We wanted to publish our monthly wine-reads list early this month to share all the fun holiday-themed articles we found, including the great gift guides, before the holidays pass us by. Grab your mulled wine with Port, your pen and your gift list, and settle in.
If you’re out of imaginative gifts for the people on your list, remember that a bottle of wine can never go wrong (and check out the first link below for tips on how to choose). And don’t forget to check out our Wine Lover’s Holiday Gift Guide to see what the staff at Wine365 is asking for this year.
How to Gift Wine without Looking Like Uncultured Swine: Sam Blum lists practical advice on gifting wine that is tailored to wine drinkers’ tastes. You’ll know they actually love the oaky Chardonnay you buy them and aren’t just going to pour it in their next risotto recipe.
Why Wine in Half Bottles Is Big This Holiday Season (paywall): In Wall Street Journal, Lettie Teague makes the case for half bottles of Champagne, Port, and other wines that you would love to open but hesitate finishing in one night (we know, we know, finishing all the Champagne is not that hard, but one bottle per person isn’t always the way Tuesday nights should go).
Italy Horizontal Tasting. Tasting great Italian reds? Sign us up! John Fodera is the official Tuscan Wine Guy, and he’s just as well-versed in the other great Italian wine regions. The wines he drinks and recommends are always going to be excellent.
Louis Jadot on Both Sides of the Pond #Winophiles: Jeff Burrows takes a virtual trip from Bourgogne to Oregon in search of French influence in the Willamette Valley. Don’t miss the delish recipe at the end!
Gift An Infatuation Wine Pack For The Holidays. Hillary Reinsberg has a fun idea for supporting a local wine shop. The NYC wine shop Parcelle delivers locally and ships nationally, and has put together sommelier-selected six-packs of wine. If you’re feeling confident, take the idea to your own town and make up a themed wine pack (Holiday Reds! Southern Hemisphere! All that Sparkles!).
The 18 Best Wines and Bubbly to Gift This Holiday: Lauren Watzich has 18 high-end choices that the most seasoned wine lover on your list is going to appreciate.
The Best Wines To Gift This Holiday Season. More great wine recommendations from Sheri de Borchgrave, mostly under $100 but still highly selective choices.
Holiday Wine Shopping: How to Win the ‘Costco Treasure Hunt’ (paywall): Another great article from Lettie Teague to help you navigate the wine section of the store you’re definitely going to be shopping in these next few weeks.
New Jersey: A Remarkable History: Americans love to focus on the West Coast as the U.S. winemaking capital, but it originated on the East Coast more than 300 years ago. If you’re a New Jersey Native or just interested in non-technical books about wine and history, this is a good one.
Cook the Perfect Prime Porterhouse Steak in Less Than 15 Minutes: Sometimes the best way to stave off the winter chill is with a juicy steak. Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen teach us how to cook it to perfection in less time than it takes to savor your first glass of wine.
15 of the Best Champagnes Under $100: Cheers to leaving 2020 behind us and to toasting it in style! Tim McKirdy recommends the best Champagnes that will make you feel like you’re treating yourself, as we all deserve after this year, without breaking the bank.
