If You’ve Forgotten Valentine’s Day, Don’t Worry – I Got You
Last minute gift ideas for wine lovers
The wonderful thing about giving gifts to a wine lover, who also happens to be your lover, is that you usually end up enjoying the gift just as much as they do. Whether it’s a gadget, a subscription, a case of wine or online classes – you can hope that you will get a hell of a lot more out of it than if you give them socks.
If you’ve left it late, and now you’re panicking that the M&S service station chocolates and wilting tulips might not cut it again this year; you’re in luck.
Here is a gift guide for the perpetually last minute, the frightfully disorganised, and the wonderfully canny. All designed to look incredibly thoughtful.
Anna Spooner Wine Courses
Opportunity to ‘toot me own horn’. My newly released wine courses are the ideal gift for anyone who is interested enough in wine to want to listen to me rabbit on whilst either enjoying a glass or two.
I’ve released my ‘Grape Fundamentals’ course which is a demi-deep-dive into the 9 most important grapes of the world. Ideal for someone who knows just enough about wine to be dangerous… ;)
If that course doesn’t appeal, then you can also find some other courses available to pre-order – these include ‘France 101’, ‘Other Red Grapes of the World’ and ‘The Grape Unknown: Less Familiar Wines ’ which will all be released next month. There is also the chance to buy ‘Other White Grapes’ in advance which will be launched later in the Spring.
Courses start from £33 (for you both!) and you can choose to give as a gift.
A Wine Society Membership (£40)
Joining The Wine Society is a rite of passage for any wine lover in the UK. They don’t have to be a major collector, not even that knowledgeable. If they like to drink good wine and they like to drink for as cheaply as possible then what-the-Funchal have they been doing not becoming a member sooner.
Membership is £40 (for LIFE, not per year), and you get £20 of that right back in your account to spend on wine.
Join here and you can pick the ‘Give as a Gift’ option.
A Coravin Wine Preserver
At the time of writing, this Coravin model is in the sale on Amazon AND with quick delivery (under 2 days depending on UK location.)
Granted, this is really only a present for a fine wine lover who needs/wants to take small samples of wines – maybe a glass at a time – and preserve the rest. I use mine regularly for tasting fine wines or for study and now I have one, I don’t know if I could love without it!
Buy here - £299.99 down from £399.99
Voucher for Vineyard Tour in the UK
There are now plenty of options when picking a vineyard tour in the UK but here are some great options.
Easy to access and well set up for all sorts of guest experiences, Chapel Down in Kent is a simple and affordable choice for a day trip starting at £35 PP for a guided tour and tasting.
For something a little more ‘urban’, why not give BlackBook Winery in London a go?! For £25 you can join a Saturday afternoon tour and tasting - learning about this exciting proposition inside the M25!
With a much talked about restaurant, Chalk, and sparkling wines that are considered some of the tip-top in the country, Wiston Estate in West Sussex is the ideal solution for a high end experience to remember, and gift packages start from as little as £25 per person.