Father's Day Gifts for the Dad who's impossible to shop for

Andi Healey
Web Manager

Father's Day is coming up, and if your dad is anything like mine was, an amalgamation of best friend, confidant and all-seeing, all-knowing deity, he already has a garage full of tools he never uses and enough novelty ties to outfit the costume department of The Office.

So, what makes a good present for the dad who appreciates wine. Not the obvious stuff like bottles of wine - that's easy enough. But something that actually enhances the experience.

And to enhance it even more, I’ve got THREE offers for you.

FREE DELIVERY on everything ordered this weekend, with delivery before next weekend, obviously!

Spend £100 to £150 on a decanter and get FREE Decanter Cleaning Beads, or buy him a decanter costing more than £150 and get FREE Cleaning Beads and a FREE Riedel Microfibre Cleaning Cloth. (Offer closes 23:59 on 09/06/25)

The Problem with Most Father's Day Gifts

Let's be honest - most Father's Day gifts are a bit rubbish. Socks, aftershave that smells like a teenager's bedroom, or gadgets that seemed like a good idea at the time (“the time” being Saturday afternoon, the day before) but end up forgotten in a drawer within a week.

I think the issue is that we often buy what we think people should want, rather than what would actually make their life better.

That bottle opener shaped like a fish?

Seemed hilarious in the shop. In practice, it doesn't work as well as the perfectly good, battered and bent one he already has.

What Actually Gets Used

The gifts that work best are the ones that improve something he already does regularly. If he opens a bottle of wine most evenings, a proper corkscrew that works every time isn't just useful - it removes that moment of daily irritation when the cheap one inevitably bends or breaks the cork.

The Le Creuset screwpull corkscrews are brilliant for this. I've got the Lever Model at home, and honestly, it's one of those things you don't realise you need until you've got it. Two seconds, perfect cork extraction every time, no wrestling required.

For the Dad Who "Knows About Wine"

Every extended family has one - the dad who takes wine seriously. He's got opinions about vintages, talks about terroir, probably has a few bottles lying down somewhere. These are simultaneously the easiest and hardest people to buy for.

Easy because they genuinely appreciate quality accessories. Hard because they probably already know exactly what they want and may well have strong opinions about inferior products.

A proper decanter makes sense here. The Riedel Ultra is one of my favourites - wide base for maximum aeration, easy to clean, the shape makes pouring straightforward whilst evoking memories of ship’s decanters from yesteryear.

My “everyday decanter” at home is the Riedel O Decanter, modern, stylish and the thumb indentation in the base means the wine is elegantly and effortlessly delivered.

Any decanter is better than no decanter, and if your dad drinks wine and doesn’t use one, then not only will the actual gift go down well, but you can give him a bit of advice for a change! (Make sure you read this “Decanting 101: When, Why, and How to Decant Different Wines” first)

It's the sort of thing that will get used regularly rather than saved for special occasions.

For the Dad Who "Doesn't Know About Wine"

This is often code for "drinks wine but doesn't make a fuss about it." These dads are actually brilliant to buy for because they're usually drinking wine from glasses that aren't doing it any favours, storing bottles wherever there's space, and generally not getting the best out of what they're drinking.

A pair of proper wine glasses can make an extraordinary difference. The Riedel Vinum Bordeaux glasses work well with most red wines (apart from Pinot Noir, that needs its own glass), and suddenly that bottle of everyday red tastes noticeably better. It's not about being pretentious - it's just about not actively working against the wine.

For the Dad Who Prefers Spirits

Then there's the father who's more likely to reach for whisky than wine. Maybe he's got a bottle of single malt that comes out for special occasions, or he enjoys a rum and coke at the weekend, or he's one of those dads with strong opinions about brandy.

These dads often get overlooked when it comes to glassware, but it makes just as much difference. Drinking good whisky from a thick tumbler is like listening to your favourite song through a transistor radio - it works, but you're missing half the experience.

The Riedel spirits glasses are designed specifically for different types of spirits. The Vinum Single Malt Whisky glass enhances the aromatics and delivers the spirit to the right part of your palate. Suddenly that weekend dram becomes something worth taking time over rather than just knocking back.

For rum or brandy drinkers, the right glass concentrates those complex flavours instead of letting them dissipate.

And a proper port glass turns port from "something sweet after dinner" into the sublime treat that it should be.

The right glass is the difference between tasting what you paid for and wondering why people make such a fuss about expensive spirits.

The Practical Stuff

If he doesn't finish bottles in one sitting, preservation becomes important. Our wine pump systems are simple enough - just pump the air out and it keeps wine fresh for a day or two. Nothing complicated, just practical.

For someone who drinks wine regularly but not necessarily expensively, temperature control can make a big difference. Those wine cooler sleeves work well for getting white wines (and even reds if they’ve been sitting in a centrally heated room) to proper serving temperature, in about 15 minutes, so he doesn’t have to plan ahead.

What Actually Matters

The best Father's Day gifts are the ones that show you've noticed what your dad actually does, rather than what you think he should be interested in. If he opens a bottle most evenings, get him something that makes that process better. If he's always complaining about wine being too warm or too cold, solve that problem.

It's not about the most expensive option - it's about the most useful one. A £20 corkscrew that works perfectly every time is infinitely more valuable than a £50 gadget that gets used twice and thrown in the “Drawer of Nonsense” in the kitchen.

And if you're still not sure what he'd actually use? A gift voucher means he can take his time and make his own mind up.

Or, god forbid, just ask him! Most dads would rather have something they'll genuinely appreciate than another surprise that ends up in the back of a cupboard.

Remember, order your dad a Father’s Day gift this weekend and get FREE DELIVERY.

Spend £100 to £150 on a decanter and get FREE Decanter Cleaning Beads, or buy him a decanter costing more than £150 and get FREE Cleaning Beads and a FREE Riedel Microfibre Cleaning Cloth.

One last point, the wine accessories that get used are the ones that solve actual problems, not the ones that look good in photos, although luckily, ours do both!