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All wrapped up
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Tip of the week
Buying the right bottle of wine for someone can often be a headache - but it doesn’t need to be.
Generally, £4.99 is the average price of a bottle purchased week in, week out, at the supermarket. Trading up to the £8 to £12 price range offers scope for something special.
Whatever you do, avoid wine gift packs. These are often opulently packaged in wrinkled velvet or satin lined boxes, or in a rustic straw-filled wooden case, but they represent terrible value for money. |
Wrap a good bottle yourself... |
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A year or two ago I was aghast to spot a two-bottle pack of basic Appellation Controlee Cotes de Duras red wine for £23. The actual value of the wine was a mere £8 at most, the resulting £15 taken up by packaging. Empty wooden packs are on sale in French hypermarkets and some gift shops here in the UK for only £3. I rest my case.
Instead, buy your favourite wine lover a good £10 bottle and put it into a stylish bottle bag or gift tube. These cost about £2.
If your wine gift purchase is for a close friend, try to remember the style of wine that he or she likes, and then buy a slightly more expensive bottle of something similar.
Often the same brands of wine include a ‘limited release’, a ‘single-vineyard cuvee’ or, alternatively, a ‘winemaker’s reserve’, all of which usually cost £2 to £3 more, but show a big jump in quality and are worth the extra cash.
Tip: If you’re buying for someone whose preferences are less well known, why not buy an inexpensive wine book (there are plenty available for around £9.99) and include a wine voucher inside as a bookmark! |
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