With Christmas coming up, I’ve been looking at different gift ideas for people who enjoy wine and drinks, and alcohol advent calendars caught my attention.

Instead of giving someone a single bottle, an advent calendar gives them something to look forward to throughout December. Depending on the calendar, you can get a selection of wines, beers, spirits or other drinks in individual compartments.

I’m particularly interested in wine advent calendars because they seem like a fun way to discover different wines without buying full bottles of everything. They could also make a good Christmas gift for someone who already has plenty of wine at home.

For anyone in Australia who has bought one before, what was your experience?

A few things I’m curious about:

• Was the selection actually worth the price?
• Were the bottle or serving sizes reasonable?
• Did you prefer a wine-only calendar or a mixed alcohol calendar?
• Would you buy one again as a Christmas gift?

I’ve also come across some Australian options that are designed specifically for the Christmas countdown, so I’m interested to hear what others have tried before making a decision.