Wine Related Gifts

Before You Buy Wine Related Gifts

The problem with buying wine related gifts for wine people is that they have certain criteria. Think of it this way: remember those clothes you got for Christmas way back when? Perhaps a sweater that grandma just thought was perfect, but you thought made you look like you should be in some Disney on Ice musical? That kind of criteria. It’s not that the thought doesn’t count, but it may not fit into the style or type of wine accessories that the person you are buying the gift for likes.

Giving Stemware

A good example of this is glassware. Actually, a better term to use is “stemware”. There are all types of different types of vessels out there for consuming wine. Some are cheap, some are expensive, some are patterned and some are strange-shaped. Glassware/stemware is something you should steer clear from unless the person you are giving it to told you what they are looking for or you know for sure it fits into their collection they have already.

So those nice “O” series glasses from Riedel that have no stems may seem like the coolest thing to you, but maybe the person you are buying for prefers stemmed glasses from Spiegelau. You will just end up with a gift they will either return or put away in the cupboard to use someday (a.k.a. never). Do not fear though…don’t think that because you have to ask what type of glasses the person you are buying for already has means that the surprise is blown. If they collect Riedel Vinum series, maybe they don’t have the Syrah stems or perhaps the Brandy snifter or Martini glass from Riedel in the Vinum series will be a great addition. You can still surprise them AND keep with their glass motif.

Giving Wine as a Gift

Another thing you may not want to do for gifts is wine. Wine is so tricky for the friends who are wine connoisseurs. Perhaps they don’t like Zinfandel or maybe have a preference for Italian whites as opposed to California Chardonnays? Unless you know them well and what their palates are like, the gift of wine can be tough. However, if you do know them well and know their palate style, finding new wines that fit their taste would be a good gift. Be aware though, the gift of wine itself can be a little difficult.

Where To Go and What To Look For

So where do you go to find wine related gifts? What else is there besides glasses and wine? First, there are many places to look…and second, there are many unique wine items to get besides glasses and the wine itself. Some the best places to look for wine related gifts are the wineries themselves. If you live near wine country or you are going to visit, take some time at the wineries and look through their retail merchandise. If your friend is a big fan of a certain wine and you are visiting that winery, getting them a sweater or shirt or even a hat from there would be a great gift! Also look through other things in the retail area. They may have posters, wine openers, etc. with the winery name on it as well.

Besides the winery name on the merchandise, many of the wineries offer unique gifts such as interesting wine holders, charms and many other unique items that are not readily available at your local market or Costco. Another place to look for these gifts is your wine shop. The wine shop in your area has gift items too like gift bags, corkscrews and other related items that you can peruse through too.

Buying Gifts Online

As with anything else retail, the hot places to go to find the newest and greatest stuff is online. Wine and wine gifts are no exceptions. A great place to go online is IWA (International Wine Accessories). This place has it all. From Riedel glasses to full-on wine cellars, it is a wine accessory and gift haven. From unique bottle holders to anagrammed wine gifts, this place has a great selection of many types of gifts. There are other places online to go to as well…winestuff.com is another good one to check out. Online is a great place to go and look at the items and get an idea of what type of gift would be best for the person you’re shopping for.

Some Ideas To Get You Started

• Corkscrews — you can find very nice corkscrews at different places. Perhaps one from their favorite winery? If you are in a spendy mood you can get a hand-carved corkscrew from France (see Laguiole) that will be a beautiful addition to their wine accessories.

• Temperate gauge — These infrared gauges actually measure the temperature of the liquid in the bottle so you know how long to chill the wine for. I have one and use it all the time.

• Bottle chillers — These devices rapidly chill-down your bottle. If you have a white that you want to serve, but forgot to put it in the fridge to cool down you can put it in this thing and in a very short period of time you have a perfect wine to serve to your guests.

• Aerators — These things aerate the wine as you pour it out of the bottle. Oxygenating the wine is what lets it breathe faster and develop more flavor, nuance and complexity and the aerator does this very quickly. Check out Vinturi (rated very highly). These things make a difference!

• Decanters — decanters are not only nice to look at and better aesthetically than a bottle, but it also serves the purpose to aerate the wine as well. Many wine professionals suggest that you should decant EVERY bottle of red wine you open.

This is a list to get you started. In your search you may come across the one unique wine gift that just screams “perfect!” at the minute you lay eyes on it. Have fun in your search and maybe you can find a thing or two for yourself along the way as well!