Just the other week I drove to Stroud to help a fellow wine-writer taste her way though dozens of the UK’s top-selling wine brands.

It was a jolly affair; primarily because Mel was in fine form and had gone to the effort to make fresh bread and delicious home-made soup.

The wines were another story. Some were bad, the odd one or two were utterly appalling and the rest were a study in mediocrity.

We had all been asked to leave our tasting notes for her use and, less than half-way round, I had to apologise for my minimal contribution: “I have, I’m sorry to say, run out of adjectives for dull and tasteless.”

On the upside, I did invent a new word that I am chuffed with.

The word is ‘wineless’ and it describes the neutral banality that summed up much of what was on offer.

As I munched my way through my umpteenth slice of delightfully warm bread and melted butter, I mused that tasting these wines was a little like receiving your eighteenth bar of soap for Christmas — there is nothing wrong with it, it is just that you were hoping for something a tiny bit more interesting.

So — and I apologise to all family and friends who are reading this column — I am buying everyone this year a wine which I hope will excite them and bring them cheer. Life is, in those often used words, “too short to drink boring wine”.

Furthermore, I am going to make wine an interesting and inspirational gift.

With every bottle I am going to write a small story of its history: where it is from; what grapes are used; who made it; what it should taste like and the best time to drink it. If that was not enough, I am also going to give tips on how to serve it: temperature; occasion and the sort of food that will set it off a treat.

In short, I am going to kick these rather nasty, drab wines into touch and treat people to the thousands of wines out there that have so much to say.

For instance, did you know that if you were to buy the Gift Case from this week’s The Oxford Times Wine Club offer, you would have two bottles of Cuvée Guillaume Merlot?

It is a wine that comes from a vineyard owned and overseen by Ted Sandbach, the owner of The Oxford Wine Company.

Not that this sort of information should sell you the wine, or make you give it as a gift. Still, if I were to tell you that it is actually very good, it is the work of a local wine merchant and it has the sort of structure and balance that will make it a fine partner to Beef Stroganoff, it is a lot more interesting, is it not?

I cannot tell you what to give this Christmas but it seems to me that I have hit on rather a neat idea.

First, you can give a gift that nearly everyone is going to love.

By writing a story or giving a recipe with it, you can bring added value at no cost (great in the current climate) and, if you are really, really lucky, the recipient will maybe share a glass with you when you pop round for dinner.

I have got to say, that is a lot more appealing than washing your hands on yet another bar of brand new lavender soap. Happy shopping!

Click here for The Oxford Times Wine Club offers.