CUSTOMERS of an independent Kendal wine importing business are set to celebrate a corking Christmas.

They have the opportunity to snap up one of 12 'exclusive' bottles containing a dozen litres of red wine.

Stainton Wines has taken delivery of 12 extra large bottles of Rioja Crianza from its regular distributor at Bodegas del Medievo in Spain.

The quite full-bodied wine is described as ‘fruit-driven, mature and vibrant’, with ‘rich’ red berry flavours and ‘a generous, rounded finish.'

“We are always looking to do something different for Christmas,” said Tom Wall, general manager of Stainton Wines. “The Rioja Grianza makes a great Christmas wine.”

The 12-litre ‘Balthazar’-sized bottle - named after one of the Three Wise Men - is equivalent to 16 standard, 750 ml bottles or two Imperials (six litres).

A bottle of this size is usually available in small quantities to the Swiss market from the distributor, making this bottle size exclusive to Stainton Wines in the UK.

The Rioja wine region is centred on the town of Haro in the autonomous region of La Rioja in northern Spain, and its red wines are well known world-wide.

As a classic Spanish red, Rioja often acts as a reminder of holidays in the country for British consumers.

The 2013 Crianza is made primarily from the Tempranillo grape and aged in an oak barrel for 14 months.

Stainton Wines, which has been operating in Kendal since 1984, has already started its Christmas marketing campaign although it admits alcohol is purchased by customers relatively late compared to other festive items.

Popular Christmas drinks that Stainton customers ask after include champagne and Prosecco, alongside fine wines and small distiller spirits.

The 12-litre bottle, which holds about 100 glasses of wine, is often distributed into smaller bottles and enjoyed throughout the festive period.

Mr Wall said: “To serve a bottle of this volume it is usual to decant to a smaller carafe as pouring into a glass is a little tricky! So if you have few like-minded friends around, this is the perfect centre piece for your festive dinner table, as long as it is a very strong table!”