Holiday Gift Guide
It’s the most wonderful time of the year friends and I am so excited to walk you through my 2020 holiday gift guide in honor of Black Friday! I have rounded up my top picks for perfect holiday gifts for the wine lover or wine lover wannabe in your life. And if you are simply looking for a good recommendation for a bottle of wine to get your boss, neighbor, or other half, stay tuned for next week’s podcast episode and blog post because I will have a whole list of amazing wines for you!
Shopping for gifts can be tough! Everyone is looking for something unique and different, but this year especially, we are looking for fun things to use at home. Let’s be honest, we’ve all been consuming a bit more alcohol this year than most, so the perfect gift this holiday season is something wine related! Below I’ve outlined my top gifts for 2020 as well as links to where you can buy them!
And if you’re looking for a virtual experience instead of a physical gift this Christmas, book one of my virtual wine tasting experiences!
#1 - Electric Corkscrew
Rabbit Electric Corkscrew
First up is an electric corkscrew! If you struggle to open bottles of wine ,or maybe you’re a busy mom who always has a child in her arms - this gadget will literally save your life! You simply hold the opener over your bottle, press down lightly onto the cork, and with only one hand, you’ve opened your bottle of wine! You can buy these from Crate & Barrel, Williams Sonoma, Bed Bath & Beyond and more for anywhere from $50-$100+. The model that I prefer is the Rabbit and it retails for around $50-$70 depending on the model and color you want. Rabbit is known for making awesome wine openers that are really reliable and last! Click the link below to get this one from Amazon!
#2 - Williams Sonoma Decanter
Wine Decanter
I included a gorgeous decanter on my gift guide which is super affordable right now from Williams Sonoma. And I just bought this decanter for one of my client’s you guys and it is BEAUTIFUL in person! It’s only $50 but it has a really elegant, classic look and my clients loved it. We’ll chat about decanting wine in the future, but if you’ve ever heard someone say that a wine needs to breathe before you drink it, decanting basically helps open up the wine and makes it taste more smooth. So a lot of wines with aging or bolder flavors should be decanted at least 30-60 minutes before you drink them for optimal flavors.
#3 - 5 Piece Wine Tool Kit
Rabbit 5 piece wine tool kit
Since I mentioned Rabbit above, they have a 5 piece tool kit that I also included on my holiday gift guide. It’s $30 from Bed Bath & Beyond and it includes a corkscrew with extra worm, foil cutter, bottle stoppers, and a drip free pour spout with stopper. It’s an awesome starter kit for anyone who needs some basic wine tools and the rabbit signature corkscrew is really easy to use and makes opening a bottle way easier than your typical corkscrew.
#4 - Long Stem Glassware
Long Stem Glassware
The other glassware I included in my guide are my favorite long stem glassware. Crate and Barrel has tons of awesome styles at varying price points, so you can definitely find a ton of great options. I have these long stem glasses, the Camille style, and I get SO MANY compliments on them! They are very tall, so they make a statement, but are gorgeous. I do recommend to hand wash only because they are a bit fragile! The glasses range from $12-$14 each.
#5 - “Wine Folly” by Madeline Puckett
Amazing Wine Book! “Wine Folly” by Madeline Puckett
Next up is one of my favorite wine books - Wine Folly, by Madeline Puckett. This is such a good book! I use it as a reference for flavor profiles for various varietals as well as awesome food and wine pairings. It’s a good read, but also makes a pretty coffee table addition. It’s great for anyone who is new to wine or any experts who like a quick reference book!
#6 - A nice bottle of Champagne
Veuev Cliquot Yellow Label Champagne
You can’t go wrong with champagne! It’s perfect for celebrating around the holidays and if you don’t drink it for Christmas, then it will come in handy for New Year’s Eve. If you keep reading this blog post, I have a full section below on great wines as gifts, so keep reading to find some great selections for anyone in your life! But this particular Champagne is a classic, affordably priced champagne that is known for delicious flavor and a beautiful label. Veuve Cliquot (pronounced “vove”, like “love” and “click-oh”) Yellow Label can be found in most major grocery stores and wine markets around the U.S.
#7 - Coravin Wine Preserver
Coravin Wine Preserver
Last but not least is my favorite wine tool, the Coravin! Now, a lot of people shy away from the price point as it usually retails for $200-$400. But this time of year, there are amazing sales. I know their website does Black Friday deals, but you can also find them at Bed Bath & Beyond as well as amazon. The Coravin uses a needle to dispense wine without ever removing the cork from the bottle. Then it pumps argon gas into the bottle to displace the oxygen and prevent the wine from going bad! It’s amazing and can preserve your wine for a year. If you are the type of person that only wants to enjoy a glass of wine every couple of days or if you’re like me and you want to enjoy a glass of white and red with dinner but you may not be able to finish the bottles before they go bad, this tool comes in handy. And it honestly pays for itself! I know I’ve paid for it ten times over in the amount of money I’ve saved from wine that didn’t spoil before I could finish it!
Wine as a gift…
Now what if you want to buy a bottle of wine as a gift? Well this can be a little more difficult as you have some additional factors to take into consideration. Price, what they like to drink, etiquette….it can feel overwhelming!
I like to recommend a few tips when buying wine as a gift:
Decide on a price. Think about what you want to spend on a bottle. Usually, $40-$80 is perfect around the holidays to ensure you show that you put thought and effort into the gift, without embarrassing the recipient.
If you aren’t sure what to buy, stick to bubbles. Everyone likes champagne and you know they’ll use it for New Year’s Eve if they don’t drink it around Christmas. You can find some really good champagne for $40-$80. Champagne is a sparkling wine from the Champagne region of France. If it’s sparkling wine, but not made in champagne, it can’t be called Champagne. I’m going to do an additional post before NYE to tell you all about Champagne and the best bubbles to celebrate with, but for now, I would recommend splurging for the real stuff. There are some really good Prosecco and Cava (both sparkling wines from Italy and Spain), but traditionally, these wines are considered cheaper in the States. So skip the basic bubbles and go for the good stuff. My top recommendations are Veuve Cliquot yellow label or demi-sec, Billecart Salmon Brut Reserve, Tattinger Brut, or Piper Heiseick Sublime Demi Sec (again I’ll list all of these in the show notes!).
If you don’t want to get champagne, a California Cabernet Sauvignon is always a safe bet. Most folks, regardless of wine knowledge, are familiar with Cabernet Sauvignon and will recognize Napa and Sonoma as great wine regions. Also, since many folks eat prime rib, roast beef, and other heavy meats for Christmas, a Cabernet Sauvignon is a perfect holiday pairing. Try Chappellet Signature Napa Cab, Stag’s Leap Artemis, Chateau Montelena, or Caymus for some awesome options.
If you want to surprise them with something unique, my recommendation would be to try either a French Pinot Noir from Burgundy or a sweet German Riesling. Both of these wines are recognized in the US, but not as well known as a lot of California wines and Champagnes. They also aren’t as common on a lot of wine lists, so your gift recipient may not be as familiar with them.
Here’s why I like French Pinot noirs...they are bold with great minerality and acidity, and they are very different from your typical California or Oregon Pinot noir, which are super light and fruity. They will please most red wine drinkers and they pair nicely with mushrooms, beef, and a lot of typical holiday dishes. I like the Joseph Drouhin Gevrey Chambertin, Domaine Chevillon Chezeaux Nuis St. Georges, or the Jadot Beaune Vignes.
Second option - sweet German Riesling. This surprises a lot of people, but there are some delicious German rieslings out there for $50-$60. These high quality rieslings are so complex and unique that I can guarantee they will be unlike most rieslings your gift recipient has ever had. And Riesling goes well with baked apples, cinnamon, pork, as well as shrimp - but it’s also sweet enough to be dessert on its own! Dr. Loosen and Trimbach are two famous German winemakers that both have great Rieslings in this price range.
At the end of the day, it’s not the gift, but the thought that counts - right? So don’t stress too much about the exact type of wine. Your gift will be perfect no matter what you select! Happy Shopping friends!