Gifts for Wine Lovers

The Joy of Giving a Corkscrew

I heard the season's first refrain of Nat King Cole's Chestnuts roasting on an open fire… the day after Thanksgiving. That's my annual signal to think of gift lists. There are actually two lists: the one I make for my wife, family, friends, and business associates, and the one my primitive id invokes for me. The second list never seems to get satisfied, C'est la vie. The end-of-the-year gift-giving season often turns many people into cranky, Scrooge blubbering Bah Humbuggers. However, if the person you are trying to buy a gift for is a oenophiliac, that means a wine lover by the way and not anything more profane, the following is a brief list of wine and wine-related gift ideas that might suit their fancy.

Precautionary Wine Gift Advice

Sometimes it doesn't pay to give an expensive bottle of wine to a friend who only drinks beer. To paraphrase that old saying, "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink a First Growth Bordeaux." But if you are bound and determined to give wine as a gift, for starters I highly recommend checking out Best Gift Wines for some good guidelines and ideas. I'll throw in a few more tips that may help you.

• Profile the Gift Recipient

I take the approach of putting people into categories, sizing up their tastes, and then seeking gift inspiration. As an example, for a close friend who likes wine, red wine, Syrah, and French; I would probably try to find a good Northern Rhône wine, perhaps a Hermitage. Or, I might pass on a good bottle of Australian Shiraz to expand their universe.

For a business associate or co-worker who I may not know very well and not concerned about impressing, I might play it safe with a California Pinot Noir or a Sparkling Wine, but something in the value-priced category. If it was for my boss, I would probably take it up a notch with a French Burgundy or a Champagne. Profiling is all a value judgment, but the more you know about someone's taste in wine, the better chance you have to give them something they appreciate rather than a White Elephant bottle.

• Determine a Budget

This is very important. If money is no object then you may ignore this advice. Otherwise, assess the amount you want to spend and use your best value judgement so you don't break your bank.

• When in Doubt

When I have no idea but I know the person enjoys drinking alcohol, I give Champagne. It's the festive time of year anyway and nothing can kick-start a festivity better than a bubbly wine with some pop to it. Consider French if you can, but don't hesitate to give domestic. For some advice on value sparklers take a peek at [[Best Champagne under $25] for some hints. You might also consider giving a Magnum or Jeroboam of Champagne if you are taking it to a party as a gift and you know that there will be more people to imbibe and enjoy.

The Christmas and New Year's season is when the most Champagne is sold. It's also a good time for consumers as many retailers will offer special deals. For a few dollars more, you should be able to upgrade from a good California sparkling wine to a French non-vintage Champagne. I also advise gifting yourself.

So much for advice, let's move on to ideas.

Wine

• Wine Spectator Magazine has just released the Top 100 of 2006 that surveys some of the best the year. The list can be viewed online or in their magazine. Not all wines listed require need a Donald Trump budget to buy and there are some very affordable gems.
• The best suggestion may come from your local wine retailer. Most reputable wine shops know their wines and can make excellent recommendations. In fact, practically 99.9 percent of wine shop salespeople think of themselves as consultants and love to show off their expertise and steer you to the right wine. Best to ask for help, tell them what type of wine you are looking for, and your price range.
• Give only special wines to people who will know why the wine is special and can appreciate it. Otherwise you might spend a chunk of money for someone who won't know you did or why you did it.
• For Champagne, be different; give a Rosé. These are more complex Champagnes that are more difficult to produce. They can be a gorgeous with colors ranging from a soft feminine pink to a deep coppery salmon. Often just the color and shimmer of the Champagne in the flute will inspire, "Oohs, and Ahs. It only gets better from there.
• Avoid giving those standard everyday drinking wines. Don't ask why, just don't do it.
• I won't give a specific red or white wine recommendation. However for Champagne, besides the usual suspects, I'd recommend Ayala, Billecart-Salmon, Bollinger, Deutz, Duval-Leroy, Henri Ebele, and Tarlant. The usual suspects include: Krug, Laurent-Perrier, Louis Roederer, Moët & Chandon, Mumm, Perrier-Joët, Piper-Heidsieck, Pol Roger, Taittinger, and Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin. And if someone wants to send a bottle of Salon Le Mesnil my way, I promise to share. For domestic, I'd opt for any Roederer Estate, Schramsberg, J Wine, Gloria Ferrer, Mumm, and from Oregon, Argyle.

Books

There are a lot of great books about wine, some essential for anyone's wine library. Most will be discounted at Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

• Oxford Companion of Wine by Jancis Robinson, 3rd Edition. Priced at $65.

Comments: Need to know something? You'll probably find the answer here.

• New Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia by Tom Stevenson, 4th Edition. Priced at $50.

Comments: Great maps.

• The Wine Bible by Karen MacNeil. Priced at $20.

Comments: A good practical guide with general information that is easy-to-read and more importantly, understand.

• World's Greatest Wine Estates: A Modern Perspective by Robert Parker. Priced at $75.

Comments: Get the lowdown of what Parker likes. Way too much information to memorize.

• Emperor of Wine: The Rise of Robert Parker Jr. and the Reign of American Taste by Elin McCoy. Priced at $25.

Comments: Love him, hate him, you can't ignore his presence or influence.

• Hedonist in the Cellar: Adventures in Wine" by Jay Mcinerary. Priced at $24.

Comments: Follow up to his, Bacchus and Me: Adventures in the Wine Cellar. Mcinerary is a writer first and an opinionated oenophiliac on top of that.

• The Botanist and the Vintner by Christy Campbell. Priced at $25.

Comments: Find out about the grape's archenemy, the dreaded phylloxera sap-sucking bug and how its plague shaped the wine industry in Europe and United States.

Gift Subscriptions

Subscriptions to some of the wine industry's magazines or websites are always welcome. Be sure the giftee doesn't always get the publication.

• Wine Spectator magazine.
• Stephen Tanzer Wine Access
• Wine Advocate magazine or Robert Parker Online.
• And as a counterpoint to Parker, Jancis Robinson's Fine Writing on Fine Wine Website and get her access to Purple Pages with extra meat on wine.

Wine Knick Knacks

This is when it gets fun and interesting. Knick knacks include the tools and wine-related trinkets, from corkscrews to take out the bottle's cork to stoppers to shut it up. I'll throw a list of things at the wall and let's see what sticks.

Corkscrews

With all due respect for the Stelvin twist-off cap, any self-respecting wine lover appreciates a good corkscrew. If you've been to a friend's house for dinner and watched them struggle to squeeze a cork out of a bottle, consider something from the following companies.

• Screwpull

The original and never-fails lever pull corkscrew. They are a bit heavy and large but get a cork out slick and easy. Check out the new and cool LM-400 chrome Screwpull.

• Metrokane

The Rabbit makes another excellent lever pull corkscrew. Metrokane makes other accessories and corkscrews as well. Although a bit of overkill, they also have a nifty stand that can mount the corkscrew and hold a bottle in place.

• Laguiole

The corkscrew of sommeliers and makes an excellent gift with French style. It will make a memorable gift.

Stemware

High-quality stemware enhances one's wine drinking experience. The bad news about stemware is it breaks. The good news is it breaks and glasses are always appreciated. Consider giving replacement wineglasses or ones that are designed for a specific wine varietal. If the person likes drinking Pinot Noir but only has Bordeaux glasses, present them with a set of four Burgundy glasses. Also think about giving designer or unique Champagne flutes, something that promotes celebrating.

• Riedel

Riedel is from Austria and is the best. The Sommelier series of stemware is the top of the line but the Vinum series is exceptional and more affordable.

• Spiegelau

Spiegelau is a worthy competitor to Riedel. From Germany, they are owned by another glassware company, Nachtmann, which coincidently, is owned by Riedel.

• Steuben
• Salviati

For that special Italian Murano glass that will set your gift apart.

• Screwpull Drying Rack

Not glassware but something to dry them without leaving water stains or marks. This drying rack eliminates this problem and can be converted to drying a decanter as well. (Recommended)

Decanters

Surprisingly, many oenophiles do not possess a decanter. Here's your chance to remedy their shortcomings. Prices can be as low as $40-50 for a good crystal one; it can also jump in the hundreds for the higher end. You can check out the usual glassworks companies listed above. There are many with unusual shapes and colors. However, I suggest one that has a simple design that is best for pouring and cleaning rather than showcasing style. Also, the simpler ones are less likely to break. See Decanting a Wine for some Love to Know advice on decanters.

Ice Buckets

Essential for chilling champagne or white wine. Silver or crystal are both equally appreciated. You might consider an ice bucket with Champagne flutes.

Doo-Dads

Here's a quick rundown of essential and non-essential doo-dads that make great stocking stuffer on the mantle.

• Wine Charms

These are little charms that fit around the stem of a glass or hook over a glasses lip. They help keep track of people's glasses. This is a good idea to keep people from drinking your glass of Screaming Eagle.

• Foilcutters

Cuts the aluminum foil from the top of the bottle.

• Wine Journal and Label Remover

A journal to keep tabs of tastings.

• Bottle & Glass Tote Bag

This is a bag to carry wine and drinking paraphernalia when going on a picnic or other B.Y.O.B. rendezvous.

• Wine Drip Collars

These are decorative bottle collars that soak up the drips. One caution is to remove the collar before disposing of the bottle.

• Wine Thermometers

Measures a wine's heat or coolness.

• Bottle Stoppers

Replaces a cork on an open bottle with some personality. A Champagne stopper with a rubber seal helps hold back the bubbles for another day.

• Wine Preservation

Wine preserver kits (including gas and vacumn kits) that try to keep the zing in the opened bottle of wine overnight.

• Trivial Wine Pursuits

For the gamester wine lover, Viti Vini.

• Coasters

No one ever has enough coasters. Get a bottle coaster to keep drips off the table as well as glass coasters.

• Gift Baskets

Wine Gift Baskets are a good idea. You can purchase ready-made baskets from many fine gourmet grocery stores and online stores. Check a favorite winery, many also put together gift baskets spotlighting their wines. If you are shipping out of your state, make sure that there are not any restrictions to the destination state. Feel free to make up your own basket to give or send. One benefit of doing it yourself is you get to pick the wine and the goodies that go with it. Think beyond the actual wine but to the other goodies in the basket as well. Try some of these online stores and search the web for others:

• Windsor Vineyards Windsor has gift baskets and you can customize the wine's label with your name or the recipient's.
• Wine Country Gift Baskets
• Wine.com
• Winebasket

Be Creative

Don't hesitate to get creative. Think about organizing a wine tasting party and send out special invitations in lieu of a gift. At the tasting you might create a vertical tasting of the same wine over three or four vintages, the same varietal from several countries or several wineries, or a wine and cheese pairing. If there's a particular winery that your gift receiver likes, you might also contact the winery to see if they could ship a couple of bottles, winery T-shirts or caps, or sign them up for the winery's wine club.

Create a Tradition

Wine is often involved or presented during a memorable experience with family and friends. Sometimes just the glass of a wine will trigger that memory. My wife and I have always been big fans of Perrier-Jouёt champagne. Part of this affection comes from a private tour we had at the French cellar in Epernay many years ago. The marketing director spent a couple of hours with us showing the Champagne cellar's operations, letting us quasi-assist on the bottling line, and then at the conclusion, sat us down in the private tasting room and opened a bottle of their Fleur de Champagne, just for the two of us. By tradition, every year we open a bottle to rekindle that delightful afternoon. I suggest that you start your own tradition.

Final Advice

A gift you give says a lot about you. If the gift recipient is important to you then the extra effort, creative thought, and the memory of it will be appreciated. Most importantly, this is not a chore, have fun with it.

Cheers! Salud! Zum Wohl! Kampai!

Related Links

• Best Gift Wines
• Wine Baskets
• Wine and Cheese
• Wine Tasting
• Wine Glasses