This year's best Christmas present for men

12: Canard-Duchêne Grande Cuvée Charles VII Brut (2 bottles for £40)

Some people are just impossible to buy for. In that awkward period when they’re too old for Airfix models and too young for a stairlift, men can be particularly tricky. Luckily, everyone likes a decent bottle of Champagne. The beauty part here is that if you buy a bottle of this extremely palatable fizz for that hard-to-please relative, you’ll get another one for yourself absolutely free. Merry Christmas!

11: Football Aid Game Days from £450

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• Picture Gallery: The 12 finest gifts for men

BACKGROUND

• The 12 best gifts for women this Christmas

• The 12 best presents for kids this Christmas

• The 12 best gadget gifts this Christmas

• ...and 2 things to buy for yourself

Football Aid was created as a unique way of raising money for charity and voluntary organizations. Men from all walks of life finally get that long dreamt-of opportunity to walk out onto a first-class football pitch and play 90 minutes for the side they’ve supported all their lives. Qualified match officials; experienced managers; injury time; ‘Man of Match’ presentations; personalised club strips and professional photography are just a few of the real life elements that will make the day special.

10: Ducti Seahawk Suitcase from £139

Even if it only gets used once a year, a decent suitcase is a lovely thing to have. If it’s solidly-built enough to withstand the vicissitudes of the modern baggage handling system and distinctive enough to stand out from the endless ranks of threadbare black sports bags on the carousel then it’s good. If it can combine those virtues with an air of authority that marks the owner as a traveller rather than a humble holidaymaker it’s a definite winner.

9: Liebherr WTUES1653 Wine fridge £939.00

A special little fridge for beer is a luxurious addition to any home office or shed, but this luxuriously well-appointed wine cooler is another thing entirely: With separate temperature-controlled compartments for Whites and Reds it’s the closest he’ll get to a dedicated wine cellar without calling the architects in.

8: British Heart Foundation Garden Clock / Thermometer £24.99

Knowing exactly how cold it is (or in those long-off Summer months, how blisteringly hot) is one of those manly desires that are impossible to explain. Let’s not try to analyse it, just be assured that the presence of this finely detailed garden clock with thermometer dial will make almost any man feel as if he is Lord of all he surveys.

7: White Stuff Old School bag £85

There comes a point in every man’s life when the scruffy record bag he takes his packed lunch to work in no longer says ‘I DJ at weekends’ and starts to say ‘I need to grow up’. When that point comes, this classy but reassuringly old-school satchel from White Stuff will radiate a more professional air while still getting the nod from the local Style Police.

6: Floris Shave Kit £100.00

A traditional shave is a wonderful thing. No matter how many blades get added to modern ‘shaving systems’, or how much aromatherapy or nanotechnology gets added to shaving gels, there really is no substitute for a real old fashioned brush and razor. Even if this handsome gift set is only used once in a blue moon, it’s a fine totem of manliness to have hanging around in the bathroom.

5: Play Golf like a pro £99

Golf was once an essential business networking activity then became, if we’re honest, a but naff and is now cool all over again. It doesn’t matter how cool your Golf Punk threads are though if you can’t win the odd game. A day of expert tuition should help him get the edge over the competition. It’s still best to let the boss win, though.

4: Ruby & Ed Bruno Wild Cheetah Slippers £65

It’s a time-honoured tradition to palm your Dad off with a pair of slippers at Christmas. Fathers all over Britain are practicing their insincere expressions of delight right now in anticipation of yet another pair of tartan disappointments. Why not defy expectations with this fantastic pair of Lounge Lizard specials?

3: Handy Squad vouchers from £70.00

Whether the man in your life will greet this gift with affront or relief depends entirely on the psychology of the individual. For most men though, the knowledge that they can finally outsource a nagging DIY chore that’s been hanging around their schedule since they last moved house will be the most welcome news of the holiday season.

2: Oliver Sweeney Custom Shoe from £495

There’s only so far a man can go in trainers. A custom made shoe tells you he’s arrived. Oliver Sweeney’s custom made shoe service involves the customer in the design process from beginning to end, from the initial design consultation where the customer will be fitted for the right size to selecting toe shape, colours, skins, lacing and detailing. Once he gets them, you’ll have trouble persuading him to take them off for anything.

1: 8 year Lord’s Debenture £8,000

Sensationally luxurious, it’s true – but a debenture at Lord’s Cricket ground guarantees the very lucky holder tickets to every game at Lord’s for the next eight years, including all Tests and one-day internationals. Given that can take 18 years to become a member of the MCC and get tickets that way, it’s a pretty magnificent gift for a cricket lover, especially with the Ashes series coming up in 2009.