Trying to sort out the perfect gift for someone in your life this holiday season? Explore our guide to putting together a wine gift basket—it’ll be stunning!
The gift-giving season is upon us! Hooray! While some people may find tremendous joy in coming up with the perfect present, others stress about how to show their love in a way other than quality time and words of affirmation. To help you tap into your gift-giving love language, we have a few suggestions, especially when it comes to wine.
Everyone has their interests, and the most important aspect of gift-giving is tapping into those interests. What has the person told you about in the past? When you went to that winery together, what was their go-to glass? Do they love to pair chocolate and wine? Or maybe they prefer some other type of alcohol.
It’s all about interests!
Below, we’ll delve into a guide to putting together a wine gift basket for all of those wine lovers in your life. It’s a great gift for couples, moms, sisters, and friends; whoever has an interest in wine and snacks is sure to love this thoughtful treat. Read on to figure out how to make the perfect present for the season!
Think About Who It’s For
We were just talking about how important it is to think about a person’s individual interests, but there are a few other things you’ll need to think about as well. What’s their favorite color? That’ll help you determine the container and décor. Do they like red or white wines? Do you think they’ll share this gift with their loved ones? Or do you need to pick filler items that will last a while as the recipient makes their way through the basket?
It really doesn’t take long to determine these aspects, but they are imperative to building a successful gift. Don’t discount the power of gifting based on the recipient’s needs and not your own!
Decide on Your Budget
The next step is determining your budget. Is this a one-wine gift, or would you rather provide a variety of wines for your loved one to sample? Depending on those choices, you’ll need to narrow down your budget. Trust us—it’s easy to spend more if you don’t plan ahead!
This will also help you determine which wines you can purchase, how many filler items you can include, and more.
Pick Your Theme and Your Wine
Now for the fun stuff—the wine! There are so many different directions you can go with for the wine in your gift basket. Choose sparkling for a celebratory gift, or maybe try a slew of wine from red to white to rosé. That way, you can’t really go wrong!
Sometimes, the best way to decide on a wine is to pick your theme first. Are you going for decadence? If so, you’ll want to choose some full-bodied reds. Maybe your giftee has a sweet tooth? In that case, you’ll want to choose some dessert wines and other sweet white wines. Once you decide on the theme first, it’ll be much easier to choose wines to match. Below, you’ll find some of our favorite gift basket themes, along with the wines to match—check it out!
Pure Decadence
Think elegance for this box—luxurious chocolates, full-bodied reds, and whatever else oozes decadence for you. Some of our favorites for this themed box include:
- Bourbon Barrel Aged Red Blend Red Wine
- Red Blends with Syrah and Zinfandel
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Super Tuscan
Our Favorite Bottles:
- The Prisoner Napa Valley Red Wine 2018
- Gigondas Cru du Rhône 2015 Domaine du Pradas
- Opera Super Tuscan Toscano Rosso IGT 2016
Look for full-bodied, barrel-aged, and rich flavor profiles for these red wines.
Sweet as Can Be
For the sweet soul in your life, gift a basket that’s full of sweets. This includes candy, soft touches, and most importantly, sweet wine! You can opt for dessert wine if you really want something sugary. Otherwise, various Moscato and fruit-forward whites can do the trick!
- Moscato
- Late-Harvest Riesling
- Ice Wines
- Sauternes
Our Favorite Bottles:
- Château Romer du Hayot 2014 Sauternes
- Gunderloch Red Stone Riesling Rheinhessen Germany 2016
Summer Vibes
If the person you’re gifting isn’t a fan of the winter months, do them a favor and get them a basket that’s catered to summer. Think light wines and plenty of bright colors. This gift is sure to brighten up their season.
- Gewurztraminer
- Lambrusco
- Pinot Grigio
- Sparkling Rosé
Our Favorite Bottles:
- Grand Cru Alsace Gewurztraminer 2011 Gustave Lorentz Altenberg de Bergheim
- LC Villa Pinot Grigio Terre Siciliane IGT 2019
Pretty in Pink
Speaking of Rosé, if the person you’re gifting loves pink wines, consider making them a basket that’s full of pink. Channel a subdued Valentine’s Day—pink candies, rose candles, and plenty of Rosé wine.
- Sauvignon Rosé
- Sparkling Rosé
- Grenache Rosé
- Provence Rosé
Our Favorite Bottles:
- Aimery Sparkling Crémant de Limoux Rosé Brut NV
- Coteaux d’Aix en Provence Rosé 2019 Essenciel de Paradis
Sparkling Celebrations
If you’re trying to get a basket together that’s perfect for New Year’s Eve and other celebrations, you’ll want to lean into sparkling wines. There’s more to the world of sparkling drinks than just Champagne, so get creative! Feel free to add any other thoughtful touches that encourage letting loose and celebrating.
- Blanc de Noirs
- Trentodoc
- Prosecco
- Cava
Our Favorite Bottles:
- Camasella Prosecco Millesimato 2019 Extra Dry
- Ondarre Brut Seleccion Millennium Cava NV
Beginner’s Tasting
Maybe you’re gifting to someone who is new to the wine world. If that’s the case, hand them a basket that includes a spectrum of wines. There are so many varietals out there. Give them something like an easy white, a light-bodied red, a sweet rosé, and an exciting bubbly. Let them taste what the wine world has to offer.
- Pinot Grigio or Riesling
- Pinot Noir
- Provence Rosé
- A sweeter Champagne
These are just a few of the options you can select for your wine gift basket. The options are endless; you could even try a region-specific basket and fill it up with wines and goods from that area. Get creative!
Choose Your Container & Make It Pretty
Now that you’ve gathered everything you need for the inside of the basket, you have to think about what you’ll actually use for the basket. Again, you’ll want to get creative. You could use a picnic basket, a woven basket, or a cute little Christmas box. Head to the store and grab a container that speaks to you (and fits with your theme, of course!).
Then, once you’ve found the piece that works for you, you can think about how to transform it into a piece of art, rather than a smorgasbord of items. Make sure your filler items (candies, snacks, candles, etc.) are placed pleasingly around the wine you’re accentuating. Of course, your receiver will love everything individually, but part of the overall wow factor comes from how you present the gift.
Use quality wrapping, sweet touches of confetti, darling ribbon, and whatever else you need to make it look professionally done!
And that’s it! That’s our guide to putting together a wine gift basket. Remember, this gift is all about understanding the other person’s interest and getting creative. It’s one of the many options on our Holiday Gift Guide!
Remember, when looking for wine, turn to Wines ‘Til Sold Out. With our Holiday Collection, you’re sure to find inspiration. You could even try our wine by mail gifts if that’s more your fancy. With us, your options are limitless!
