Christmas gifts for wine lovers

Getting ready for Christmas also means the inevitable rush for gifts.
Finding new ideas for original Christmas presents is always challenging. One way of getting round the problem could be to give a good bottle of wine, but at Christmas the surprise factor is always key. Amazing a wine lover can seem an undertaking, so we have come up with a selection of gifts to avoid the obvious.

A convenient last minute shopping guide for wine lovers, ranging from “do it yourself” gifts to ideas ready for wrapping and placing under the tree so as to go down in history together with your thoughtful present.

1. Wine-themed gift calendar

What could be better than looking forward to Christmas with a wine-based advent calendar? 24 days, 24 different wines. A daily discovery of a range of wines taking in whites, reds, rosés and bubblies. You can find them all on-line, but if you really want to bowl someone over, just get hold of 24 bottles and label them with the days of December in the run-up to Christmas Eve. Some of the most celebrated Italian wines are produced in the Langhe, from Barbera thru Nebbiolo to the king of wines: Barolo. Start the countdown now, because Christmas is red and rosé, as well as white.

2. Dinner in the vineyard

Wine is not just a product. It is an out-and-out sensory experience. Living it means tuning in to everything that creates its context: from the environment to the people, from the vineyard to the cellar. A Dinner in the vineyard amidst the rows of vines of a producer of Barolo is an experience to savour and share. The perfect gift for someone you love, in an authentic, festive atmosphere. Why restrict yourself to a mundane invitation to dinner when you can treat them to a sensory journey in a discovery of the great wines of the Langhe? Good food and wine are always a much-appreciated gift.

3. Tasting set

A gift for connoisseurs who love to take delight in the accessories that accompany a tasting: a professional set to appreciate a wine at its best is an invaluable idea for a truly unforgettable present. And even more so if it is paired with an appropriate label for the occasion, maybe a Barolo Riserva: a wine of great structure that can take centre stage at any celebration. Because wine is always a pleasure, but with the help of the right accessories it can become an art. Giving the pleasure of wine in an elegant casket is a treat even the snootiest sommelier will approve of.

4. Mulled wine kit

For DIY fans, here is a last-minute gift idea. Mulled wine is the beverage par excellence of Christmas parties, and once you have the original recipe all you have to do is get the right ingredients: sugar, dehydrated orange, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, star anise and juniper berries… what’s missing? A bottle of red wine, of course. Go for a Barolo for someone who is particularly demanding; otherwise you can rely on an excellent Nebbiolo or a blushing Barbera. What kind of Christmas would it be without a glass of mulled wine?

5. Harvest festival

Why stop at a simple tasting of a wine when you can treat someone to the thrill of pressing the grapes themselves with their own feet? Autumn is the perfect season for organizing a Harvest festival in the heart of the Langhe, amidst the colours and fragrances of the winegrowing landscapes of Piedmont. Give an original, fun taste experience. Never run-of-the mill, a fully-blown safari though the vineyards is an opportunity for living country life to the full. A bona fide on-the-road workshop, on a discovery of varietals, crus and terroir.

6. Cellar on paper

Planning next season’s events is a real undertaking, what with wine fairs, festivals and tastings. This is the right time of year for giving a diary for keeping a tasting journal in which evaluations can be jotted down, one toast after another. A gift for true enthusiasts to review and remember their favourite wines of the year. A veritable cellar on paper, divided up into themed sections: sparkling wines, whites, rosés, reds, sweet wines, liqueurs. Because visiting a winery is an experience that needs to be remembered.

7. Adopt a row of vines

A bottle of wine is certainly a welcome present, but why not give the chance to grow, tend and produce your own wine? With long-distance Adoption of a row of vines in the vineyards of the Langhe, you will be making a gift of something precious and unique. Not just a simple glass of wine. The symbol of a magical, unrepeatable experience. By taking part in the initiative you will be contributing to protecting a unique area, and safeguarding the skilful work required to craft a genuine Barolo DOCG.