Yes, November just began, but it feels like Christmas is right around the corner and when it comes to present shopping and all the preparations, you know that the early bird gets the peace of mind come the holiday break.
To help you stay ahead of the curve, we have picked a selection of wine boxes from passionate retailers we know and love covering different styles. From Old World favourites, to natural beauties, you’ll find a set to suit the different wine lovers in your life.
When it comes to whiskey, we have an all-new, limited edition compilation of bottles from Irish producers both established and up and coming. Let them wow you and yours.
WINE GIFTS
Dinner Party Essential Box by The Nude Wine Co.
Wine educator Michelle Lawlor founded and runs The Nude Wine Co. an online wine retailer specialising in carefully selected organic and biodynamic wines from Europe and beyond.
Her DIY wine courses are the perfect gift for those who wish to learn about wine while sharing and enjoying it their own way. For a gift that goes beyond the holiday season, you can get a subscription to The Nude Wine Club, which includes three amazing bottles a month for €55.
For a show-stopping present, you can also pick one of the various boxes of wine Michelle has curated. The Dinner Party Essentials box is a standout, as it contains six bottles chosen to help craft the perfect dinner party.
It includes:
- Prosecco – Lajara Organic Frizzante, Italy
- White – Giol, Pinot Grigio, Italy
- White – Leitz Non Alcoholic Riesling, Germany
- Red – Lopez de Haro Rioja Crianza, Spain
- Red – Cantina dei Colli Ripani Organic Sangiovese, Italy
- Red – Haut Gravelier Bordeaux, France
€100, available at The Nude Wine Co.
6 Bottle Old World Selection box by The Corkscrew
The Corkscrew is a Dublin wine lovers’ institution, known for their fine wines and top notch customer service. The Christmas gift catalogue of this award-winning retailer is long and tempting with twin sets and multiple variety boxes at different price points and for different occasions.
Their 6 Bottle Old World Selection offers a tour of Europe’s wine powerhouses, with bottles that showcase the distinctiveness of each region.
It includes:
- Vincent Girardin Pinot Noir – France
- Casa Emma Chianti Classico – Italy
- Paolo Cottini Ripasso – Italy
- Vega Vella Sauvignon – Spain
- Cornelio Dinastia Crianza – Spain
- Thorle Riesling Trocken – Germany
€149, available at The Corkscrew.
Dealer’s Choice – 12 Boutique Wines by Boutique Wines
This independent wine merchant specialises in sourcing fine wines from family-run wineries. They feature a wide variety of gift hampers and mixed cases, ideal to wow this Christmas.
Their Dealer’s Choice selection offers both fabulous wines and incredible value (equivalent to just €11 per bottle!). They’ll pack a dozen bottles for you, combining picks from France, Spain, Italy, South Africa, Chile and Argentina. You’ll be pleasantly surprised and so will whoever receives this big box of lovingly chosen wines.
€132, available at Boutique Wines.
Christmas Survival Kit by Baggot Street Wines
We love the name, we love the contents. This multi-award-winning wine shop and off licence has covered all bases.
Their Christmas Survival Kit features a hamper that fits perfectly at a Christmas table, from a bubbly start to a sweet end elevated by Port, with some French and Spanish wonders in between and a few treats to share.
It includes:
- Champagne Gosset Brut Excellence
- Chablis Le Chablisienne La Pierrelee
- Chateau Lyonnat Saint Emilion
- Martinez Lacuesta Rioja Reserva
- Port Quinta do Noval LBV
- Cashel Cheese
- Sheridan’s crackers
- Aine 6 pack chocolate
€200, available at Baggot Street Wines
Pop Boxset Red by Neighbourhood Wine
Wine importer Shane Murphy and Master of Wine Mick O’Connell teamed up to co-found this independent wine merchant build on experience, passion and relationships with producers who share their love for fine, natural, biodynamic and organic wines.
The Pop Boxset Red offers six of their most popular red wines. It is no wonder that, as music lovers, the theme perfectly fits the selection: upbeat, crowd-pleasing, exciting and fun reds that will surely liven up an evening!
It includes:
- Bell’Epoca Terre di Chieti Rosso
- Zero-G Zweigelt
- Marcillac P&J Teulier – Le Cros
- Matsu El Picaro
- Chateau de Montfrin Cotes du Rhone
- Barbera d’Asti La Smilla
€100, available at Neighbourhood Wine.
SPIRITS
Writers’ Tears Inniskillin Icewine Finish
The latest release by Walsh Whiskey is an innovative triple-distilled blend of Single Pot Still and Single Malt whiskey finished for 12 months in icewine hogsheads sourced from Canada’s renowned Inniskillin Winery in Ontario. With only 3,500 bottles produced, it is a very limited edition expected to fly.
Icewine, a Canadian specialty made from frozen grapes, offers a delicate, natural sweetness that complements the spiciness and nutty notes of the Irish whiskey. Expect a balanced, rounded drop that feels smooth even at 46% ABV.
€69.99, available in Ireland exclusively at Celtic Whiskey Shop.
The Liberator Irish Whiskey Tawny Port Finish Batch 3
Wayward Irish Spirits introduces the third release of their Irish malt whiskey finished in Tawny Port casks between 9 to 12 months. As part of The Liberator series, it is made with spirits commissioned from Irish distilleries (in this case, 2006 Cooley Single Malt and 2015/2016 Great Northern Single Malt).
With only 1,000 bottles released, this limited edition will be a present to impress the whiskey enthusiast in your life.
€65, available at Celtic Whiskey Shop, James J. Fox, Castle Off Licence.
Dingle Distillery Single Malt Batch No.6
This multi-award-winning distillery was a pioneer of the new Irish whiskey renaissance, distilling in Ireland since 2012, and a household name for fine whiskey and spirits.
The sixth and final release of their acclaimed Single Malt Batch series has been matured exclusively in Tawny Port Casks, and it’s yet another example of the win-win relationship between fortified wines and whiskey.
€70, available at Dingle Distillery.
Fercullen 20 Year Old Single Malt, Five Elements
Last September, Master Distiller Noel Sweeney unveiled this Single Malt Irish Whiskey that matured for 20 years in Bourbon casks, and then was finished using four different (Oloroso Sherry, Pedro Ximenez, Marsala and Muscatel).
The result is a balanced, intense and complex expression with multiple layers of intertwined flavours, a velvety, full body and a long finish.
€220, available at Powerscourt Distillery, Celtic Whiskey Shop.
Teeling Whiskey Renaissance Series 4
The latest bottling of the wildly successful Renaissance Series by Teeling was launched this autumn and it’s set to wow this holiday season. The liquid is an 18 year old single malt aged for 16 years in Bourbon barrels and then finished in Red Pineau Des Charentes fortified wine casks.
If you’re looking for a present that makes a statement, this amazing Irish whiskey is definitely one to have on your radar.
€140, available at Celtic Whiskey Shop, James J. Fox, Bradleys Off Licence, Wineonline.ie.
WRITTEN BY GABY GUEDEZ
