The 10 Best Gifts For Wine Lovers

There’s no better feeling than finding just the right gifts for your favorite people. If you know your recipients’ wine tribes, it’s easy to figure out the perfect gift in a bottle. But if you don’t know their tribes (and you can’t get them to take the My Wine Tribe quiz), what’s a gift giver to do? We all know that the gifts we choose are a reflection of our own taste and sophistication. Giving a cheese lover a loaf of Velveeta, for example, is probably not going to make any of us look like the cosmopolitan bon vivants we know we are.

Fear not. My Wine Tribe is here to help. Check out these ideas for every wine lover on your list, regardless of tribe.

For the person you are trying to impress: If your gift recipient is a savvy wine aficionado, go big with a bottle of 2012 Peter Michael Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Au Paradis. There is a high price tag on this one–$195–but you’ll get bragging rights. It was selected as the Wine of the Year by Wine Spectator magazine.

For everyone else, a classic French Champagne, such as a bottle of Taittenger Brut or Veuve Cliqcot Brut (Yellow Label) will always impress. A gift of French Champagne shows you have worldly sophistication, as does your recipient. Both of these Champagnes are recognizable and highly lauded labels and will set you back about $50.

For the host/hostess with the mostest: Here are a few unique ideas for your favorite host or hostess. For $9.95, pick up a set of metallic pens that can be used to write guests’ names on wineglasses (the ink easily washes off post party. Or, if you want to impress, have a customized wine tray created for your giftee. For $95, a vintage crate is personalized with your recipient’s name and the year, then made into a tray.

For your work mates: If your colleagues have a sense of humor, the “Good Day – Bad Day – Don’t Even Ask” wine glass is a great gift. This glass cracks me up and be warned, I’ll be buying more than a few of them this year. At $14.95, they’re both hilarious and affordable.

For the wine-loving cyclist: A wine bottle holder that fits on most bikes: This is ingenious. The Bicycle Wine Rack has adjustable leather straps that fit most bikes’ top bar. Think about it, your gift recipient can ride to someone’s house (hopefully yours) with their hostess gift ready to go. The cost is $34.

For your kid’s teacher: Assuming your kid’s teacher has a sense of humor (and likes wine), this is a great gift! For $11 you can have a wine glass personalized with teacher’s name and a sentiment that many have probably felt: “Keep your apple, I’d rather have wine!”

For the traveler:  A suitcase, just for wine! The Ultimate Wine Suitcase holds up to 12 bottles and you can add a special insert for two glasses. It’s lightweight and on rollers, so it’s easy to take with you, yet it’s rugged enough to stand up to baggage handlers. And even with wine inside, the suitcase weighs less than 50 pounds, which means fliers won’t have to pay for overweight baggage. It isn’t cheap–$269.99–but for the traveling wine lover, this is a perfect gift.

For the person who wants to learn about wine: My parents gave me Karen MacNeil’s Wine Bible ($16.98) about 15 years ago and it was a great starting point for getting into the world of wine (note that it was updated earlier this year). The writing is accessible, the book includes storytelling as well as factual info and there is a brand new edition out. For folks who are farther along in their wine education, consider Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine ($37). It’s a bit drier than the Wine Bible, but for the wine geek, this is nirvana. I’ve asked for this one myself!

Speaking of gifts for me, I could go on all day with wine-themed ideas. I hope this short list inspires you and helps you shop with confidence. If you need any more suggestions, just ask in the comments section. Let me know who you’re giving to and a little bit about what he or she likes. Happy gifting and Happy Holidays!