Perfect whiskies for wine lovers at Christmas

What better gift could there be for a wine and whisky lover than a whisky matured in barrels previously used for wine? Our selection of 12 great bottles shows just why it can be a match made in heaven

- RICHARD WOODARD

Single malt is far from being the sole passion of Glenmorangie Master Distiller Dr Bill Lumsden. The arch experimenter (sometimes jarringly dubbed the Willy Wonka of whisky) also has a penchant for high fashion, early Alan Partridge- and fine wine. He's equally at home discussing Sassicaia as he is Speyside.

So when Glenmorangie launched its Pursuit of Passion Wine Cask Collection earlier this year-a £7,740 trio of long-aged single malts part-matured in Margaux, Corton-Charlemagne and Barbaresco wine casks - the name was a good deal more than mere marketing spin. Furthermore, Lumsden was perpetuating the long, proud connection between the worlds of wine and whisky.

Historical coincidence and sheer practicality play a role here. As Scotch whisky's appeal grew during the 19th century, the dearth of locally grown oak meant that blenders were forced to look elsewhere to find casks in which to age and marry their spirit. Luckily enough, the docks of Leith, Glasgow and Aberdeen were heaving with barrels of wine imported from European wine regions: most famously Sherry, but also Port, Madeira and claret. So the idea of using an old Margaux cask to mature Scotch certainly wasn't invented in the 21st century. What began as necessity -whisky makers used these casks simply because they were there - has, over time, become a complex synergy that distillers have probed and refined.

THE SHERRY FACTOR

"We've been buying Sherry casks for over 100 years,' says Scott Adamson (pictured, top), global brand ambassador and blender for Highland single malt-maker Tomatin. 'It's something we've known for so long that works so well for Tomatin.