How many times have you gone to a friends house for dinner and taken a bottle of wine? Okay, I will admit I am the bearer of wine ALWAYS at my best friend’s house. The truth is the gift of a bottle of wine can be so much more.
Wine is the perfect gift when having dinner with friends. It is a great housewarming gift. A special anniversary gift for friends or family. Whatever the occasion, buying a bottle of wine for someone else it not as easy as it sounds. Buying a bottle of wine for a gift is a different shopping experience. Do you make your decision based on the label descriptions, expert recommendations, selecting a bottle you once enjoyed or as a last resort (and not always the best) by the appeal of the packaging.
Whatever your method, the gift of wine is always welcomed but selecting the ‘right’ wine for the occasion can be a challenge. Whatever the occasion is a Christmas present, a birthday gift or a hostess thank you gift, there is a wonderful world of wines waiting to be discovered.
Here are some great tips to make it a little easier on yourself:
#1 Memories of a Special Trip – Wines bring the world to the dinner table. Pick a wine from a country the recipient has visited or longs to visit. This could bring back memories of a trip, but it is also an opportunity to re-tell adventures or to share their dream of traveling to lands far away.
#2 Milestone Years – For graduate, a bottle from the year they started their diploma or degree is a fun way to mark a milestone. A bottle of red wine is a better choice than a white wine as reds generally age better over time.
#3 – Wines to Grow Old With – This theme is ideal for a wedding gift, selecting wines from the year the couple first met, accompanied by a note suggesting a particular anniversary they could save it for.
#4 Past, Present and Future – Someone making a big change in their life? Moving to a new city? A new career? Celebrate with three bottles of wine or perhaps a red, white and a sparkling wine. Mark each as Past, Present and Future suggesting they can remember the past, consider the present and look forward with anticipation to what the future may hold when enjoying each bottle.
Did you know red wines tend to age better than whites? Select a wine in a dark bottle. The colour of the bottle defracts the light and protects the wine. Wines in clear bottles are intended to be consumed immediately. Hmm, I am a definite white wine (Moscato) drinker. Light can dramatically alter the taste of the wine. A dark bottle is a quick indicator the winemaker intends for the wine to age for a few years.
Splurge on a bottle of something different or special to mark an occasion. A sparkling wine always suggests a celebration. A port or icewine is the perfect ending to a perfect evening.
Add a personal touch to your wine selection by writing a message on each bottle mentioning the reason for choosing the wine, suggest an occasion to enjoy the wine or provide tasting notes and food pairing suggestions.
Packaged in a gift bag, box or basket, giving the gift of wine is as much fun creating the gift as it is receiving it.
Reusable wine totes, like Thirty One’s Picnic Thermal or Gather Together Bag, are definitely handy when it comes to safely and easily carrying bottles of wine, but they deliver more than just wine; they let the gift keep on giving. It gives the receiver an opportunity to remember you each time they use the reusable bag.
By picking a bag to compliment the gift of a bottle of wine, the receiver knows some thought went into the gift. How often have you received a bottle of wine and for a moment thought it was a “quick, non-thoughful gesture” by the giver.
The truth is the gift of a bottle of wine can be a thoughtful gift when you share more than just the bottle. Tell a story, trigger a memory, share a dream… let the receiver know how much you mean to them.
Who will receive a bottle of wine on YOU shopping list? Need some help check #Momsandwine
Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!
Hope Wissel 