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10 amazing gifts for the wine enthusiast in your life

What do you get someone who loves wine? (Besides wine, of course)

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Wine bottle with bow tie
smilingpixell/Pixabay

Most of us have a wine lover on our Christmas list this year. And if not, maybe that person is you, in which case welcome to the club. Enjoy it, and read on for some fabulous ways to treat yourself this season. Either way, finding the best gifts for wine lovers that don’t include tacky “it’s wine o’clock” wall art or tired wine gift baskets can be a daunting task. That’s why we’ve decided to save you the headache and compile a list of our very favorite wine gifts for your very favorite wine enthusiast.

Hoopes Vineyard gift bundle
Hoopes Vineyard

Hoopes Vineyard bundle

Hoopes Vineyard is a Napa Valley treasure that just gets everything right. Their exquisite wine is only matched by the beauty of their gorgeous vineyard and the loving passion that is so obviously poured into their winemaking process. This bundle is for every wine-lover on your list and includes a bottle of 2018 Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon, a bottle of Oasis Shrubs (flavored apple cider vinegar for drinking or cooking), a Hoopes embroidered apron, a jar of Hoopes Vineyard tomato sauce, and a candle made from recycled wine bottles.

Fly with Wine carriers
Fly With Wine/Facebook

Fly with Wine Vin2Go case

This is the ultimate gift for every wine-loving traveler on this year’s list. With the Fly with Wine Vin2Go case, your loved one will be able to travel without worry, toting their new favorite wine bottles. With a light, durable, and shockproof semi-hard shell case, these bags are made to protect your wine bottles and glasses from drops and bumps while inner cushions secure the wines inside the case. They are also water-resistant and extremely easy to clean, making this the perfect gift for any wine aficionado on your list.

Uncommon Goods wine candles
Uncommon Goods

Uncorked wine candles

These incredible candles are lovingly crafted in Truckee, California, and poured into recycled wine bottles, each scent a representation of a classic wine varietal. Cabernet is dark and sweet, like cherries and chocolate, with an herbal finish; Champagne has a fresh, crisp aroma with hints of cotton blossom; and Chardonnay has aromas of apple, almonds, and cinnamon on top, with buttery richness underneath. Rosé has fresh fruit and sweet almond notes. Pino Grigio is airy with a hint of citrus and sassafras wood. Buy one of each for all of the wine lovers on your list who love to create a romantic ambiance.

The Oxford Companion to Wine
Amazon

The Oxford Companion to Wine

This beautiful book contains everything one could possibly want to know about wine in one single volume. This gorgeously comprehensive book contains more than 4,000 entries covering topics from history through geography, geology, soil science, viticulture, winemaking, packaging, academia, technology, and regulations to people and places, tasting, writing, and the language of wine. Give your wine-loving loved one the gift of knowledge with this incredible book that connects the fascinating story of wine in its most traditional and modern forms.

Estelle champagne coups
Estelle Colored Glass/Facebook

Estelle colored Champagne coup stemware

These gorgeous Champagne coups combine colorful modern flair with a touch of traditional elegance. This absolutely gorgeous iridescent collection is a nod to the founder’s grandmother, Estelle, who she describes as “A jewel of a person that instilled in me an appreciation of the pastime of treasure hunting for beautiful finds — especially for the kitchen which was the heart of her home.” These beautiful glasses will add a whimsical and dreamy touch to any wine lover’s soiree.

Ivation wine refrigerator
Amazon

Ivation 12-bottle wine refrigerator

This compact little wine fridge is the perfect size for just about any space; no need for a full kitchen renovation. This 12-bottle wine refrigerator is the perfect solution to not having room for a wine cellar. It protects and preserves the flavor and aroma of your wine collection by keeping harmful UV rays out and maintaining an optimal environment for the wines to age gracefully. This small but mighty wine fridge is the perfect solution for any wine lover with limited space.

Legacy corkscrew
Wine Enthusiast/Facebook

Wine Enthusiast legacy corkscrew with marble stand

This absolutely gorgeous corkscrew and stand is a true statement piece, ready to impress with its black marble stand and completely customizable personal logo. The smooth-gliding non-stick worm easily removes natural and synthetic corks and will be the perfect showstopper at any dinner party.

Williams Sonoma Heritage Wine Decanter and Aerator Set, Antique Brass
Williams Sonoma/Facebook

Williams Sonoma Heritage wine decanter and aerator set

Decanting and aerating are crucial elements to enjoying a beautiful bottle of wine to the fullest. This gorgeous decanter and aerator set from Williams Sonoma is the only wine decanter your wine-loving loved one will ever need. Between the classic glass design and antique-inspired etching of the decanter to the brass-plated stainless steel of the aerator and stand, this timeless piece deserves a place of honor in any dining room.

Simon Pearce wine chiller
Simon Pearce/Facebook

Simon Pearce marble wine chiller

Buckets full of ice can be horribly messy with their drips, spills, and pooling water collecting at the base. This gorgeously sleek marble wine chiller from Simon Pearce completely eliminates that problem with its modern and simple yet classic design. This marble wine chiller is made from 100% natural marble from India’s Stonemen and is handcrafted to feature uniquely textural variation in each design. The insulation properties of the marble will protect your wood surfaces and keep wine perfectly chilled for hours.

Anna New York wine gems
Anna New York/Facebook

Anna New York fluorite wine gems

These beautiful and flirty little wine gems are the perfect gift for the wine lover who already has everything. Handcrafted from Rose Quartz gemstone and said to restore harmony, these gems keep your wine cool without watering it down with ice cubes. Place them in the freezer for four hours, drop them into your drink, and enjoy! Not only do they keep your wine at the perfect drinking temperature, but they add a beautiful sparkle to just about any beverage.

Editors’ Recommendations

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Lindsay Parrill
Lindsay Parrill
Contributor
Lindsay is a graduate of California Culinary Academy, Le Cordon Bleu, San Francisco, from where she holds a degree in…
A quick guide to French wine crus
We'll help you understand French wine labels
Person grabbing a wine bottle

A French wine label can seem, well, foreign. As a whole, they tend to be peppered with traits and terminology that are not immediately familiar, sometimes cloaking the contents of the bottle to those who don’t speak the language or understand the hierarchies.
One word you’re likely to encounter a lot — whether you’re hunting for a fine Burgundy, a good sauternes, or a celebratory Champagne — is "cru." Meaning "growth," the word is a viticultural one, pointing to the vineyard where the fruit is grown. Over the years in France, vineyards have been rated based on their ability to create wine. It’s subjective and, like a lot of things in wine, probably due for some reform, but it’s worth understanding if you’re looking to better know what you’re drinking.
Like water rights or celebrity, the cru system is certainly antiquated, based largely on family names and maps or lists drawn up a long time ago. To France’s credit, growers are finally waking up to the many moving parts at play, adjusting dusty old blending rules and considering different cru designations based on an abruptly changing climate. But there’s far more work to do here. With the imbibing masses increasingly focused on transparency over critical acclaim and prestige, it’ll be interesting to see what comes of it.
In the meantime, here are some basics to get you in and out of the bottle shop a little more confidently, whether it’s an online find or a brick-and-mortar pickup. In addition to being something of a rating hierarchy, the cru system stresses terroir. Bottles designated a certain way should, in theory, demonstrate some type of typicity associated with a specific place. Again, it’s often more subjective than scientific, but there are certainly styles and flavors attached to certain French vineyards (and beyond).
Generally, if you see cru on the label, it’s pretty good stuff. The two most esteemed wine crus are Premiere and Grand. How the two terms are used is a little confusing. In Bordeaux, Premier (or premier grand cru classé) is the best of the best, the topmost of five formal designations (refresh your French vocabulary by looking up how to count from one to five). Unlike Burgundy, where the focus is on the site, the cru designation here is more focused on the production facility itself, or the chateau. 
Elsewhere, as in Sauternes or Burgundy, Grand wears the gold medal while Premiere refers to the silver medal bearer. Burgundy classifies all of its vineyards this way, with lesser-revered sites and labels sporting the “Villages” (bronze medal) and “Bourgogne” markers (honorary mention). Many other regions in France and beyond work under very similar labeling guidelines. Famous spots like Alsace and Champagne place their work on similar podiums.

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