WINE SPECIAL
Sip sip hurray!
We’ve been giving wine as gifts since the Canaanite kings 4,000 years ago, but how to choose? Go for well-known places, good-looking bottles and classy flavours, says our columnist
by JOE FATTORINI
Up to £15
Picpoul De Pinet Les Canots (12.5%, £9.99, waitrose.com) is the thinking person’s answer to Pinot Grigio: elegant, fresh, and fabulous with seafood. The vineyards lie between the largest nudist resort in Europe and the world’s biggest swingers’ club. We all love a wine with a story.
A surefire gift is Rioja – supple, rounded and generous. Like Orube Rioja Crianza 2018 (14%, £14.95, slurp.co.uk), which adds a hint of darker cocoa and chocolate to the familiar scents of strawberries and oak.