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A One-Stop Wine Gifting Guide for Beginners
David Regan  |  June 9, 2023

You can pick from different types of gifts for your friends, relatives and colleagues for various occasions. However, gifting wine to people close to you is indeed a nice idea. A bottle of quality red or white wine makes for a gift that exudes warmth, nice vibes and sets the mood for celebration. You have to pick the right wine type for gifting, though.

Tips for picking the right wine as a gift

Initially, you may feel picking the right wine as a gift to be a daunting process. There are so many types of red and white wines. There are many sub-variants as well. We will list some handy tips to ease the process.

  • What not to pick- It is prudent that you do not pick just any random type of wine for gifting. Some wines have a fruity note which may not be liked by everyone as a gift. Fortified wines may not go well with many people, as well. Dessert wines like late harvest have a sweetness and syrupy feel which many people find a turn-off. Try not to buy overly powerful red wine variants as well as excessively rich buttery whites.
  • Think of the recipient’s taste- The person you are buying the wine for has a preference for bereaves, for sure. If you are buying wine for gifting a friend or relative you know very well, your task becomes easy. However, to buy wine as a gift for someone you are not very close with, it is better you stick with popular wine variants.
  • Think of the season and event- Before buying wine as a gift, you have to think of the season and type of event. Some red and white wine types go very well with a wedding but for a friend’s reunion or casual event, you ache to pick other variants.

Suitable wine types for gifting-what we suggest

  • Red wine- While there is no fixed rule for this, experts say men tend to like red wines over other options. So, you can pick a popular red wine type for gifting a male friend on his birthday or any other event. Popular red wines for gifting include Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir.
  • White Wine- You can buy white wine for gifting someone who is planning to celebrate Christmas or other holidays with a lavish meal. White wine is the ideal companion for events where plenty of meat dishes will be served. Typical popular white wine types for gifting include Riesling, Unoaked Chardonnay and Pinot Gris.
  • Sparkling Wine- For fail-safe holiday gifting, you can go for Sparkling wines. It is bought for gifting mostly before New Year ’s Eve. It gels well with most food types owing to a crisp, zesty flavor. Some ideal sparkling wine gifting recommendations are British Columbia, Spanish Cava.

Final words

It is hard to pinpoint the best wine for gifting, as it is. A lot of factors come into the picture such as the preference of recipient, occasion type, the season of the year etc. Your budget is another factor too. If you are still unsure, asking the wine store staff or seller can be prudent. They will be able to guide you in picking a suitable variant for gifting.


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