Five useful tips On HOW to give wine as a gift

We explained to you (or at least, we tried ;-) Why wine is a brilliant gift, we divided your friends and acquaintances into “personas” to help you choosing the right wine for everyone, so all that remains to be discussed are the guidelines For efficient purchasing.

In fact, this is something that should not be taken for granted: if even at this point we had convinced you that giving a “buta” – bottle, as we say here in our region – is indeed the optimal choice, you may not necessarily be clear about HOW to choose the right one.

Stay with us to complete the training circle: if nothing else, when unpacking, you can justify your choice by talking about the study behind it.

Are you already clear about what you’re looking for and want to buy it from the comfort of your own home, from the best producers in Piedmont? Discover our wide selection of Christmas packaging!

#1 – Don’t be cheap

There is nothing worse than giving away the ubiquitous €2.5 bottles of sparkling wine you find in the supermarket.

It’s not just the issue of price itself, but with wine you have the opportunity to give a truly unique gift, so why waste it?

In fact, with just a few extra euros you can buy a bottle handcrafted by a small producer, and therefore unobtainable and exclusive: use the opportunity to tell the person receiving the gift “you are really special!“

#2 – Get informed

Part of the appeal of wine lies in its artisanal character and its history, which is lost in the mists of our past.

Each terroir, each grape variety, each appellation and each winery have their own peculiarities and traditions, resulting in a final product with distinct characteristics.

To make the most of the “wow” effect of this gift inform yourself a little about what you are buying.

Things to know are:

• Where was it produced?
• By whom was it produced and what is the history of the winery?
• How was it produced? (e.g., aged in large barrel for three years, or in small barrel for one)

That’s the bare minimum to make a great figure…then you never know, maybe by getting informed you’ll get passionate and can add even more color to your story, talking about the best wine pairings in the case, for example.

#3 – If your friend is an expert…

If you’re going to give a gift to a wine expert or enthusiast, you’re venturing into a potentially minefield–andin my opinion there are two ways to get out unscathed.

The first is to play it safe: find out what they like to drink-if you don’t already know-and play the theme variation card.

If he likes Burgundy XXX, offer him a Burgundy YYY, under the guise of trying something different (but without the risk to you of going off the reservation).

The second way is to look for an obscure and little-known wine, catching him unprepared in a field he knows well and making him re-evaluate your preparation about it. We have a good selection of wines that are right for you, from small, local producers-discover them in our Christmas packs.

#4 – If you are an expert…

Do not underestimate the person in question by giving him or her a cheap wine “because he or she doesn’t understand anything aboutit.”

If he really is inexperienced, give him a wine that is not too difficult, so that he can enter this world easily and painlessly.

However, don’t make the mistake of starting from the bottom, with bland, uninteresting wines, risking driving him further away from the wine and giving him an unappreciated gift.

Sometimes, in fact, those who have little appreciation for wine justify themselves by saying that“they all look the same to him“: show him the potential of this universe with a distinctive, spicy, but good drinking wine-he will be grateful to you for teaching himsomething new.

#5 – the Package

One of the unavoidable obstacles one has to overcome when deciding to give wine as a gift is the package: partly because the bottle, with its peculiar form, it seems not to leave too much room for imagination, and a bit because depending on the wine you choose the “rules” of bundling may vary.

The two problems and their solutions go hand in hand, and to best address the issue there needs to be a little analysis: what are you giving away?

Classy wine

Is this a “special” wine, perhaps from a historic or otherwise valuable vintage? Find packaging that reflects this-unless the manufacturer or store has already thought of it at the time of purchase.

So aim for rigid, important-looking boxes; do you want to embellish your package with Christmas details? Try a solid color ribbon and an arrangement of berries and rosemary.

Easy-to-drink wine

If, on the other hand, you have opted for a simpler, more drinkable bottle – or package – of wine, you can let loose a lot more: adorn your gift with bows, stickers, ribbons or any accessory of your taste.

At Christmas, all things considered, the package matters almost as much as the gift itself ;-)