This holiday season, get the wine lover in your life something special. There are so many options to consider; from a high-end bottle to a gift package, or a luxury trip to a favorite wine region. Here are 15 great gift ideas that should please every fan of fine wine and everything associated with it.
Cooper & Thief X Recreation Center Carafe Set
Cooper & Thief finished its Sauvignon Blanc for three months in tequila barrels from Casa Noble, resulting in a wine with lots of vanilla notes to balance the acidity. To continue this concept, the winemakers worked with Brooklyn-based studio Recreation Center to design this ceramic carafe set. The handmade carafe and cups were inspired by Mexican design, with a high-gloss yellow glaze on the exterior and white interior to highlight the wine’s color as you drink.To buy: $175
Ao Yun 2015 Vintage Release and Ao Yun x Riedel Glassware
The Himalayas are not generally known as a wine region, but Ao Yun (owned by Moet Hennessy) is producing some excellent vintages from these lofty environs. The latest release is the 2015 vintage, a Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc blend. Winemaker Maxence Dulou describes it as voluptuous and spicy with notes of incense and a salty mineral finish. Ao Yun has partnered with Riedel on a special glass with “sharp cut and narrow diameter” specifically meant to enjoy this wine, and you can order from Clos 19 starting October 1.
To buy: Set of six glasses, $190; Ao Yun 2015, $300
The Cloupe G.H. Mumm Gift Set
The coupe and the flute—two competing vessels, both considered excellent ways to enjoy champagne. Champagne house G.H. Mumm is attempting to build upon tradition by combining the two into the Cloupe, literally a hybrid of the two designs. The Cloupe will be packaged with a bottle of G.H. Mumm Grand Cordon for purchase this October, a perfect gift for the champagne drinker in your life.
To buy: $45, drinksandco.us
Dancing Bear Ranch Gift Set
Dancing Bear Ranch is one the best varietals from well-regarded Napa winery Cakebread Cellars. This holiday season, Cakebread will release a gift set of a dozen past vintages ranging from 2006 to 2016, all encased in a beautiful cherrywood box. Serious wine drinkers will enjoy sampling and comparing the different wines side by side to see how the varietal has changed over the years. There are less than 50 sets available, so contact the winery soon to get one.
To buy: $3,500, available this holiday season
Perrier-Jouët Champagne x Prabal Gurung Limited Edition Gift Set
It seems like this is the season for newly designed champagne glasses. Perrier-Jouët has partnered with designer Prabal Gurung on the first of what will be a series of newly designed champagne flutes. Gurung says that he was inspired by the champagne house’s signature anemone flower for this floral-themed glassware. This gift set includes two flutes and a bottle of Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Rose, available for purchase from Drinks & Co.
To buy: $400, drinksandco.us
Vérité 2016 La Muse, Sonoma County
This 2016 vintage from Vérité comes out this September, a luxurious Merlot (93 percent) from micro-crus in Sonoma County. Vérité combines French tradition with California concepts for its wines, which have received much acclaim. Look for notes of stone fruit, red currants, and vanilla bean, with a bit of tannin and minerality underneath.
To buy: $410, veritewines.com
Champagne Tour with Private Guide: Moet, Veuve Clicquot & Ruinart
There’s nothing like actually visiting the country of origin of your favorite wine, especially when you’re talking about the Champagne region of France. Clos19 is now offering a four-day tour of champagne houses Ruinart, Moet & Chandon, and Veuve Clicquot, including accommodations at the five-star Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa. This will be an experience unlike any other, with special access to the cellars and fine dining options throughout.
To buy: Trips starting at $7,900 for three nights, four guests
Seghesio Kitchen Sauces and Mustard
Wine pairs well with so many different types of food, and it can also be incorporated into some delicious sauces and condiments. Seghesio Family Vineyards has introduced its Seghesio Kitchen line, including a Zinfandel Mustard, Zinfandel BBQ Sauce, and Artichoke and Paquillo Tapenade. Executive Chef Peter Janiak created these to highlight the produce available in Sonoma County. Enjoy them with a bottle of the 2015 Home Ranch Zinfandel or 2016 Montafi Zinfandel.
To buy: Condiments: $8 to $14; Wine: $60 to $65; seghesio.com
Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte Palmes d’or Brut and Rose Intense 2008 Vintage
Two new vintages in beautifully opaque bottles from Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte arrive this fall: Palmes d’or Brut and Rose Intense 2008. The Rose Intense has flavors of pastry and kirsch, while the Brut is full of white fruit, dried apricot, and almond notes. Both pair very well with a wide range of savory and sweet foods, so this champagne tastes as good at a special occasion as it does with a regular weeknight dinner.To buy: Brut, $136; Rose, $200, nicolas-feuillatte.com/en-us
Mayacamas Membership
It can be hard to choose just one bottle to give to a wine lover, so how about a membership that includes a variety of wine throughout the year? Mayacamas offers membership at three different levels—silver (three Chardonnay in spring, three Cabernet Sauvignon in fall), gold (six Chardonnay in spring, six Cabernet Sauvignon in fall), or platinum (six Chardonnay and one magnum in spring, 12 Cabernet Sauvignon and one magnum in fall). Other perks include a visit to the vineyard for four, and access to the rare library collection.
To buy: Silver $525, Gold $1,050, Platinum $2,200, mayacamas.com/membership
Three Piece Wüsthof Bamboo Cheese Set
Wine and cheese is a pairing concept as old as peanut butter and jelly, but it’s a lot more fun. This three-piece set from Wüsthof includes high-quality knives made of high-carbon stainless steel—2¾” Parmesan knife, 4¾” hard cheese knife, and 5” soft cheese knife in a beautiful bamboo box. This is the perfect set to have on hand for any wine and cheese party.
To buy: $400, wusthof.com
Bricoleur Vineyards Gift Set
Many vineyards also grow olives, and Bricoleur is no exception. This gift set features the best of both the grape and olive worlds, with two bottles of 2017 Chardonnay, a bottle of Bricoleur Vineyards Estate Olive Oil, and a wine bottle opener. For those who appreciate both food and wine, this gift ticks both boxes.To buy: $120, bricoleurvineyards.com
Charles Krug Three-Pack Library Release Gift Pack
Only 100 units were released of this gift set, which includes 1979, 1989, and 2009 Vintage Selection Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from one of Napa’s oldest wineries, Charles Krug. The wine comes in a wooden box along with a commemorative letter signed by Marc and Peter Mondavi, Jr.
To buy: $800, charleskrug.com
Winestyr Cult Reds Trio
Winestyr is an online wine marketplace that focuses on smaller labels that might not be readily available in stores. There are bottles from more than 120 wineries available to order, as well as some gift set options. One is the Cult Reds Trio, a selection of complex wine including Black Aces Cabernet Sauvignon from Vineyard 36, Sumo Red from Keplinger Wines, and Perry’s Blend from Juslyn Vineyard. There are also wine club memberships and many other gift options to choose from.
To buy: $240, www.winestyr.com
Bollinger’s 1988 R.D. Extra Brut
This luxury champagne was featured in the James Bond movie GoldenEye back in 1995 (the first starring Pierce Brosnan). In 2015, when Spectre was released (the Daniel Craig era), Bollinger released 307 of these crystal sets—and a few are still available (you can also find the champagne on its own for much less). Look for notes of preserved lemon and apricot in this 1988 vintage. Also, keep an eye out for a new Bond-related item from Bollinger arriving this fall.
To buy: $10,000, binnys.com
