Gifts for Wine Fans

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It’s that time of year when we search for unique and special holiday gifts for folks who enrich our lives all year long. Our lists may include wine friends along with clients, colleagues, neighbors and in-laws, each of whom have varying degrees of separation from wine.

Why is it so challenging to find gifts for wine lovers? Wine purchases themselves can be intimidating enough. Is it good enough for them? Am I spending enough? Gift giving shouldn’t be awkward and can be an enjoyable experience.

The anticipation of opening a gift begins with presentation. When you open an item that’s been uniquely wrapped, it makes you feel more special. Keep a holiday stock of wine gift bags, foil wrapping, tissue paper and a few rolls of festive ribbons and yarns. Inexpensive ornaments can also be tied to the gift for added flair.

Wine Club
If you’re part of a wine club already, chances are they have gift memberships that you can purchase for others. They may even be broken down by red wines, white wines, reserve wines or dessert wines. This gift is perfect for both the wine novice and enthusiast alike and provides a variety that matches their appreciation level.

Wine Experience
Many wineries have special tours and wine pairings that can be pre-purchased and then scheduled by the lucky recipient. If you know where they like to enjoy their wine tastings, this can be an immensely thoughtful gesture that will be highly appreciated. Chances are the recipient would not have scheduled the experience on their own and will be thrilled you put forth such personal effort.

Glassware
Wine glasses can be a nice gift, especially if years of chipping and scratches have taken their toll on stemware. Wine looks best in a beautifully clean wine glass, and a matching set of stemware for a Chardonnay lover could be just the thing. Since not all stemware is created equal and not all wine lovers have all the stemware they can use, here are some ideas.

Riedel Heart to Heart Crystal Chardonnay Wineglasses are non-leaded crystal and come in a set of four. The perfectly over-sized bowl shows off the bouquet and complexities of both chardonnay and burgundy wines while the modern diamond shape brings added style to any table setting.

Unbreakable Wine Glasses are jokel silicone dishwasher-safe rubber wine glasses, perfect for the picnic basket, backpack or poolside for optimum glass safety; they never break, chip or scratch.

The Oenophilia Bottle Stopper Bouquet keeps bottle stoppers out for the ready instead of bottled up in a drawer. As a fun addition to any bar or wine decor, this display holds 12 bottle stoppers.

FREEZE™ Cooling Wine Glasses can be stored in the freezer ready for the perfect chill for any beverage. Each glass is 8.5 ounces and with the added rubber band, it’s brilliant! Your hands don’t get cold or wet from the chilled glass and the rubber exterior provides a slip-proof grip.

Orrefors’ Street Champagne Glass set designed by Jan Johansson is perfect to bring a little bit of Manhattan style to the bubbly lover. These glasses contain a hand-cut pattern to mimic the city streets of Manhattan.
For the wine lover who has everything, including several sizes of collected wine bottles, the BOJ USA Wall Mounted Corkscrew is perfect for opening multiple sizes of large-format bottles.

Specialty Items
When money is no object, consider the Honmamon Athro sommelier knife, a wine opener in ebony with a leather case. This beautiful tool of the trade is 4.7 inches in length and made of highest-quality stainless steel.

The U-Line 43-bottle dual zone wine refrigerator finished in wood overlay would be beautiful in any setting, including home or office. This unit holds 43 standard-sized 750ml bottles and maintains and displays temperatures in both Celsius and Fahrenheit from 34°F to 60°F for red and white wines.

Fun Wine Charms
If you want to get a little something for your co-worker or neighbor and Riedel isn’t in the budget, wine charms are convenient for dressing up a glass of wine, while guests keep track of which glass is theirs. Wine charms come in a variety of themes and colors and can be given as a set, singularly tied onto a bottle of wine or mailed in a holiday greeting card.

White Elephant Gift
If you’re looking for something out of the ordinary and under $5, consider purchasing a bag of glass or metal marbles. Placing a few marbles in the glass decanter with mild soap and warm water makes the decanter bright and new in just a few minutes. After the marbles are removed, the after-party antics can always include a game of carpet-bocce while sipping barbera and enjoying holiday festivities.

Cheers to a safe and joyful holiday season! ■

Sources: amazon.com, bedbathandbeyond.com, riedelusa.com and winecoolerdirect.com.