The Jancis Robinson Story | Mission Blind Tasting | Wine writing competition

The perfect gifts?

• 1 min read
Image

On the feast of St Nicolas I present three brilliant suggestions for presents. For theWine_Grapes_Both_Editions serious wine geek in your life (which may indeed be you) what better than Wine Grapes, our enthusiastically received tome? Don't just believe me. You can read what others have written about it here. Right are the UK (left) and US editions which differ only in their covers and matching slipcases. And this picture was taken long before the true extent of the text was realised. The finished volumes are actually about twice as thick as this.

Art_of_the_RestaurateurBut if Wine Grapes is too thick (1,242 pages), too heavy (7 lb/3 kg) or too expensive (£120/$175 reduced to around £76/$110 online from Amazon), then how about the beautiful Art of the Restaurateur by my husband and FT restaurant writer Nick Lander? It was good enough to feature on the cover of The Economist, no less, and is currently being reprinted. It really is a great read, profiles 20 successful restaurateurs around the world and constitutes a subliminal guide to how to run a place where people want to eat.

But if both of these are two solid, here's a suggestion for a gift that weighsGift_card_lo_res practically nothing, does not involve going into a shop and lasts all year. A gift subscription to our Purple Pages, of course. Membership of our very friendly community of wine lovers costs £69 for 12 months' unlimited access to nearly 10,000 articles and 75,000 fully searchable wine reviews, as well as the only online version of The Oxford Companion to Wine and all the maps from The World Atlas of Wine.

Just click here and once you sign up you will be sent a code that you can share with the lucky recipient as and when you wish their Purple Pages membership to start.

If you'd like something physical to hand over, just email our membership supremo Rachel Shaughnessy at [email protected] with the name and address to which you'd like one of the handsome gift cards shown here to be sent.

Choose your plan
Member
$135
/year
Save over 15% annually
Ideal for wine enthusiasts
  • Access 296,465 wine reviews & 16,124 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
  • Access askJancis, our AI wine assistant
Inner Circle
$249
/year
 
Ideal for collectors

Everything in “Member”, plus:

  • Early access to the latest wine reviews, 48 hours in advance
  • Early access to the latest articles, 48 hours in advance
Professional
$299
/year
For individual wine professionals
  • Access 296,465 wine reviews & 16,124 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
  • Access askJancis, our AI wine assistant
  • Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
  • Commercial use of up to 25 wine reviews & scores for marketing
Business
$399
/year
For companies in the wine trade

Everything in “Professional”, plus:

  • Commercial use of up to 250 wine reviews & scores for marketing
  • Access to submit wines for review
  • Offer memberships to your employees and manage them from a single place
  • API access available for an additional fee
Pay with
Visa logo Mastercard logo American Express logo Logo for more payment options
Join our newsletter

Get the latest from Jancis and her team of leading wine experts.

By subscribing you agree with our Privacy Policy and provide consent to receive updates from our company.

More Free for all

Emptied plates and glasses after a meal by Jason Lowe
Free for all The joy of a roadside diner, by Charlie Geoghegan. Photo by Jason Lowe. There’s this old building by the side...
Opus One winery
Free for all The first transatlantic joint venture Opus One involved icons of 20th century wine. A version of this article is published...
Old Vine Registry new seal 100+ years two versions
Free for all Breaking news! The Old Vine Registry is breaking records, barriers and new ground. And now, The Old Vine Registry seal...
Ronan Sayburn MS, Sarah Abbott MW and Hannah Tovey at Icons tastings 2026
Free for all Twenty-seven Chardonnay ‘icons’ from around the world served up to 18 accredited tasters. A version of this article is published...

More from JancisRobinson.com

Lasseter Trinity Ridge Vineyard - Michael Housewright photography
Tasting articles The combination of historic vineyards, high elevation, volcanic soils and organic viticulture make this little-known AVA stand out. Above, Lasseter...
Cotta vineyard
Tasting articles Temptingly fresh and approachable wines from a heatwave year. Sottimano produced one of the most ageworthy wines of the vintage...
view towards Barbaresco
Tasting articles Wines from vintage 2022 and earlier that prove Barbaresco’s ageability. The late releases of Barbaresco 2022 put to bed two...
Constantino Ramos
Wines of the week A Vinho Verde white made with the exactitude of a former chemist and the soul of a vine whisperer. From...
rosé picnic by Tamlyn Currin
Tasting articles 25 ways to keep refreshed despite the heat. Last week Europe experienced its worst June heatwave on record; this week...
Opus 1979-2000 tasting 19 May 2026
Tasting articles A vertical tasting takes Jancis back to the groundbreaking beginning of this emblematic California red. Left to right in a...
Tony Bish in Tronçais forest
Don't quote me Forest terroir is as real, and as consequential, as vineyard terroir. Above, Tony Bish in the Tronçais forest in central...
Ch de Pennautier, Cabardès
Don't quote me A month that developed into one of cancellations and medications. Some older readers may remember the late Robin Kernick as...
Wine inspiration delivered directly to your inbox, weekly
Our weekly newsletter is free for all
By subscribing you're confirming that you agree with our Terms and Conditions.