The following are some of the wine-related gifts I’d love to receive this year, but this list isn’t going to do me much good. My wife is done with her shopping. She has been for weeks, maybe months. She’s done buying for my family, her family, our kids and me. I, on the other hand, have barely started shopping for her, but that’s not relevant for a wine column. Besides, that’s what Amazon Prime is for.
Wine. Every year I’m surprised at just how few people buy me wine. I’m a wine lover! Wine lovers, by definition, love wine. And you don’t need to spend a lot of money on a bottle to get something good. Find a great wine shop or local winery (or even a good one) and talk to the people there. Tell them what you’d like to spend and share any information you about what your recipient likes to drink. Don’t be afraid. Just don’t buy me any oaked chardonnay, thanks.
Decanter. The number of PR pitches I get for wine gadgets seems to grow every year. Most of them are interesting and I’ve even purchased some over the years. Many are shortcut ways to aerate wines as you pour them. I never use them anymore. I’m not even sure where they are, honestly. I just use one of my decanters instead. They are beautiful on the table, you can pour right out of them and they are just classic. I don’t get caught up in the romanticism of wine as much as some, but give me a decanter over a Vinturi or other gadget any day. You can spend as little or as much as you’d like — and I don’t think any wine lover can ever have enough.