about their wines and get some great advice and recommendations from Ed.

Three key elements permeate the narrative: the right sites, the right soils and the right people, and from the south-west to the north of England, from urban wineries in London and Cambridge to vineyards in the shadow of the Black Mountains in Wales, you get to understand how these three factors combine to produce some really excellent wines, both sparkling and still.

Whether it’s White Castle Vineyard in Abergavenny, Gutter & Stars Urban Winery in a Cambridge mill, Rathfinny Wine Estate in East Sussex, or 140-odd others, this book will give you all the background you need and take you on an informative journey through the vineyards and wineries of Britain.

It’s a great read and the perfect Christmas gift for your favourite wine lover!

Available from Waterstone s (£19.99)