Christmas entertaining and gifting guide 2022

With the festive season just around the corner, we’ve got some delicious gift and entertaining ideas that will spoil your loved ones and guests!

The sweet tooth

Koko Black Christmas range | Koko Black provides premium, locally made chocolate that is guilt-free, allowing consumers to enjoy one of life’s greatest pleasures. The brand believes in a natural, native and sustainably-minded approach to its products, practices and partnerships; celebrating local ingredients found on its doorstep. The Christmas range is simple to die for and includes fun and fabulous Christmas themed advent calendars, hampers, truffles and festive pralines.

Phillippa's Christmas baked goods | Mince Pies, Cranberry shortbread and Gingerbread Christmas Trees, and much more – all made by hand from carefully sourced, mostly local and often organic ingredients.

iPantry Christmas hamper | Spoil loved ones with a beautiful hamper filled with a range of indulgent treats. We love the Pretty in Pink Hamper which includes a bottle of Chandon NV Brut, Koko Black Caramelised Coconut Dotties,  Funday Natural Sweets Sour Peach Hearts, Fluffe Honey Fairy Floss, Brunetti Mixed Biscuits and more. 

The cocktail drinker

Patrón Añejo Tequila | Handcrafted from the finest 100% Weber Blue Agave and carefully distilled in small batches at the Hacienda PATRON distillery in Jalisco, Mexico, Patron Añejo (RRP $115) is aged for at least 12 months in a combination of French oak, Hungarian oak and used American whiskey barrels for an exquisitely smooth taste. Patrón Añejo is the perfect tequila for sipping or enjoyed in an old fashioned.

Grey Goose Vodka Night Vision | As we enter the season of gifting, it’s the perfect time to raise spirits this festive period with a sleek and stylish gift that glows. Featuring the brand’s quintessential crystalline bottle, distinctive logo and signature vodka of unparalleled quality - crafted from the very best French ingredients – the exclusive 1-litre Night Vision bottle (RRP $89.99) tastes as good as it looks. Whether your audience are hosting or heading out, Night Vision is designed to upgrade your evening and your gifting moments. Perfect for a dinner party, Christmas or News Years’ celebration, this limited-edition bottle will certainly make a lasting impression!

Bombay Citron Pressé | This is one summery vibrant gin that beautifully captures the taste of freshly squeezed Mediterranean lemons. With a tantalising taste profile and an eye-catching colour, Bombay Citron Pressé (RRP $65.00) has been created with a 100% natural fruit infusion and no added sugar. Certain to refresh your summer drinks!

Liquor Loot advent calendar | With the countdown to Christmas underway, Liquor Loot has devised the perfect present for surviving the silly season and spreading some Christmas cheer: Whisky, Gin, Mixed Spirits Advent Calendars! The most exciting (in our humble opinion…) of the bunch is the Whisky Advent Calendar (RRP $349) and Collector’s Edition (RRP $479) selection of premium whiskies which have returned, better than ever.

Garden Street Gin Club | If you’re a gin lover, this is a real treat! Sign up for a subscription or get one of their monthly boxes delivered to your door. The December box features a 700ml bottle of Barossa Distilling Co.’s Australian Garden Gin, a pre-mixed gin and tonic, matched tonic waters, sweet and savoury snack, cocktail garnish and a magazine.

The trend seeker

Australia’s biggest wine company, Accolade Wines have shared the latest wine trends and innovations to immerse yourself in this festive and summer season. Here are some interesting trends you might like to include as part of this festive season’s entertaining:

Trend #1 No and low alcohol wines | &Then is a visionary collection from South Australia’s cool climate vineyards that focuses on zero alcohol, low sugar and low calories (RRP $20)

Trend #2 Eco-friendly formats and packaging | Grant Burge Barossa Ink is a wine that’s vibrant and impactful and now comes in a “Bagnum” (RRP $35). The bagnum, think ‘wine bag’ meets ‘magnum’, is a format with a nostalgic nod to the days of boxed wine. It’s much lighter in weight (approximately twenty times less than the standard wine bottle) and contributes 20% less environmental impact compared to a standard glass wine bottle

Trend #3 New and alternative styles for summer | Second Blooming by Petaluma is a new range of contemporary and minimal preservative wines embodied by the beauty of South Australia’s native blooms. Wild Ferment Chardonnay (RRP $25) is beautifully textural, displaying citrus, ripe stone fruit and tropical green melon notes.

The host with the most

Street BBQ rubs | Nothing is heartier than some low and slow meat on the barbie over the festive season. Street BBQ has a range of  rubs that will impress guests and takenthem on a journey of flavourful discovery. From laneways in Japan thick with smoke from hundreds of hibachis, open fire BBQs on balmy summer nights across Italy, the asados of Brazil, tandoors of Mumbai, the beautiful Balinese street vendors serving skewers all through the day and night. 

Yarra Valley Cherries | Nothing says “festive” more than cherries! This season we’re loving Yarra Valley Cherries which has built its reputation for growing premium, single-origin cherries in the Yarra Valley that are complex, richly flavoured and high-quality. They also make delicious cherry products like a decadent jam (perfect to spread on scones) and luscious cherry juice.

NV CROSER X 78˚ | The Croser X 78˚ range (RRP $32) is made using methode traditionnelle but during the winemaking process bespoke botanicals crafted by 78 Degrees Distillery are added. The result is a unique infusion of botanical aromas and flavours to the sparkling wine. Best served ice-cold into a champagne coupe with dried garnishes of juniper berries and myrtle leaf for the Croser NV X 78˚ and strawberries and rose petals for the Croser NV Rosé X 78˚, the perfect accompaniment over a lazy long festive lunch.