Ideal Christmas gifts for the wine lover in your life

Whether you’re selecting the perfect pairing for your own Christmas dinner courses, or you’re choosing the ideal gift you know a loved one will appreciate, O’Briens have a corker of a wine sale to suit every palate this festive season. 

To guarantee a present that won’t be regifted, why not peruse the O’Briens festive wine sale, available in-store and online.

O’Briens wine director Lynne Coyle Master of Wine, has handpicked the most interesting gift ideas that would be ideal for the wine lover in your life, or, if you can’t bear to part with them, a wonderful gift from you, to you!

From bubbles to match your seafood starter, to a professional wine tasting course, all boxes are ticked for the modern wine connoisseur this Christmas.

For your wine lover friend: Marqués de Murrieta Reserva, WAS €24.95, NOW €21.95

Marqués de Murrieta is a family owned winery and is considered to be among one of the top Rioja estates. This Reserva beautifully merges the traditional and modern; unmistakably Rioja but with wonderful rich ripe fruit and a delicious savoury finish that makes it the ideal match for festive seasonal roasts, or an elegant gift for wine lovers.

For your glamorous friend: Granzamy Brut Champagne, WAS €34.95, NOW €29.95

This beautiful Champagne estate is owned by the Lamiraux family. The wine style is all about the vineyards and the family’s personal touch in the cellar. This is a perfect festive pour and works extremely well with food; look for notes of brioche, hazelnut and citrus fruits which define the fresh palate. The rich flavours make this a beautiful food wine, pairing wonderfully with oyster and seafood.

For your foodie friend: Château Rieussec 375ml, WAS €50, NOW €45 

Christmas is the perfect time of year to enjoy a sweet wine and you can’t get much more classic than a Sauternes. The 1er Grand Cru Château Rieussec is made with grapes affected by noble rot, which gives a distinct saffron and tangerine marmalade sweetness to the rich palate. A hedonistic gift for your foodie friends as it works beautifully with pâté, blue cheese and fresh fruit.

For the Christmas lover: Domaine des Grandes Perrières Sancerre,  WAS €20.95, NOW €18.95

Sancerre is an ideal wine to pour during the festive season as its elegant mineral notes and refreshing acidity work beautifully with seafood, goats cheese and of course, turkey. This Sancerre is from a family owned winery located on premium vineyard sites close to Sancerre village. It has a wonderful depth of fleshy citrus fruits: grapefruit and lemon with some gooseberry hints and a crisp dry finish.

For the enthusiastic sibling: WSET Level 2 Wine course, €450
Taking place in the O’Briens Wine School in Donnybrook in January, this seven-week wine course is perfectly pitched for those looking to expand on their wine knowledge and learn how to taste wine professionally as well as understand wine labels. This internationally recognised course – with an exam at the end – includes a set of six ISO Tasting Glasses for students to use in each class and keep. Attendees also take home a €50 O’Briens Gift Card upon completion of the course, to start their wine collection!

For the wine connoisseur: Christmas Luxury Case, €250
For a special treat or the perfect gift for the fine wine lover in your life, this luxurious case highlights some of the best wines from vineyards around the world. This is our most classic and most premium selection, which includes New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, Chablis, Pouilly-Fumé, Valpolicella Ripasso, Bordeaux and a Rioja Reserva. Enjoy them over the festivities matching these classic wines with traditional festive meals.

For all of these, and more offers on O’Briens festive wines, see in-store across 34 shops nationwide, or visit obrienswine.ie. You’ll find over 1,000 wines imported directly from over 180 wineries worldwide. O’Briens delivers anywhere in the Republic of Ireland.