One problem about Christmas shopping starting in October, as it does nowadays, is that well-laid plans gang aft agley, as Robert Burns would have it. In wine terms, that often means that you or, more likely, your adult children will have already ploughed through your stocks, leaving only the smarter bottles that you’ve cleverly hidden for Christmas Day (if you’re lucky). For many of us, then, last-minute could almost mean starting from scratch; it could also certainly mean a top-up for unexpected visitors or a gift for someone for whom you’ve forgotten to buy a present.
If it’s a special bottle, head for your local indy, which will be a far more convivial way of spending the morning than battling your way through the supermarket aisles. More likely, however, it’s quantity rather than quality you’re after, or a bottle of port because you never normally buy port.
