12 Dec Tis the season! Wine gifts for the holidays!
Finding the right gift can be a tough challenge…unless you’re buying for someone who likes wine.
If that’s the case, there’s a multitude of possibilities, from serious to wacky, for the wine lover on your list.
After some thinking beyond the bottle and scouring of the internet, we’ve come up with several suggestions.
The Wine Bible
I have a large collection of books about wine. The Wine Bible is by far the best of the lot. Karen MacNeil covers it all…from the reason that Champagne has bubbles to the most important Hungarian wines and everything in between. “Amazingly approachable, fun and educational.” I stole that description off the back cover and it’s so true. The Wine Bible retails around $14 at Amazon, Target, Barnes & Noble and Powell’s.
Tribella aerator
There are more aerators out there than you can shake a corkscrew at. Aerators accelerate the interaction between air and the compounds in the wine. Some work better than others. With it’s triple spout, the Tribella does a nice job of aerating. And with three “pours” simultaneously filling your glass, it also just looks cool. The Tribella runs between $35-$40 and is available at Williams-Sonoma, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Costco, Wine Enthusiast.com, and Amazon.
Wine Wipes
It can taste great. It can taste awful. Depends on what you’re drinking. But there is one constant about red wine: it will leave a mark on most anything. That includes your teeth and your mouth. On more than one occasion, my wife has said, “Hey Bozo the Clown, you’ve got wine mouth. Go look in the mirror.” To avoid similar humiliation, get Wine Wipes, “the agreeable new concoction to remove that filthy red wine stain on your teeth (or mouth) without interfering with the taste of your next glass.” Bozo the Clown no more. A box of 15 Wine Wipes run about $7 and you can find them at Paper Source, New Seasons and on line at Walmart and Amazon.
Château Spill Wine Stain Remover
The only thing worse than staining your teeth and mouth is staining your good furniture. Or, worse yet, staining your friend’s/relative’s/neighbor’s good furniture. You might never get invited back. (Depending on the friend/relative/neighbor, that might not be the worst result. But we digress.) Château Spill to the rescue! It has a “professional grade formula” designed specifically to limit damage when the inevitable accident occurs. A box of five wipes costs approximately $7 and is available at Paper Source and hatestains.com. The 4 ounce bottle version is available for around $8 at Amazon and Bed, Bath & Beyond.
Glass Artist Wine Glass Markers
You’re at a party and all of those darn wine glasses look the same. How can you possibly tell which one is yours? On a scale of first-world problems, this ranks near the top. Problem solved with wine glass markers. Write your name on your glass and you’re set for the night. Don’t worry. Your glass won’t be your glass forever. The ink comes off in the dishwasher. This particular package not only comes with 8 different colored pens but also stencils so you can customize your presentation with stars, hearts, candy canes and more. Glass Artist Markers go for $10 on Amazon but similar markers can be found all over the place…Target, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Michael’s, Walmart and more.
Magic Rope/Magic Chain wine holder
Now for something completely different…
For my next trick, I’m going to suspend a bottle of wine in mid air, supported only by a rope that magically remains vertical with no visible means of support! OK, this gadget serves no useful purpose other than to start a conversation. But we’ve had one in the office for about a week now, helping a bottle of Châteauneuf du Pape defy the laws of physics, and it’s starting to grow on us. For the wine lover who already has everything. We bought the Makidar two-pack, a Magic Rope and a Magic Chain, on line at Amazon for $17. Google “magic wine rope” and you’ll see many options.
We hope those suggestions help. Happy Holidays everyone!