Christmas Time! Why English Wine makes a great gift

Best Christmas Gifts 2020: Why English wine makes the perfect present

It’s that age-old dilemma – what gift do you buy the person who has everything? Perhaps you’re looking for a gift for someone you don’t know that well or that friend or family member who is notoriously difficult to buy for.

Wine has long been considered the ideal present – the Ancient Greeks thought it was a gift from the gods, while the Egyptians even buried their loved ones with copious amounts of the stuff to ensure they were well-stocked in the afterlife.

Wine is quite simply a gift that works for all occasions but instead of heading to the supermarket and picking up any old European or New World bottle of plonk for your Dad, boss, friend or friend-of-friend who has happened to invite you over for a posh dinner, try looking a little closer to home at the wines made right here in England.

With Christmas just around the corner, here are a few reasons why you should consider giving the gift of English wine this festive season (and pop over to our English Wine Gift Page to see some preselected ideas!

English wine is a personal gift

Whether it’s a vegan wine for a vegan friend or wine made from a family member’s favourite grape, taking the time to select the right English wine for the recipient is a great way to show how well you know them, and how much you care. You could also buy a wine from a vineyard locally to them or perhaps honour their heritage by gifting a bottle of wine from an English vineyard in the region they originate from or have another special connection to. Pop over to our Kent Wine and Sussex Wine pages

English wine is a talking point…

…and is therefore the perfect gift for dinner parties. When bringing wine to a dinner party as a gift for your host, it’s likely they’ll pop it open at some point during the evening and tongues will start wagging. If you’re able to find out what’s on the menu beforehand, pick an English wine that complements the meal and shows how much thought you’ve put into the gift. All English wines bought from Corkk come with tasting notes and ideal food pairings from our Master of Wine, Clive Barlow.

You may well be introducing them to something new

There’s no doubt the English wine industry is booming right now but it is still relatively new compared with wines from many other regions around the globe. Chances are, if you buy someone English wine – particularly from one of the smaller or new English vineyards like Heppington in Canterbury – they won’t have tried it before. If they’re already familiar with the world of English wine then an English wine subscription makes a wonderful gift for English wine lovers.

English wine is made for sharing

Whether the recipient pops the cork and splits it with you there and then, or enjoys it with loved ones at a later date, English wine will almost always be enjoyed socially. By giving someone the gift of English wine, you’re not just treating them to wine – you’re enabling them to share the experience with the people they love.

English wine supports local

By purchasing a bottle of English wine as a gift, you are helping to support the local economy. Many of England’s wineries are boutique, family-run vineyards whose wines aren’t sold in supermarkets so buying from them and sharing their produce helps promote and keep their businesses alive.

English wine is a sustainable gift

Because English wine is made right here in the UK, it doesn’t need to travel as far as a wine from abroad before it gets into a consumer’s home so in terms of reducing your carbon footprint it’s a much better option. Many English vineyards are also committed to sustainable growing and production methods and a few are even spearheading new techniques such as Simpsons’ which was the first vineyard in the UK to use Vinolok – a 100% recyclable glass closure. Furthermore, should the recipient not like the idea of the wine (although we’re very sure that won’t be the case), it’s easier enough for them to pass on the gift to someone else to enjoy.

English wine suits different dietary requirements

Vegan, veggie, gluten intolerant, lactose intolerant – there are some many different dietary requirements to be aware of these days that gifting a food or drink item can sometimes prove a little problematic. “Surely all wine is vegan?”, we hear you cry. Well actually no. Historically winemakers used animal products like albumin (egg whites) and casein (a milk by-product) to refine their wines (stop them looking cloudy following the winemaking process). While these fining agents are removed at the end of the process, the fact they were used at all makes the wines non-vegan. However, more recently winemakers are choosing to use clay-based agents or none at all so their wines are vegan friendly. More and more English vineyards are choosing this path, such as Wiston and Westwell.

Wine lasts

Wine is a great gift because there’s no pressure on the recipient to drink it now – left unopened, the right wine can improve with age so the recipient can enjoy it when they like. Our Master of Wine Clive Barlow can advise on what wines are best to drink now or squirrel away for a rainy day.

You can’t go wrong with bubbly…

…and in England we happen to be absolute experts at making sparkling wine. Since Nyetimber first planted the traditional Champagne grape trio of Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir in West Sussex in 1988, with the purpose of creating a traditionally-made sparkling wine to rival that of the best chateaux in France, England has earned its place on the world wine map for its English sparkling. We now make some of the best bubbly in the world so why not choose a bottle (or three) to gift to loved ones this Christmas?