The best stocking fillers for wine aficionados
As the weather gets colder and the central heating is switched back on, the annual seasonal concern begins to creep in; how many weeks is it until Christmas?
Due to Covid-19 all but cancelling Christmas in 2020, the festivities are set to be bigger and better than ever this year, but added pressure from shortages created by transportation and delays at borders indicate a challenging end of the year to come.
The traditional rush to purchase enough wine for festivities and the desire to leave it later and later every year is not good for anyone’s coronary arteries, but market indicators on demand are good and the current enthusiasm to eat out does not seem to be abating – I have my fingers crossed that the trend will carry through to Christmas and New Year itself.
While it is always lovely to receive a bottle of something for Christmas, it can be tricky to find the perfect gift for the wine enthusiasts in your life – we are, by our nature, a picky, selective type of person.
If money isn’t an object, Berry Bros and Rudd, the UK’s oldest wine merchant, has launched the ultimate Christmas present for an oenophile; a cellar of fine wine. This mega gift will be available in tiers from £2,000 to £10,000 with a boxed bottle of fine wine and a consultation with a wine specialist thrown in.
For the rest of us, with slightly more conservative budgets, one idea is the superb annual Pocket Wine Guide from Hugh Johnson which, in 2022 sees it in its 45th edition. A publication revered in the wine fraternity by amateurs and professionals alike, this comprehensive and very readable book is the world’s number one selling wine guide.
The key to its success, I believe, is Johnson’s style; authoritative yes, but always accessible and with an unbiased rating system you can trust. I have bought it almost every year of the 25 years I have been in the wine trade.
Stocking fillers for the oenophile in your life:
Pocket Wine Guide by Hugh Johnson – £12.99
Wine Folly: A Visual Guide to the World of Wine by Madeline Puckette – £25
The Noble Rot Book: Wine From Another Galaxy by Dan Keeling & Mark Andrew- £30.00