Holiday Gifts To Give Wine Lovers

By TOM MARQUARDT and PATRICK DARR

As we age, a holiday gift is as simple as health and friendship. Having a dinner to the sounds and scents of Christmas is more important than opening a wrapped gift. Still, there are people in our lives who have done something meaningful and who deserve a show of appreciation – not because it’s expected but because it’s earned.

Choosing a holiday gift for the wine enthusiast isn’t easy. Buying a nice bottle of wine requires that you know his or her taste. An expensive Bordeaux for a person who drinks only chardonnay would be a waste. Trust us, we’ve seen our share of ignored gift bottles dragged out for consumption at large parties. There are alternative gifts.

Stemware.  There are plenty of carafes, ranging in price, that will grace a holiday table. No matter what their price, they all serve the same function of displaying a wine and letting it breathe.  As an alternative, consider stemware. Riedel, for instance, is regarded among the best producers of glasses that are designed to show off a grape variety’s unique character.  Consider its Veloce Champagne glass ($89 for a pair). Its diamond shape is unique from the traditional flute or coupe. It would be a great gift to get the new year off to the right start.

Gift packages.  Go into any wine store now and you’ll see bottles in beautiful boxes and bags. Large format bottles make a statement: I’m ready to party.  The 1.5-liter bottles, which are two regular bottles, are relatively easy to find. Dry Creek Vineyard has released its 2019 50^th anniversary cabernet sauvignon ($240) in magnum formats. And, The Donum Estate has a three-bottle collection of pinot noirs inspired by artist Ai Weiwei’s “Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads.” Called the 2020-2022 Zodiac Collection, it features the years of the Rat, Ox and Tiger.  Check out Donum’s website. Penfolds offers a Bin 28 Gift Tube ($40) that puts a bottle of this robust cabernet-shiraz blend in a beautiful cylindrical case that doesn’t need wrapping. For $80 you get Bin 389, a more complex cabernet shiraz blend.

Travel with wine. Maybe someone in your life is planning a trip abroad or you want to drop a hint to take you along.  Buy a travel book and add a nice wine from the region. “Italy in a Wineglass” by Marc Millon is a good read to get anyone excited about traveling to any of Italy’s wine regions. Pair it with Tenuta San Leonardo Viignetti delle Dolomiti ($100) from Trentino or Pasqua Mai Dire Mai Amarone ($120) from Verona. Or, add a less expensive but equally noteworthy chianti.

Corkscrews.  There are many devices to open a bottle of wine and each will get you there. For us, a simple waiter’s helper is still the best and least expensive device. But if you want to impress someone, consider an Oxo lever pull ($45) or a Rabbit ($50). We cherish our Durand ($145) which is almost guaranteed not to break a fragile cork in an old bottle of wine from our cellars. If there is someone in your life who collects wine, this is a gift that will be well-received.

Wine preservation systems. Keeping an open wine fresh requires some system to remove the damaging oxygen. You can get a simple Vacu Vin pump for $20 or an expensive Coravin Pivot for about $110.

Wines. If you do know a person’s wine preference, an expensive bottle is a nice gift for someone who may not be willing to spend money on themselves. Here are a few to consider:

Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2021 ($55). This is a luxurious blend of cabernet sauvignon with a little petit verdot, cabernet franc, and malbec. Lavender and herbal aromas are followed by blackberry, plum, and black cherry flavors with a hint of anise and spice.

Priest Ranch Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 ($60). This estate-grown, unblended cabernet sauvignon has fresh blueberry and dried herb aromas with a smooth mouthfeel and notes of blueberries and mocha.

Domaine Curry Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 ($100). From sisters-in-law Ayesha Curry and Sydel Curry-Lee, this dense and complex cabernet has dark fruit, currant and cherry notes with layered hints of spice, chocolate and vanilla. It’s a good gift if you are a sister.

Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2021 ($85). Named after the Greek goddess of the hunt, Artemis is a nicely textured wine that draws fruit from several districts of Napa Valley—lush and rich dark fruit notes with a hint of dark chocolate.

Goosecross State Lane Vineyard Cabernet Franc Napa Valley 2021 ($90). Cabernet franc seems to be more prevalent on the market – and that’s a good thing. This grape variety can produce a sturdy, respectable wine with depth and character.  This one from Goosecross has plum, blueberry and olive aromas followed by currant and raspberry flavors and a dash of spice.

La Jota W.S. Keyes Chardonnay Napa Valley 2021 ($130). Not everyone likes red wine, so we’re throwing in this extraordinary chardonnay from one of the most renowned winemakers on Howell Mountain. Chris Carpenter is known for his red wines, but this chardonnay is very special, as the price and limited availability would suggest. It has an alluring mineral note surrounded by pear and stone fruit flavors with a touch of lemon zest.

Less expensive wine picks

Famiglia Pasqua Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore 2020 Veneto ($25). Using the native grapes Corvina, Rondinella, corvinone, and negrara, the producer offers a very lively and medium-bodied wine with cherry and currant notes that would marry well with barbecued fare. This is a good value.

Maal Biolento Malbec 2020 ($28).  Biolento is an insect that ravages the vines in the Mendoza region, so maybe it’s on the label out of respect or disdain. In any case, the wine is delightful with earthy, dark fruit flavors and lots of herbs.

The Icon Rock Signature Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 ($23). This wine from the Uco region of Argentina’s Mendoza is an excellent value—juicy dark fruit character with an earthy feel and easy tannins.