Gifts Ideas for Wine Lovers
But don’t worry, giving bottles as a gift will always hit the mark. One can never have too much wine at home!
Gifting your host or hostess with a sparkling wine is perfectly fine, but nowhere near as original as giving a bottle brimming with emotions and stories to tell: very limited productions, unusual varieties, special editions, little-known appellations, vintages coinciding with the year the person was born, etc.
Accompanying the bottle with a bouquet of flowers whose aromas match the wine, thus bringing out its fragrance, adds a lovely finishing touch to the gift. It makes for a gorgeous detail—and is a surefire way of leaving a good impression.
If you think about it, there are tons of options when it comes to finding the perfect wine gift and, since lists are all the rage, here are my suggestions:
- For romantics: a wine journal in which to keep labels and personal tasting notes.
- For pragmatists: a chiller sleeve (of the designer variety, of course).
- For lovers of all things classic: a deluxe bottle opener with a personalized inscription.
- For hipsters: a brightly colored ice bucket.
- For knowledge seekers: a wine atlas and a gigantic map of the world’s grape-growing latitudes.
- For challenge seekers: an aroma game to train the nose.
- For no-nonsense types: a guide to the best wines of the year.
- For curious minds: stories in a bottle.
- For travel enthusiasts: Organize a wine tourism trip. Landscape appreciation meets firsthand experience of the winemaking process, plus you get to meet the people behind the wine. The heroes!
- For gourmets: a food and wine pairing workshop…at your house (yes, the Torres team will take care of everything!)
It is all about shared sensations and joint experiences. If you like to have fun and experiment with wine, black glasses and bottle sleeves to conceal the labels are absolutely essential items. A completely blind tasting! What type of wine? What variety? Do you dare guess the vintage? The region?
Without being able to see, we pay closer attention to our other senses, and the nose reigns supreme. One thing is certain: it is a lot more fun and far less risky than talking about football, politics or family during the holidays!
The world of wine is also a handy resource for decking out your parties and celebrations: turn bottles into candleholders or vases or paint them, take that cork collection and use it to create festive centerpieces—as you entertain your guests this holiday season, let wine make a grand appearance and give it a starring role beyond the glass.