Dreaming of a Wine Christmas Gift

Karen Gurney — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 06:01:10 +0000

Are you stumped over what to get that hard-to-shop-for wine lover on your Christmas list? If you think that all they want is a bottle of wine (I’m not going to lie here– they DO) you’re probably wondering if they are dreaming of a red or white Christmas. A bottle of wine doesn’t have to be the only gift that a oenophile will appreciate; still buy them a bottle of wine and here are some wine-y gifts and tips that I came across that are sure to please.

The Corkscrew

Don’t be fooled. Chances are that Rosé Rosey didn’t develop her appreciation for the vintage while uncorking bottles with her teeth. If she is like me, she is likely a curator of an extensive corkscrew collection: winged ones, battery operated ones, fancy screw pulls, roundlets, and a variety of novelty corkscrews that look like (and are as useful as) pez dispensers. Unless she is a self professed corkscrew collector, she probably doesn’t need all of these. BUT if you must… my favourite is the sommelier’s knife and I don’t think a wine lover could have too many of them: one for the kitchen drawer, one for the purse, one for camping, one in the bedroom (romantic moments should never be interrupted by running to the kitchen for a corkscrew), one for the office….

The Bottle Stopper

What’s that?

The Outdoorsy Romantic Gift

Question: Where is the best place to enjoy wine? Answer: Anywhere. Joe Merlot has this figured out. He is not confined to the gas fireplace or the candle lit dinner; he dreams of sitting on the edge of a cliff with a glass of Chateauneuf. Roughing it shouldn’t be drinking wine out of a tin cup, if he doesn’t have one already he needs an unbreakable wine glass. I came across this great karafe so that he can bring the nicest wine to enjoy on his mountain peak, and this wine picnic backpack to carry a whole romantic meal.

The Thinking Wine Drinker

When not drinking wine, Petit Sara is usually found reading or watching movies about wine with a glass of well, you know. My all-time favourite book is Red, White and Drunk All Over written by my wine crush, Natalie MacLean and I have no doubt that Sara will feel the same. A new read that I can’t wait to get my hands on is a ‘vinthology’ of wine making exploits by one of my winemaker heroes, Randall Grahm Been Doon So Long. (I just realized that this post is beginning to read like a love letter…)

Moving on to the motion pictures:

Sideways (and include a bottle of Pinot Noir or a Merlot to be sassy)
Bottle Shock (A story about the how a California wine took the world by storm)
A Walk in the Clouds (A personal sappy favourite and I think Keanu runs in it)

The Techie

Gamay Ray can usually be found pounding the keys with a glass of sherry by his side. He is googling the latest gadget or the latest award winning vintage so what better gift than a wine USB drive? I’ve seen these at some specialty wine stores like Liberty or Everything Wine or you can also order these nifty stocking stuffers online. It comes with a software for Ray to use to keep track of his cellar and to look up countless bottles of wine. Goodies like wine ring tones (not sure what those would sound like: a cork popping? bottle breaking?), wallpaper, and links to wine clubs and organizations will keep him busy for hours.

I hope this little list sparks some ideas as you make your way to the malls or computer or wherever you do you shopping these days. Feel free to comment with more ideas or tips to share. Above all, be sure to include a bottle or two of something to share (responsibly) together over the holidays. Come back soon as I am working on a Christmas wine list that you won’t want to miss!

Wine Bard » White

Dreaming of a Wine Christmas Gift