3 Invaluable Tips for Wine Gifts, From a Sommelier
Choosing wine gifts doesn’t have to be intimidating.
If you're in the midst of trying to choose wine gifts for the oenophiles in your life, it can certainly be intimidating. With various wine varieties, producers, and vintages out there, choice anxiety is very real!
As a sommelier and hospitality pro with 15 years of experience, I’m often asked to give my tips for selecting a memorable, thoughtful wine gift. And I’ll be honest: there are many ways gifting wine can go wrong– especially if you’re not super familiar with your giftee’s preferences. The truth is: no one wants to receive an off-the-shelf wine gift. There's no thought or care that goes into choosing such a gift, and it a bottle of wine in and of itself can seem a bit low-effort or impersonal. The best wine gifts make the recipient feel special— and there’s nothing special about your giftee feeling like you just grabbed them a random bottle on your latest Costco run.
But, I have some great tips to get it right! Follow my do’s and dont’s, and you’ll be on your way to gifting wine like a pro.
Tip #1: Choose a bottle they wouldn’t normally get for themselves
This is true in any category of gifting, but I think it’s especially true for wine: choose something special that’s not in their daily rotation. While you might be familiar with their favorite Friday night Sauvignon Blanc, if they already have a whole stock of it in their garage, that’s not a unique treat for them.
One wine that can make any given Tuesday feel like a special occasion is Port! If you're unfamiliar, Port is a fortified wine from Portugal, meaning that a bit of 'neutral grape spirit' (also known as brandy) is added to the wine during fermentation. In this process, some of the fruit's natural sweetness is preserved, along with a full and rich texture. You get the complexity and aromatics of wine but with a little extra festive kick– the alcohol level of Port is usually between 18-20 percent, higher than table wine. Depending on the style of Port, its flavors can range from rich dark berries, to caramel and butterscotch, to toasted nuts, spices, figs, and even chocolate.
Fonseca Bin 27 Port is a great holiday wine gift.
When I open a bottle of Port it always feels like a decadent treat– and since I don’t always buy it for myself, it feels extra-special. And there are many creative ways to pair it!
My pick this year is Fonseca Bin 27. This is a ruby-style Port, blended from reserve wines selected for their intense depth of character, and BIN 27 is aged for four years in neutral wood vats before bottling. With velvety dark cassis and blackberry flavors, it’s exceptional when paired with chocolate!
You can even find it in a limited-edition gift tin, which already makes it a spectacular wine gift.
Tip #2: Add on a Wine Accessory
I love to give a little wine accessory along with the wine. This doesn’t have to be expensive; there are lots of little trinkets that can accompany the wine and make it feel a little more elevated as a gift. Think, wine glass charms, a wine bottle stopper, wine glass markers, or some pretty coasters. Any of these will help avoid the ‘grabbed it on my way out of Costco’ vibe!
Tip #3: Add On a Delicious Pairing
I love to gift wine along with a little bite or snack for the recipient to enjoy along with it! With a Ruby Port like Fonseca Bin 27, a little box of cocoa-dusted truffles is perfect. Cheese is also a welcome pairing with Port; I like an aged cheddar or other savory hard cheese. If you want to splurge a bit, a collection of cheeses like this set from Jasper Hill Farm will turn a bottle of wine into a whole evening of wine-and-cheese-pairing fun.
Happy Wine Gifting!
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Thanks to the Fladgate Partnership for sponsoring this post.
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