If you’re anything like me you’ve been *meaning to buy a Father’s Day present for weeks, and now there is an extreme shortage of time left to buy one, whoops!
The good thing about wine is that you can pick up a decent bottle from your local shop and get to share it (if you’re lucky!). However a last minute wine purchase can end up looking like just that so here are some top wines and accessories to buy which will look like you’ve really thought it through…
If he loves Malbec...
There’s a lot of love for Malbec out there so why not give your Dad the upper hand with something a bit more out of the ordinary, Ribera del Duero. This is a couple of stops along the Revelation line and shares the juicy, intense fruit flavours and big body of Malbec. It’s actually made not that far from Rioja, with the Tempranillo grape.
Sainsbury’s have two great examples; the Taste the Difference Marques del Almeida Ribera del Duero, great value at £8.00. Or if you can stretch to it, trade up to the slightly kooky looking Condado de Hazo £17.00 also from Sainsbury’s, which is just delicious. Both need a bit of food to shine so make sure you add some instructions with the bottle.
If he loves to be a bit different (and likes a curry)
Red Fizz is a bit of a left-field wine choice in the UK, but across the rest of the world it’s a lot more normal. This Sparkling Shiraz is a great way for your Dad to dip his toe into that world. It’s pretty full on, big and fruity with a spicy kick at the end. For many bubbly red takes a bit of getting used to, but they are actually really refreshing and make a mean contrast to the spice and oil in a curry or some serious grill action! My favourite match is a full english so you could always cook a brunch up and swap the standard bubbly or bloody mary for a real talking point.
If he likes to choose his own wine
Invest in a membership to the Wine Society. Membership is £40 and this gives you access to a fantastic range of wines at great value, significantly cheaper than the ‘high street’. Because it’s a society wines are priced more favourably. This is the gift that will keep giving back to you every time he pours you a glass of wine – everybody wins!
The wines always deliver so if your Dad loves exploring for himself this is a great membership. It won’t arrive in time for Sunday but would be with him next week…
If you wouldn’t dream of buying him a bottle of wine
If he only drinks beer, buy beer. I’ve tried ‘converting’ beer drinkers to wine, it’s not worth it, but there are some fantastic ‘craft’ beers around, and some great subscription services.
However, if your Dad is a bit of a wine buff, how about some nice wine glasses. The more I play with how the glass changes the flavour of wine the more I realise that the best way to feel like you’re drinking the good stuff is to upgrade your wine glasses. The difference is quite astonishing…
Riedel have pretty much coined the market and sell a number of ranges including a different shape for every style of wine. I recommend sticking to their Vinum range and the Sauvignon Blanc for every day drinking. Brace yourself though, this is more than you would have spent on a wine glass with a pair of them coming in at £36 in John Lewis.
The creme de la creme of glasses are largely considered to be a brand called Zalto, their standard ‘every day’ glass is £30 on the aroundwine website (a brilliant resource for fancy wine-ware). These glasses are the stuff of nightmares when it comes to holding, touching, washing etc. but life’s way too short to worry about that, just be careful! You might find them in specialist wine or homeware stores if you want to buy one tomorrow!
Good luck with the shopping – and cheers to all those Dads out there!