ELY’s gift pack, Lydia’s Selection, reviewed

We look at the ELY gift pack, from the ELY Wine Bar which was their interesting attempt to deal with the constraints of lockdown in Ireland. 

ELY’s gift pack, Lydia’s Selection, reviewed

The delivery time was prompt, which is always a good start for any product like this. Then the packaging was secure, again important for potentially delicate goods inside, and it all arrived safely and undamaged. The cardboard box was sturdy enough to do its job, but then was quickly compostable too, so no messy packaging to deal with. At the office the contents evoked interest in several other people who were around who promptly decided that it was a fun and fresh potential option that they would be using for Christmas this year.

In terms of the contents, top votes went to the two cheeses, both of which were really, really good. The hard cheese was like a mature and more flavoured version of the more common Spanish version of cheddar, it was super tasty and you could see why it was paired with the red wine. Similarly the soft cheese was a much superior version of a brie or camembert, soft, almost like butter, but very tasty. The crackers and chutney that came with it complemented the cheese well too. The charcuterie seemed nice, but disappeared so far that someone here must have really liked it.

The selection was well put together and this will make good gift packs if you are looking for something fun and a little different for the food and wine lover in your life.

This is what was in the box we reviewed ->

Christmas wine and charcuterie hamper box

-Bottle of ‘Mencia’ red wine, two cheeses, ELY chutney, olives, crackers, paté, chorizo, chocolate and gift box – Delivered Nationwide – 

Gift Includes:

Wine:

Adega Algueira ‘Mencia’, Ribeira Sacra, Spain, 2019
An absolute delight of a wine, textbook Mencia, the nose is fresh and fragrant, with aromas of plums, berries and cherries. The palate is juicy and lively, with a lovely touch of herbal freshness, and a hint of sourness on the finish. Just delicious – this is what we’ll be drinking all summer.

Goodies:

Cheeses
We have selected two cheeses, one hard and one soft, that we think pair perfectly with the bottle of ‘Mencia’.

Chutney
Our very own ELY chutney, created by our very talented team of chefs and taste tested by all at ELY… just to be sure!

Olives
Olives in a can? Convenient, fresh and tasty!