Our Handy Holiday Wine Gift Guide Has You Covered
'Tis the season! The season, that is, for buying stuff for other people— many of whom you might not talk to more than once a year, or even like. Uncertain what to give Uncle Herb, or your second cousin who still calls you by that annoying childhood nickname? Feeling conflicted about what to get your boss? Your dentist? The guy who walks your dog? Fortunately, wine will do the trick in most gift-giving situations. The only effort involves choosing the right bottle for the right person. To that end, you’re welcome: this handy holiday wine-giving guide has you covered with a personalized pick for any scenario. Tacky wrapping paper not included.
Zachary Sussman is a New York-based wine writer. While not sipping or typing, he manages the Creative Writing Program at New York University. His website can be found at zacharysussmanwine.com.
1/10Your Significant Other’s Parents
For the first time ever, you’re celebrating with your new girlfriend or boyfriend’s family. The pressure is on, so you’ll naturally want to show your good breeding. Few wines are more pedigreed than the bracing, mineral-dense whites of Chablis— particularly those from the area’s top-ranked “Grand Cru” vineyards, such as the 2011 Christian Moreau Chablis “Les Clos.” Any parent would surely approve.
2/10The Dinner Party Hosts
Let’s face it: Once your bottle gets divvied up between guests, there’s no telling how much will end up in your glass. Still, nobody wants to be the cheapskate who arrives with a bottle of Yellow Tail. The solution? Find a label that appears far fancier than what it contains. Despite being one of the luxury region’s most basic wines, a decent Bordeaux Supérieur capitalizes on name recognition while costing relatively little. Opt for the 2011 Chateau Fantin Bordeaux Supérieur, which has the added benefit of featuring a fancy Old World font and vintage engraving of a Chateau.
3/10Your Boss
Your boss may have expensive taste, but you don’t need to drain your entire holiday bonus on that cult bottle of Barolo or a Napa Cab. Instead, find something just as deeply structured that doesn’t require access to an expense account. Once known exclusively for Port wine, Portugal’s Douro Valley now churns out exquisite regional blends— such as the 2009 Ramos Pinto Douro Duas Quintas Reserva— which share many traits with the world’s most “serious” reds: power, elegance, and the ability to age.
4/10Your Underling
He’s spent all year taking orders from you; now’s the time to order something delicious in return. In addition to the top “flagship” wine, most wineries produce a more basic effort sourced from their younger, less experienced vines. The 2010 Chateau Musar “Jeune”— the celebrated Bekaa Valley estate’s “entry level” bottling— will inspire your intern or assistant with a helpful dose of aspiration for the New Year.
5/10Your “Frenemy”
For that overly competitive friend who often feels more like a nemesis, sending the right signal is key. In the spirit of reconciliation, try a bottle of the 2012 Clean Slate Riesling. A reference to the blue slate stones that line the Mosel River valley, this slightly sweet German Riesling represents the ideal diplomatic gesture. On the other hand, if you find yourself in less charitable spirits, a bottle of 2010 Bitch Grenache would send a clear message as well.
6/10Your Dog Walker
After shepherding around a disobedient horde of canines, the dog walker in your life will appreciate a wine that’s lush, floral, and highly aromatic—a Glade Plug-in for the palate, if you will. Few grapes boast the immediate olfactory allure of Alsatian Gewürtztraminer. The exotically perfumed 2011 Albert Boxler Gewürtztraminer, for example, erupts from the glass with a riot of lychee, cardamom, and rose petals strong enough to erase the memory of whatever Fido may have left in the grass.
7/10Your Yoga Instructor
For the one responsible for balancing your chakras and recalibrating your chi, only a “natural” wine will do—preferably one with a bit of sunshiny California spirit to boot. From the radically “low-fi,”minimal-interventionist, Berkeley-based Donkey and Goat winery, the 2011 Donkey and Goat Grenache Blanc fits the bill. Handcrafted, sustainably grown, and naturally fermented, it’s guaranteed to bring good karma to anyone who drinks it.
8/10Your Kid's Second-Grade Teacher
Forget the usual slew of mugs, paperweights, and gourmet fruit baskets. You know what “teach” really needs: a liquid antidote to the sound of children screaming all day. Based in the historic Frenchtown School just west of Walla Walla, the L’Ecole N° 41 winery provides a textbook lesson in Washingtong State terroir. Its luscious, apricot-infused 2012 ColumbiaValley Semillon, for instance, ____ constitutes the kind of homework no one minds grading.
9/10Your Recently Divorced Friend
There are boisterous bottles to be cracked in the company of others, and there are meditative ones to be savored in solitude. After such a rough year, your pal might need some time to get back on his feet. The most fitting accompaniment to those bittersweet memories is a bottle of Carpano Antica Formula, a delicious vermouth that expertly combines the bitter and the sweet. With flavors of herbs, toffee, and licorice, it lasts a few weeks open in the fridge, enough time for him to bounce back to a state of well-being.
10/10The Family Wine Snob
Alas. No matter what you pick, it won’t be the exact thing she had in mind. The vintage might be wrong, or the producer second-rate. Maybe she finds the style too oaky. Or not oaky enough. Why bother choosing for her, when you can let her choose for herself? A gift certificate to a top local wine shop delivers the grownup equivalent of that “kid in candy store” experience. If you insist on giving a physical gift, however, consider a pair of these super cool shades, recycled from old Robert Mondavi Private Selection wine barrels. At least she’ll be snobby in style.
