Gifts for Him

Something he recognises but wouldn't have opened this week. A Champagne from Bollinger, Moët & Chandon or Veuve Clicquot covers almost anyone. If he drinks wine seriously, a Napa Cabernet or a Tuscan red gives him something with a story attached. If he's a spirits drinker, Clase Azul tequila arrives in a hand-painted ceramic decanter he'll keep long after it's empty.

Go for a producer rather than a category. Names like Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, Tignanello and Krug are recognised by people who follow wine and still read as a gift rather than a lecture. A magnum or a declared vintage also gives a knowledgeable drinker something he is unlikely to have bought himself.

Yes. Enter his address at checkout and add your gift message, and it is written onto the card that goes in the box. No pricing is included, so nothing gives the game away. You can also have it sent to yourself if you would rather hand it over in person.

It is a bigger one. A magnum holds 150cl, twice a standard bottle, and Champagne ages more slowly in that format, so it keeps well if he does not open it straight away. For a milestone birthday or a shared celebration it lands harder than a single bottle.