Five Gifts to Give Wine Lovers This Christmas

We’re getting close to Christmas, so you might want to start thinking about what gifts you’re going to buy. Are there any wine lovers in your family? If so, the Ideal Wine Company is on hand to help you out; here are five gifts to get wine lovers this Christmas.

Corkscrew

It may seem really basic. The person you’re buying the gift for may already have one. But you can never have too many corkscrews. If you’re working with a tight budget, buy your wine lover a corkscrew – they’ll thank you the next time they're looking for one!

Wine book

If they're passionate about the process of wine making, why don’t you buy them a book about it? Perform a quick Google search and you’ll soon see that there are a tonne of wine-related book out there. We’d suggest you go for The Wine Bible by Karen McNeil – this 910-page tome is the best-selling wine book in the US!

Wine glasses

Wine glasses break really easily, so if the person you’re giving a gift to is a wine enthusiast, they’re always going to need new ones. Remember that the shape of a wine glass matters, as it can affect the quality of the drink. Make sure you buy the type of glasses that work best with the kind of wine the person you’re purchasing them for likes to drink!

Decanter or aerator

Is the person you’re buying for a fan of aged red wines? If so you might want to get them a decanter this Christmas. You may also want to point them towards this Ideal Wine Company blog post, so they know how to use it! If they prefer younger reds you should get them an aerator instead, because you can’t really decant them. The aerator mixes air into the wine, exposing it to oxygen and causing the aeration process the vintage needs to shine!

Bottle of wine

The most obvious thing to buy for a wine lover this Christmas is a bottle of their favourite tipple. You should base your purchasing decision on their preferences – if they like dry reds, for example, get them a dry red. The Ideal Wine Company provides a wide range of stellar wines. If you purchase the Chateau Petrus 2001 from us today, you’ll be able to give your loved one a gift they’ll really treasure this holiday season!  

The Health Benefits of Mulled Wine

We’re getting closer to Christmas, so you might want to whip up some mulled wine in the next few weeks. If you’re looking for a red vintage you can use to make a fabulous mulled concoction, you can always buy the Vega Sicilla 1999 from the Ideal Wine Company!

If you purchase this bottle, you’ll be able to create a deliciously spiced mulled wine that explodes with flavour the minute it hits your taste buds. Not only does mulled wine taste amazing, but a recent article from the Evening Standard has revealed it can be pretty healthy too. Here are five health benefits of mulled wine:

Anti-inflammatory properties

A lot of people like to add a stick of cinnamon to mulled wine to provide it with that “Christmas in a glass” flavour it’s so famous for. This spice contains anti-oxidants which boast potent anti-inflammatory qualities. This means that mulled wine can reduce swelling, as well as restore normal tissue function.

Detoxify your body

Nutmeg is another popular ingredient for mulled wine. This spice has a number of properties which boost the overall physical health. Specifically, nutmeg detoxifies your liver and kidneys. This allows mulled wine to help your body recover from toxins that are commonly found in alcohol, drugs, pollution and food.

Heart disease prevention

A range of studies conducted in the year 2000 confirmed what many people have long suspected – drinking red wine (moderately) can lower the risk of heart disease and heart attacks. Our favourite tipple contains anti-oxidants which raise the level of good cholesterol in your body; this can significantly reduce the risk of clogged arteries and ultimately, heart disease.

Keeping bones strong

Moderate red wine intake has been shown to increase bone mineral density, therefore mulled wine can help lower the risk of osteoporosis.  Recent research indicated that women who drank one to three glasses of alcohol per day had greater bone mineral density, measured in the hip region of their thighbones, than heavy drinkers and non-drinkers.

Slowing signs of aging

Red wine contains a high concentration of antioxidants called polyphenols, including resveratrol. These anti-oxidants have been shown to help combat the damaging free radicals that play a role in aging and age-related diseases – so drinking mulled wine can make you look younger!

Reasons to drink mulled wine

As if you needed another reason to indulge in a glass or two of deliciously spiced mulled wine this Christmas! The red wine and spices that are key ingredients of mulled wine not only taste fantastic, they can also improve your overall physical health as well!

The Christmas Day Fine Wine Heist

Whilst you were cracking open your bottle of Dom Perignon Brut whilst opening your presents this December 25^th, Ideal Wine Company discovered that one restaurant in the US had stores of its finest vintages stolen. Thieves decided to target the establishment on Christmas day.

The Investment Value of Wine

As a provider of first class vintages at reasonable prices, the Ideal Wine Company understands the value of fine wine. Buy the right bottle and it can provide you with an effective investment, sure to line your pockets when you finally decide to sell it off for a handsome profit.

That must have been the thought running through the minds of a group of thieves in the wine-making region of Napa this December 25^th. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, they decided to reap the investment value of fine wine by targeting an upscale Yountville Restaurant on Christmas Day.

Say Goodbye to 76 of Your Most Luxurious Bottles

The restaurant in question? The French Laundry. This is a well-known Michelin three-starred restaurant. The Chronicle suggests that it’s often called the best in the US or even the best in the world. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that they have a healthy store of fine vintages.

Which is why it must have seemed an obvious target when a group of thieves started planning what we’ve decided to call the Christmas Day wine heist. Targeting the French Laundry, burglars took off with a mind-shattering 76 of it’s most luxurious bottles. Most of these bottles just happened to be Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC), one of the highest value French Burgundies in the world.

Popular With the Criminal Set

Apparently DRC is actually a rather popular vintage with the criminal set. Justin Grover of Fine Wines International – a rare-wine store in the US’ most liberal city, talked about the issue with the Chronicle. His shop was targeted in 2013.

Grover explained that “thieves have been stealing this wine because it is so rare and expensive.” Comparing his situation to that of French Laundry’s, Grover went on to suggest that at his shop “they left other wines of value and only took the DRC wines,” adding “that’s what they did at the French Laundry.”

The True Value of a Fantastically Crafted Luxury Vintage

If anything, the tale of the Christmas Day wine heist has reminded us of the true value of a fantastically crafted luxury vintage. Find that rare bottle with the Ideal Wine Company, and you’ll have an investment that as time wears on, is sure to bring high dividends to your bank account!