This time of year, every website, blog, and publication has a gift list for that special person in your life, or your boss, or your best friend, or your best friend’s dog. Instead of another list of ideas for wine drinkers, we thought we’d go straight to the source and ask what the wine-loving staff at Wine365 are actually asking for this year. If you have a close one in your life who loves wine, pay attention, because these are the items that wine-os are really craving.
And if that wine lover is you, then mark these down and slide your loved ones your wish list with a sweet smile and a glass of wine!
Gifts that the Wine Person in Your Life Will Love
Missi Holle, Wine Educator
It would be a saber, but I was gifted one of those this year for leading a local wine class 😊. The only thing left on my list is: the Durand Corkscrew!
Why: because what is better for older bottles (with delicate corks that often end up INSIDE the bottle) than a gadget that combines a traditional corkscrew worm AND an ah-so? No more problem corks!
Bernie Sun, Luxury Accounts Manager
I’d like the EuroCave Professional 6182 Wine Cellar – it holds 182 bottles, it’s energy efficient, and it’s the most advanced EuroCave series.
This one is considered by many to be the best wine refrigerator on the market. The entire EuroCave 6000 series will delight professionals for their design and performance. This range respects the environment (6000 Series, which is composed of five models, allows you to save up to 55% energy compared to a traditional wine cabinet) and brings together all the developments of EuroCave products recently developed: better insulation, more efficient new glass, shelves designed with brakes, full lighting equipment … The 6000 Series also satisfies all professional needs through a system of options that allows product customization.
Why? You can never have enough proper wine storage. The closet is for clothes, not wine bottles!
Santa: If I can’t get the EuroCave…. Can I have the Red Ferrari? 😊
Brett Wilson, Italian Portfolio Manager
I’d like the Durand Wine Opener. (This has been mentioned twice, so take note! – Ed.) The first restaurant I worked at in New York City, Felidia, required all new sommeliers to only use Ah-so wine openers on the floor for their first two weeks of service to prove that you could effectively open wine with an Ah-so without punching corks into the bottle. As you’d be working with wine that was thousands of dollars a bottle, they needed to guarantee you were fully capable to handle those pieces of history and were proficient in Ah-so use. When we were introduced to a Durand it changed everything. It was both a wine key and an Ah-so in one, and until I recently lost mine, it was a trusty part of my home cellar… aka a cabinet in my one-bedroom apartment.
Why: Old Wine? Weak cork? The Durand has got you covered! It’s the perfect combination of the Ah-so and a classic Wine Key/Waiter’s Corkscrew. It is by far the greatest wine tool for any sommelier or wine collector.
Nick Poletto, Wine Educator
I’m asking for the book Beyond Flavour, by Nick Jackson, MW. Beyond Flavour is a practical guide to blind wine tasting which will help wine lovers increase their knowledge and improve their blind tasting skills. The book offers detailed descriptions of the key attributes of major grape varieties and wine producing regions, and argues that assessing a wine’s structure – acid structure in white wines and tannin structure in red wines – is a more reliable indicator of a wine’s identity than the traditional reliance on flavor. The book includes analysis of wine style by country and region; descriptions of recent vintages for classic European origins; and tips for blind tasting exams. It is an indispensable guide to blind wine tasting for wine students, professionals, and others seriously interested in understanding why wines taste like they do.
In other words, get this to help you on your way to become a master wine taster!
Joe Janish, Editor-in-Chief
Dear Santa, all I want for Christmas is a set of Riedel “O” glasses. Though a purist would insist on glasses with stems, I find the stemless “O” glasses from Riedel more convenient and stress-free than stemware for two main reasons. One, because there’s no stem, there’s no stem that can break. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve accidentally broken the bowl of a wine glass while still holding the stem – almost always when handwashing them. Which leads me to reason #2 – these stemless glasses fit EASILY into the top rack of any dishwasher, unlike stemmed glasses which can be difficult to fit (hence, the need to hand-wash). And while the big reason you want to use a stem is so that your hand does not affect the temperature of the wine, I find that I often need to warm up a white wine that has just been taken out of the refrigerator, and holding a stemless glass in my hands is the easiest way to warm up a wine quickly. Here is a link on Amazon to a nice set of glasses that can be used as “all purpose” for most wines, white or red: https://amzn.to/2K594Ev
Diana Zahuranec, Managing Editor
I would love the VinGardeValise. I’m tired of wrapping my bottles in layers of bubble wrap and sweaters and crossing my fingers that nothing breaks! The VinGardeValise seems fail-proof. It’s a hard-shell suitcase designed to fit up to 12 bottles of wine, though they also make eight- and five-bottle options. Like everyone, I can’t wait to start traveling again, and when that finally happens, nothing is better than a bottle of wine straight from the source (plus, you’re supporting the producers!).
For a smaller gift that’s under $20, I’d be happy with a retractable foil cutter corkscrew. Simple but so effective.
Jennica Ossi, Writer
I would love a Coravin Wine System Model Three Wine Lover Set. Featuring a molded architecture in a neutral colorway and limited accessories, the Model Three is the perfect entry point to Coravin Wine Preservation Systems. This set includes the Model Three Preservation System, Corvin Pure Capsules (Argon gas) and Coravin Aerator for an elevated wine experience delivering equivalent results of decanting for 60-90 minutes, ideal perfect for the aspiring enthusiast.
Why? Unlike other wine preservers, which only delay the oxidation of your wine, the Coravin Wine Preservation System is designed to pour wine without removing the cork, so wine always tastes like it has just been opened—even years later.
Vessie Stoyanova, Food Editor
I want Wine Folly’s Food and Wine Pairing poster. Why? It’s a fun and high quality poster for your kitchen or bar area décor. It’s the perfect reminder to tell you what wine pairs best with which food groups, plus it’s a great cocktail hour conversation piece.
Jack Horn, Copy Editor
A bottle in a stocking, of course. Preferably wrapped in wine- or Christmas-themed wrapping paper, though I won’t be too picky. Although Ports are in-season, I would love a nice Malbec from either Argentina or Chile. A few that come to mind are the Alta Vista 2017 Terroir Selection Malbec, the Bodega Norton 2018 Reserva Malbec, and the Montes 2018 Alpha Malbec. Throw in a few stocking stuffers (personalized bottle-openers and a tumbler or two) and you’ve checked off just about everything on my wish list.
Elizbeth Gillespie, Executive Editor
I want this #WineLife Coloring Book! Wine Life: A Snarky Adult Colouring Book. Wine is supposed to be fun and this book is FUN! Grab a glass of wine and color away or send a few to your friends and have a “virtual wine party” together!
Gabrielle Tapia, Research Strategist and Content Contributor
I would like a decorative wine rack from Anthropologie with leaf trim. I live in a small Manhattan apartment where I desperately seek pretty things that have a function. My wine collection currently lives in the back of my (cellar) closet and deserves a better display…with easier access.
Jillian Lepore, Digital Content Contributor
I would like the KOVOT 9 Piece Wine Bag and Picnic Set. Although I will not be going on any picnics in New York during the winter, this gift will definitely get a lot of use in the spring and summer months. The “KOVOT 9 Piece Wine Bag and Picnic Set” is a practical and fun gift, because who doesn’t love a sunset wine picnic?
