Wine - The Perfect Holiday Gift

The history of gifts

It is said that the Phoenicians, whom we call the businessmen of antiquity, gave gifts to their host when they arrived in a new territory before negotiating, to gain the trust of the people with whom they were to discuss business.

The Phoenicians are known in history, among other things, for the luxury goods industry, which was in high demand at the time and had a very high commercial value, such as jewellery, cosmetics, and perfumes.

For the Phoenicians and Egyptians, wine was considered a luxury product, and although only priests and nobles could drink it on special occasions, the lower classes could drink it only when they received it as a gift.

There is also evidence that even in the most primitive societies, they gave hand-made gifts. For example, farmers offered as a gift the fruits of their land or products from their harvest when they visited members of their families, and one of these products was wine. Natural wines, spontaneously fermented, had to be mixed with water to be drunk because they were very strong wines, very different from the ones we can enjoy today.

Curiously, today we return to the most ancestral traditions, giving value again to "handmade" items. One of the current trends of giving gifts is of offering products of local origin. 

Wine - The ideal gift

As we know, this tradition is still very much present, and one of the gifts that never disappoints and never ends up thrown in a corner of the house is the wine packs. Wines are ideal gifts for co-workers, parents, friends, special occasions and family visits. 

Speaking of holidays, taking advantage of the fact that November 30 was the festivity of St. Andrew, we want to give some recommendations related to one of the most difficult associations that exist in the world of wine, one of those impossible associations that sommeliers face - garlic and wine. 

In some Romanian regions, there is a tradition of eating garlic dishes. They believe that this drives away evil spirits and prevents them from visiting them during the night, and for that reason, they add this ingredient to many dishes. In order not to make a mistake and not to alter the taste of the dishes or the wine, we recommend that you combine these dishes with oak white wine. If you are a red wine lover, then we recommend pairing a garlic dish with oak red wine. The velvety tannin of the red wine will camouflage the garlic and make it less spicy.

When we give wine as a gift to our loved ones, we must take into account their preferences and those with whom they will enjoy our gift. Therefore, it is advisable to choose a pack of two, three or four different bottles in terms of origin, age and flavour, when we do not know exactly the other person's favourite wines.

Throughout the year we have many holidays and occasions when we offer gifts, but once December arrives, the pursuit of gifts intensifies. 

Although yesterday we celebrated Saint Andrew, in a few days we will celebrate a saint very dear to us all, but especially to the children, Saint Nicholas, or Santa Claus. December 6 is the day that officially marks the beginning of the winter holidays, respectively the purchase of Christmas presents. These holidays will end with St. John in January.

Because choosing the perfect gift is not always an easy task, and many of you are already looking for fresh ideas for St. Nicholas holiday gifts this year, consider this little guide as your source of inspiration. Wine is one of the best gift options, whether it is a special wine bottle or a special cava or a set of wines. It is always a gift that will surely impress you.

Ideas & Recommendations

We have a selection of ideal wines to offer as a holiday gift, we will detail some of them, such as Cerro La Isa Viñedo Singular 2018 from Bodegas Juan Carlos Sancha, in D.O. Rioja. , made from Grenache grapes from a 100-year-old vineyard in Alto Nejerilla, one of the freshest and most sloping vineyards in all of La Rioja. It is aged in French oak barrels for eighteen months, without losing its fruity aromas, it has a silky and very seductive tannin. A very exclusive wine, because only one thousand two hundred bottles are made.

Another wine which we recommend to give as a gift, is Marqués de Murrieta Reserva 2016, a wine that shows the incredible personality of Finca Ygay in La Rioja Alta, where its grape varieties come from. The manual harvest and sixteen months in American oak barrels define an elegant wine with cherry aromas, floral and eucalyptus notes, a wine capable of evoking the most unexpected memories. Marqués de Murrieta, is one of those Rioja classics that will continue to be a trend over the years, another ideal gift for this Christmas. 

Another wine that we find very special is sweet and sour, called Dolç de Neu, which in translation means "sweet snow", we could call it an Ice Wine or ice wine, a naturally sweet wine, from the Alta Alella winery.

Fermentation is naturally stopped due to its high sugar content, a wine with a purely Mediterranean character that gives us aromas of syrup and jam, with moderate alcohol content and a perfect balance between sugar and acidity. Dolç de Neu, is also another good option as a gift wine, being ideal for any holiday or occasion.

Gran Reserva Jujol oak cava is a great option to give as a gift. It is a cava obtained from a single variety, xarello, which ferments in barrels and rests for four months on its own yeast, with a light daily beating.

A process that gives it creaminess and personality that is reflected in the cava, after the second fermentation in the glass and a minimum ageing period of four years, this Gran Reserva Brut Nature obtains a unique personality and exceptionality which makes it the most select and desired gift for the most demanding palaces.

These are some of our recommendations, but you can visit our store to get inspired or to order your favourite wines for your loved ones. An advantage if you opt for wine as a gift for St. Nicholas or Christmas, is that it can be easily wrapped, and if you opt for bottles with your pack you will get a truly elegant gift. 

There are options for all tastes and all pockets. You can get a gift with a glamorous note without spending too much. 

So, our dear wine lovers, if you have behaved well this year you will not find branches when you wake up on December 6, but you will find shoes full of sweets, chocolate and, why not, some of the most special bottles of wine. 

We thank our friend Isabel Zaro for all the documentation of this article, and we wish you a great time when choosing your gifts.

See you next time, wine lovers!