Five useful tips on HOW to gift wine

We previously explained to you why wine is a brilliant gift, we have divided your friends and acquaintances into “categories of drinkers” to help you choose the right wine for each one of them, so all that’s left to be discussed are the guidelines for an efficient purchase.

It’s an aspect that shouldn’t be taken for granted: maybe at this point we’ve convinced you that gifting a bottle is a great idea, but this doesn’t mean you’re sure of HOW to choose the right one.

Stay with us to complete the training circle: if nothing else, when the unpacking moment arrives, you’ll be able to justify your choice.

You already know what you’re looking for and want to buy it from the comfort of your home, from the best producers in Piedmont? Discover our wide selection of Christmas packages!

#1 – Don’t be cheap

There’s nothing worse than receiving a 2.5 € sparkling wine bottle that you can easily find at the supermarket.

It is not just the question of price itself: wine gives you a chance to make a truly unique gift, why waste it?

With a few more euros you can buy a bottle produced in a traditional way by a small producer, therefore rare and exclusive: take advantage of the opportunity to tell the person who receives the gift “you’re really special!”

#2 – Be informed

Part of the charm of wine lies in its craftsmanship and in its history, which is lost in the fog of our past.

Each terroir, each vine, each denomination and each winery have their own peculiarities and their traditions, for a final product with specific characteristics.

To take advantage of the “wow” effect of this gift, inform yourself a little about what you are buying.

The things you ought to know are:

• Where was it produced?
• From whom, and what’s the history of the winery?
• How was it produced? (for example, aged in large barrels for 3 years, or in small barrels for 1)

This is the bare minimum to make a good impression…then who knows, maybe while you’re at it you get into it and you get to add even more informations to your gift, like what are the best food pairings.

#3 – If your friend’s an expert…

If you’re buying wine for an expert or wine lover, you are venturing into a potentially mined field… and in my opinion there are two ways to get out unscathed.

The first is to be on the safe side: find out what he likes to drink – if you don’t already know – and play the “variation on the topic” card.

If he likes the Burgundy XXX, propose a Burgundy YYY , with the excuse of trying something different (but without the risk for you to get a full miss).

The second way is to look for a misterious and unknown wine, catching him unprepared on a field that he knows well and making him reevaluate your preparation in this regard: we have a good selection of wines that are perfect for this case, 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 an economic wine “because he doesn’t understand anything”.

If he really is inexperienced, give him a wine that is not too difficult, so that he can get to know this world in an easy and painless way.

But don’t make the mistake of starting from the base, with bland and uninteresting wines, risking to move him even further away from the wine world.

In fact, sometimes those who don’t appreciate wine justify themselves by saying that “they all seem the same“: show him the potential of this universe with a characteristic, interesting wine, but still light and easy. He’ll be grateful for having taught him something new.

#5 – The Package

One of the inevitable obstacles that you have to overcome when you decide to give wine is the packaging: partly because the bottle, with its peculiar shape, doesn’t leave much room for imagination, and partly because according to the wine you choose, the “rules” of the packaging vary.

The two problems and their solutions go hand in hand, and to tackle the topic at best, we need a little analysis: what are you giving?

Special wines

Is this a “special” wine, perhaps of a historic or otherwise valuable vintage? Find a package that reflects it.

Consider for example using a rigid box with an important appearance; do you want to embellish your package with Christmas details? Try a solid color ribbon and a composition of berries and rosemary.

Easy wine

If instead you have opted for a bottle – or package – of simpler and more drinkable wine, you can let yourself go much more: decorate your gift with bows, stickers, ribbons or any accessory of your taste.

At Christmas, all things considered, the package is almost as important as the gift itself.