When it comes to choosing the perfect present for the red wine lover in your life, there are numerous options available.
Depending on the occasion and who the gift is for, these options might range from the simple gift of a good bottle of wine or a more extravagant gesture such as a vineyard tour or a trip to a famous red wine growing region.
To start with the simplest choice, do a little prior research into red wines that will be appreciated by the recipient. With enough prior planning, you might be able to track down that favourite red wine that was sampled abroad and never found again. There are plenty of online and mail order wine merchants offering home delivery on many international wines, so hunting down that fondly-remembered bottle might not be too much of a challenge. If you’re only able to establish vague details of the bottle, however, it might be best to leave this one alone – choose the wrong vintage or vineyard and you could end up ruining rather than recreating cherished red wine memories!
A less challenging option is simply to dig around for details about favourite wines easily available in the shops. If it seems too obvious to ask the recipient directly, ask friends and family for a few pointers. Choosing a wine that you know is a particular favourite is bound to be appreciated than simply buying an expensive bottle of wine and hoping for the best.
If you want to step the gift-giving up a notch, a nice idea is to think about a wine gift basket. According to the lucky gift-getter’s personal tastes and the nature of the occasion, such a gift basket might contain anything from wine, roses and chocolates to biscuits and cheese.
Many wine merchants allow you to specify which bottle or bottles will be included in the gift basket, as well as the accompanying ‘extras’. For a romantic occasion, a well-chosen bottle or bottles of red wine accompanied by flowers and some handmade chocolates is bound to be a hit. If your budget will stretch, crystal wine glasses make a nice addition.
For other occasions, think about the tastes of the person you’re buying for. If you’re buying for a foodie type, consider a gift box that comprises a bottle of red wine alongside some delicious cheeses and biscuits. Again, wine glasses are a good extra if the budget allows. There are even some websites specialising in ‘gourmet gift boxes’ that feature a quality bottle or bottles of red wine along with a range of tasty gourmet foods.
If the person you are buying for is more a wine buff than a gourmet, a good option is to go for a red wine gift basket that includes several bottles of red wine that you happen to know the recipient is either fond of or interested to try.
If you really want to go all out and impress that special person, a tour or holiday in a famous wine-growing region is a grand gesture that is bound to be appreciated. Whether you buy it as a romantic gift for a partner or a thoughtful present for parents, tours of wine regions are an excellent opportunity for wine lovers to get away from it all whilst samping some excellent red wines. Depending on budget and the recipient’s location, possible breaks might take in California’s Napa Valley, the Bordeaux region of France or the La Rioja region of Spain. Tours of wine growing regions might range from a day-long trip to a weekend break or even a week-long getaway and again this will depend as much on your budget as on the nature of the occasion.
Another cute option is to pay for the recipient to enrol on a wine-tasting course – guaranteeing a lifetime of increased red wine appreciation. Wine-tasting courses are available across the country and might range from one-day crash courses to a weekend or even one evening a week for several weeks. Some of the best options include the Berry Bros & Rudd Wine School in London, which offers one-day courses and six-session evening courses; and the David Roberts School of Wine in Suffolk. If wine-tasting courses are a little out of your price range, you might want to consider a wine-tasting guide in book form, or a subscribtion to a renowned wine magazine like Wine Spectator.
Or, simpler still, for the red wine lover who always struggles to find matching glasses or to extract the cork without a fight, invest in a quality set of wine glasses or a good quality corkscrew that will be appreciated for many years to come.
