How to: gift the perfect bottle
Avoid gifting the gadgets nobody needs, and give wines people will love
For the cost of one nice bottle of wine, you can ensure you never make a bad wine decision ever again. That is a gift.
By upgrading your subscription to just $60 a year, you gain access to my on-call sommelier services, as well as exclusive rates on private events, cellar curation, and more. Your paid subscription gets you me, in your pocket, for when you’re confused in the wine shop, lost looking through a wine list, or unsure what sort of gift to give your in-law, boss, or situationship.
Wine Ideas readers know that wines with stories, made with care and intention by real people, are the best wines. Wine has the opportunity to be an experience, which is truly the best gift of all.
As with everything in wine, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to wine gift giving. I cannot tell you that Pinot Noir or Champagne is the best gift, nor that everyone loves Sancerre so just give everyone Sancerre! Because that is like finding a toothbrush in your stocking (something I personally have never experienced) and you think well okay that’s not a thrilling gift but I guess it is practical and I’ll probably use it. We’re going for thrilling here. I’d rather take a risk, create an experience, and illuminate something new, than give someone a toothbrush.
Utilize your Wine Ideas subscription. Paid subscribers can have me curate a case of wine to send directly to your recipient. I curate the case, and I include descriptions of each of my selections: what to enjoy it with, how it feels, what occasion it calls for, and why I love it. It’s fantastically personalized, and it’s 12 bottles! A gift that keeps on giving. You can also gift a Wine Ideas subscription, or gift a Wine Ideas event to let them throw their own wine tasting party on their own time.
Make it personal. Anyone can walk into a shop, find a beautiful label for $100, put it in a bag and give it as a gift. Wine Ideas readers know better. A better option, I believe, is to give a gift that has personal meaning - maybe a bottle from a region you visited, a bottle that reminds you of a memory you shared, or maybe a bottle you love that you know makes an excellent pairings with their favorite food. Gifts (especially wines!) do not have to be expensive to be great.
I also love adding in a specific little note with instructions - something like “Open this bottle, pick up meatballs from Misi Pasta, and turn on The Godfather. Just trust me.” Or a personal anecdote like as an engagement gift, “We drank this same wine the night we got engaged and want to pass the good luck onto you.” It creates a shared experience and an emotional connection, and that is what wine is about!
Even when people tell me not to bring anything over, I show up with wine. Worst case scenario, they save it for another day. Best gift ever. Know your audience. I suppose this is a good rule for all gifts. If you gifted me a football helmet I’d say thank you and then be very confused and not know what to do with this bizarre and unthoughtful gift. If your friend doesn’t care about football, don’t give them a football gift. If they can’t tell the difference (or don’t care) between expensive and inexpensive wine, an expensive wine is a waste. A better option for someone who doesn’t care about wine is [see #1] make it personal and make the gift a beautiful story and fun experience as opposed to an expensive or luxury product they don’t appreciate.
Opt for bottles instead of wine gadgets. A bottle of wine will inevitably be enjoyed. A gadget inevitably gathers dust until it is forgotten about or breaks. I’ve been gifted every gadget under the sun, and still, only ever use a normal old wine opener. I never reach for an aerator or anti-hangover wands or electronic cork extractors. Every industry wants to sell you stuff and if you know me, you know I hate stuff. The only wine gift is a bottle of wine and never a wine gadget.
ABC - anything but Caymus. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, that is wonderful. If you love Caymus or your gift recipient loves Caymus, I suggest you walk into the wine shop and ask my favorite question: “I normally drink Caymus, what else do you recommend?” Every boss, every client, and every man over 40 has been gifted a bottle of Caymus in their life. Do you really want to be just another Caymus gift-giver? The equivalent of a toothbrush giver! You’re better than that. You’re a Wine Ideas subscriber.
Great post - funny and useful