Christmas Gift Suggestions for Wine Lovers by Ian Blackshaw

With Christmas looming, the annual question of what to give family and friends raises its head. Here are a few suggestions for stocking fillers for wine lovers which will not break the bank and make interesting and acceptable gifts.

How about a wine pourer cork? Once the bottle has been opened and the wine allowed to breath, especially a red, the pourer replaces the cork in the neck of the bottle and permits the wine to be poured elegantly and without spillage; even if, without such an aid, you have already mastered the twist of the bottle technique to end the serving without spilling a drop!

And talking of stoppers, what about a stopper to preserve the unconsumed wine for later drinking. There are many fun ones around and as long as they are air tight they work! I have to say that I prefer not to drink left over wine, if I can help it - I use such wine for cooking. Which reminds me of the greetings card that has the illustration and the caption to go with it: ‘I often cook with wine and sometimes I add it to the food!’ The sort of remark you would expect from the late and great bon viveur and talented chef Keith Floyd, who died recently.

Foil cutters make a really useful gift. to - sommeliers have the knack of removing the capsule covering the cork neatly with just a penknife. Foil cutters enable even the less practiced to do a neat professional job

A wine thermometer collar will help ensure that your whites and reds are served at the optimum temperatures. A neat device that fits snugly round the neck of the bottle.

For a touch of class what about a taste vin? It’s a useful device for tasting the wine before serving, particularly red wine from the Burgundy region, where this item was created. And one of these will impress your friends, especially if it comes (as illustrated) with a chain that you can wear round your neck!

A smart ‘silver’ wine bottle coaster, like the one illustrated looks good at the dinner table and helps to protect the surface from drips and scratches.

And what about a set of glasses, especially to replace ones that have inevitably been depleted by breakages? For example, a set of large burgundy glasses, each of which can hold a bottle of wine (75 cl)! Something definitely to get your nose into to appreciate fully the bouquet.

Do you know someone who is into modern design? A modern wine bottle holder in stainless steel, like the one illustrated here, would make a nice gift and would not break the bank either!

And finally, how about a wine cooler bucket? A fancy one with all the recommended serving temperatures emblazoned on the outside. With such an item, you will have no excuse for serving a white too chilled, which is easily done, or a red above room temperature. In the latter case, it is probably better to err on the cooler side, which, in any case, reflects the room temperature of earlier years in French houses prior to central heating.

All these items can be found in wine and other shops in the region. Have fun searching for them and running them to earth, if you have the time, and are not, like me buying Christmas presents at the last minute on Christmas Eve before the early closing for the holiday!

There’s a gift idea here to suit every pocket, and they’re suitable for any wine lover and drinker, not just connoisseurs.

Bonne santé!

Stylish bottle holder

Big glasses for burgundy

Silver coaster

Tastevin with chain

Corkscrews come in all price ranges

Bottle stoppers are useful. This one is for champagne