To have and to hold

The conundrum of the Wedding Gift. Let’s face it, most of us have what we need and if we don’t, when it comes to bath towels, toasters and teaspoons, we’d rather choose those items ourselves.

By Nicola Belsham.

And that’s where wine comes in! Gifting wine is the gift of romance itself. A freeze-frame of friendship and a well-thought-out choice for the special people in our lives. Something to have for immediate enjoyment, or to hold for future milestones, anniversaries, special occasions.

When friends celebrated their civil union a few years ago, my partner and I put together a Wine Gift Registrar. They received bottles and bottles of local wine – some people gifting a single ready-to-enjoy-RIGHT-NOW treat; others something to celebrate an anniversary; some splashing out on a full case of 12 bottles. The beauty of wine is that it will deliver boundless value at every price point or budget.

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More than a saucepan, a bottle of wine carries a story. The story of the grape, of when, how and by whom it was made. The story of why it was selected over and above others as a gift. It is the ultimate treat. Wine is a luxury, something indulgent for which a couple – who might not otherwise have splashed out – can enjoy, alongside the memories of their commitment to each other.

My friends and I get together every couple of years and a bottle is immediately pulled from their (depleting) wine cellar. Enjoyed with the people that celebrated that day with them, these wines carry the stories and emotions of an unforgettable event. A bottle of history, made all the more delicious by catching up on good times and shared memories. In their words: “It’s the gift that keeps on giving!”.

WEDDING WINE – WHAT TO CHOOSE?

Having and holding – champagne and bubbles hold top spot on any Gift Registrar. Something for the couple to enjoy from the next morning to their first anniversary. I vote Palliser Griffin Methode Traditionelle $48.

Honeymoons and picnic hampers – Rosé and crisp whites are the perfect way to carry the loved-up vibes into the first few months of besotted bliss. Go for fruit expressive but dry - Alexia Rosé from Wairarapa winemaker Jane Cooper is a favourite, but having sold-out fast you’ll have to wait for the 2020 vintage release!

Paper, cotton, rock – forget flowers, wool and titanium. Milestones are best celebrated with that bottle which like the couple’s relationship, has deepened, mellowed and integrated with time. Regional stand-outs from such producers as Borthwick, Schubert, Devotus and Dry River go for $40 to $120

ACCESSORISE! – alongside the vessel itself are the oh-so-many toys to perfectly partner with the gift of wine. Starting from as little as a few dollars, there are wine pourers, stoppers, foil-cutters, corkscrews, aerators, wine chillers, wine thermometers… a plethora of wine-gift associated paraphernalia is available from Martinborough Wine Merchants.

Martinborough Wine Merchants
6 Kitchener Street, Martinborough
06 306 9040 or 027 3122625
www.martinboroughwinemerchants.com