UASHMAMA is a sustainable Italian business with family at the heart, and though it might be cliché, we really do love getting together over a glass of wine.
Italians have a strong relationship with wine - it’s considered a staple of daily life and is deeply intertwined with our food and culture. Italy is also one of the world’s top wine producers, so you could say it’s a whole country of wine lovers.
At the time of writing this, Christmas is fast approaching and Christmas gifts are top of our minds, but these gifts would be great for those who love a tipple all year round.
A bottle of wine is a classic gift, but you can be a little more creative than that - let us help you with our list of 11 gift ideas for wine lovers.
1. A hand-blown wine glass giftset
Every wine lover needs a gorgeous set of wine glasses to sip their favourite tipple from, but many of us end up with mismatched glasses over the years of things getting damaged or misplaced.
Treat your loved one to the Nkuku Yala Hammered Wine Glasses (£48 for a set of 4) - they’re made from eco-friendly recycled glass, which is melted down, hand-blown, and hammered to create the texture, which has a lovely tactile quality.
Dartington Crystal are one of the few remaining crystal glass brands in the UK, and are famous for their glassware. These Stemless Wine Glasses (£20 for a set of 4) are made from lead-free crystal, and are a little different to a traditional wine glass, while still retaining the classic shape.
2. A bottle of wine from a UK vineyard
These days, there are so many brilliant vineyards in the UK producing incredible wine, and buying local produce is much better for the environment due to the smaller carbon footprint.
Why not give the gift of a bottle of wine from Penn Croft Vineyards (from £31)? Earlier this year, nonprofit certifier A Greener World announced that Penn Croft is the first vineyard in England to be Certified Regenerative - an innovative sustainability certification providing assurance of environmental responsibility.
Vineyard photo by Trent Erwin from Unsplash
3. Gift an experience - a day out to a local vineyard
Speaking of UK vineyards, why not give your wine lover a day out to a local vineyard? Lots of people would much rather get the gift of doing something rather than having something, and any wine buff would enjoy seeing behind the scenes.
The Finest Bubble has a round-up of The Best English Vineyards For Tours And Tastings, which start at £15 and go up to £50, and there are lots of vineyards to tour in Wales too, which range from £10 to £48.50.
4. Or do some wine tasting at your local wine bar
You’re more likely to have a local wine bar than a local vineyard, so why not treat your loved one to a wine tasting experience as a gift? It’s a really fun activity to do with a partner or a couple of friends.
And if you can’t find one local to you, Bristolian wine bar Kask has got you covered with their DIY At-Home Wine Tasting Kits (£25-30) which come with 5 organic, minimal intervention wines alongside information cards about the wine and the winemaker.
5. A whole gift hamper of food to pair perfectly with their favourite wine
There are some classic food and wine pairings, like salty foods with tannic wines like chianti or cabernet sauvignon, acidic foods with acidic wine like English whites, or creamy foods and rich, buttery wines - find out more in this easy guide to matching food and wine by The Wine Society.
Wine and cheese is a classic pairing, so you could create a little gift hamper of local cheeses, crackers, and other little snacks for an indulgent cheeseboard.
If you’re looking for a Christmas gift, our blog post 10 delicious Secret Santa gifts for your favourite foodie (with an Italian twist) might give you a few extra tasty ideas.
At the end of the day, it really comes down to what your loved one’s favourite nibbles are - choose those alongside a lovely bottle of wine, and you can’t go wrong.
6. The UASHMAMA Chianti Wine Bag
Our eco-friendly Chianti Wine Bag (£30-34) is made from our AGGO® washable paper, and makes a great addition to a dining table - it’s available in 13 colours to match your seasonal décor.
The Wine Bag can be combined with our Wine Cooler (sold separately, £9) to keep your beverages cool, and they can both be folded flat for super easy storage.
You could select a favourite bottle of wine and combine with the Chianti Wine Bag for a beautiful gift - with no gift wrap required.
7. An elegant eco-friendly decanter
Decanters aren’t essential, but they do make a lovely addition to a drinks cabinet and help to aerate wine, as well as being a great gift for wine lovers.
The LSA International Water & Wine Carafe Set (£100) is mouth-blown by skilled glassblowers, set on a sustainably-sourced FSC-certified oak base - it makes for such an elegant and thoughtful gift.
And if you’re feeling extra fancy, the Eto Wine Decanters (£139-159) are made from Borosilicate glass and stainless steel, and can lock in the freshness of your wine, keeping it as good as when it was opened for up to a fortnight - if your wine lover friend can make a bottle last that long.
8. A quirky & sustainable Ettore Sottsass ES17 Corkscrew
This bottle opener from Alessi is so unusual - it’s practically a work of art - and would make a really special gift for a wine lover.
The ES17 Corkscrew (£90) is hand-crafted in Italy (just like our UASHMAMA products) with wood from a sustainably-managed forest, and coloured with water-based, solvent-free paints.
“Designed in 1993, this corkscrew belonged to the Twergi collection, born out of a desire to revitalize the ancient tradition of woodturning, typical of the area where Alessi is based.”
A less pricey but equally fun option is the Addison Ross Bow Tie Corkscrew (£35), which comes in 5 brilliant colour combinations.
9. An eco-conscious wine bottle stopper
In the unlikely event that your loved one doesn’t finish a bottle of wine, a bottle stopper is a very handy gift to give, to keep that delicious plonk fresh.
The Verdant Grain Wooden Bottle Stopper (£6.95) is hand-carved from Tunisian olive wood from trees that have reached the end of their fruit-bearing life, which is a great way to get another use from them.
10. A reclaimed wood wine rack
Many wine lovers love to collect wine, or (at the very least) have a few bottles on hand to enjoy at their leisure.
Having somewhere stylish to store those wine bottles is a must, and this Blu Bambu Winemate Wine Rack (£79) is handcrafted from reclaimed teak wood and paired with hand-welded iron - what a chic gift for a wine lover.
11. UASHMAMA Ice Cube Beverage Chiller
Our Ice Cube Beverage Chiller (£30-34) is featured in one of the Good Food Christmas gift guides this year - you can see it in The best Christmas gifts to buy for foodies. Not only is it a good gift for foodies, it’s a great gift for wine lovers too.
Made from our signature washable paper, the Ice Cube fits easily around a beverage bottle, and has 2 removable ice packs on the inside that you store in the freezer until ready to use.
For more gifting ideas, take a look at our blog posts 10 delicious Secret Santa gifts for your favourite foodie (with an Italian twist), and Our 6 favourite thoughtful & sustainable new home gift ideas.
You can find lots of other helpful posts on the UASHMAMA blog, including styling tips and Q&As with creatives. And if you’ve landed here in time for some festive shopping, check out our Christmas collection for decorations and gifts.
We raise a glass of wine to you, our wonderful customers - have a very merry Christmas.
