But fear no longer, gift-givers! Gone are the days of standing paralyzed in the wine aisle, scanning labels while waiting for some sort of divine intervention to point you in the right direction. Thanks to these do’s and dont’s, you’ll never stress over wine-giving again — and you’ll never buy anyone anything else.
DO: Look for a pretty label.
Books aren’t supposed to be judged by their covers, we know — but when it comes to choosing a bottle of wine for a gift, it doesn’t hurt to have an eye-catching label. Many independent and boutique vineyard have branched out from the traditional white label and script font, with some even commissioning artists to design their bottles.
DON’T: Forget to read it.
That being said, you should never pick a wine bottle exclusively based on the label — or at least, what the label looks like. Make sure to look at the region, alcohol percentage, varietal, tasting notes, and, perhaps most importantly, sugar level — there’s nothing worse than thinking you bought a dry white and ending up with a dessert wine.
DO: Set a budget.
One of the most daunting things about buying wine is that its sold at virtually every price point, from Charles Shaw’s “Two-Buck Chuck” to Château Cheval Blanc. Depending on the event, the person, and the relationship you have with them, you may want to spend anywhere between $10 and $100+ on a bottle of wine — but generally, between $25 and $50 should buy a bottle you can count on!
DON’T: Come in too far under it.
It may be tempting to reach for the bottom shelf, but remember — cheap wine is usually cheap for a reason. So that’s to say that boxed wine serves a purpose, but unless it was specifically requested, that purpose should not be a gift. We’d say spending $15+ puts you in the safe range.
DO: Consider the time of year, occasion, and recipient.
These can often be easy indicators to help point you in the right direction — if it’s for a summertime patio party, maybe bring a bottle of rosé. If it’s a birthday dinner in winter, you may want to opt for a dark red. The recipient may also be reflected in the region or year; for example, consider a wine from a part of the world the recipient has a connection to or, for an anniversary, from the year the couple was married.
DON’T: Go too niche, unless you know they like that.
These days, the wine market is much more than whites, reds, and rosés. From chocolate wine to beer-wine hybrids, there has been a distinct rise in the production of unusual, offbeat, or quirky wines — and they make great gifts, if you know the recipient is into that kind of thing. If not, you may want to go with something more traditional.
DO: Keep a few crowd-pleasing varietals in your back pocket.
If you don’t know the recipient, food, or crowd well, it never hurts to play it safe and go with a class crowd pleaser. Both pinots — pinot grigio and pinot noir — tend to be bestsellers, and pair well with a wide variety of foods. Rosé is appropriate for pretty much any event during the warmer months, and Champagne for anything worth celebrating.
Ready to put your newfound wine-giving skills to the test? Pick up a bottle at Total Wine, the wine superstore.
When it comes to gift giving, wine is often considered an easy go-to. And sure, it’s works for almost every occasion and recipient — but anyone who’s so much as tried to pick out a bottle for someone else, knows that gifting wine can be a lot harder than it sounds. With different price points, varietals, wineries, regions, and blends to choose from, it’s almost enough to make you give up altogether and buy some flowers instead. Almost.
The Do’s and Don'ts of Wine Gifting
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