Perhaps you are still searching for presents to delight family or friends this Christmas? Fear not, we have some unique gift ideas for you – all related to English and Welsh wine, of course.
English Wine Books
Oz Clarke has long been a champion of English wines, and his book, ‘English Wine– From Still to Sparkling – the Newest New World Wine Country’, helps you find the best wines, from fizz, whites, some impressive reds to dessert and orange wines. From Yorkshire to the far west of Cornwall and across to Wales, Oz recommends wines he has enjoyed and found interesting and encourages you to try for yourself. Written with Oz’s usual flair and verve, this book manages to be an effortless read yet impart a barrel-full of English Wine facts and opinions.
We also have a couple of books by Liz Sagues – ‘A Celebration of English Wine’, which is another excellent overview of the entire dynamic English Wine Industry that provides a fascinating tour of many of the most significant vineyards in the UK, and ‘Sussex by the Glass – Wines, vines and two pioneering families’, which is a more focussed and intimate portrait of one county and two trail-blazing winemaking families.
Sussex by the Glass – Liz Sagues
English Wine from Still to Sparkling – Oz Clarke
A Celebration of English Wine – Liz Sagues
English grape-based hand care products
Brilliantly turning otherwise waste product from the winemaking process into premium products in their laboratory in Kent, Pelegrims have created a stylish hand care range.
Their Hand Cleanser is gently exfoliating, with English Ortega Grape Extract that helps to repair and hydrate the skin; crushed walnut shell buffs away dead skin cells. It also contains subtle notes of rose, tomato and labdanum.
On the other hand (sorry, that’s our equivalent of the Christmas cracker joke), their Hand Pomade offers intense hydration and rejuvenation for tired hands and cuticles, with their signature English Ortega Grape Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, and Provitamin. It stimulates skin cell regeneration and visibly improves the skin’s appearance. It is additionally scented with rosemary leaf, fig and amber.
Pelegrims Hand Cleanser
Pelegrims Hand Pomade
English Wine and English Cheese
We’ve selected a couple of English wines – Davenport Vineyards Horsmonden Dry 2019 and Winbirri Vineyard Signature 2017 – to match with a couple of distinctive, classic, English cheeses.
Godminster’s Vintage Organic Cheddar cheese is a multi-award-winning cheddar, covered in a distinctive burgundy wax. It is made to a traditional 90-year-old recipe and matured for up to 12 months. This organic cheddar cheese has a rich and full depth of flavour with a smooth texture – it is a deliciously smooth and creamy cheese.
Shorrock’s Lancashire Bomb cheese is a classic, famous, wonderful creamy cheese presented in traditional black wax. The Lancashire Bombs are matured over two years creating a very creamy and full-flavoured taste and texture.
You can choose either or both cheeses with either wine, and they will be sent in a gift box.
English Red Wine, Vintage Cheddar and Lancashire Bomb
English White Wine, Vintage Cheddar and Lancashire Bomb
Glassware
We have three beautiful sets of glassware to offer this year.
There is a delicate flute for English Sparkling Wine from Saffron Grange Vineyard, sparkling wine specialists from Essex; their Classic Cuvée 2018, Sparkling Rosé 2019 and Seyval Blanc 2019 might all be enjoyed from these glasses.
From the trail-blazing White Castle Vineyard in Wales we have tasting glasses, perfect for enjoying their Pinot Noir Reserve 2019, Regent 2019 or Siegerrebe 2018.
For the beer lover, The Belgian Brewer’s iconic glassware is designed for their award-winning range, which includes Wheat, Dubbel, Tripel, Strong Blond, Summer Blond and Cherry.
Each set contains three glasses of that type.
Saffron Grange English Sparkling Glass x 3
White Castle Tasting Glass x 3
The Belgian Brewer Beer Glass x 3
English Sparkling Wine in gift boxes
Of course, there is always the option of ‘just’ wine! If you’re going to gift a bottle, you might want to consider these two ultra-premium wines which come in bespoke gift boxes.
First up is the Decanter Platinum award-winning Gusbourne Blanc de Blancs 2016 which displays ripe citrus, pink grapefruit and pear with white floral notes, combined with toasted brioche, shortbread and hazelnut hints.
Secondly, we have the premier cuvée from England’s premier sparkling winemaker, Dermot Sugrue: his Cuvée Dr Brendan O’Regan MV is drinking beautifully now, but has outstanding ageing potential, combining both power and structure with subtlety and finesse.