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Some considerations when giving wine as a gift

There are lots of occasions where giving wine as a gift seems very appropriate.

There are lots of occasions where giving wine as a gift seems very appropriate.

But rather than being someone who just hands over any old bottle to your host at a dinner party or your friend for a milestone birthday, it is easy to turn a common everyday wine into a really special gift.

One way to make a simple bottle of wine into a really nice gift is to read the back label of the wine. Most wines will give you a nice little description on the back that tell you a little about how the wine tastes and quite often will mention some types of food that would pair well with it. Take one of the meal suggestions from the label and find a lovely recipe to give along with the wine.

You can do lots of neat things to enhance this gift by taking the time to hand write the recipe in a nice card that someone would want to save. If the recipe you choose has an interesting or a specialty ingredient, you can always give this as part of the gift to accompany the wine. Now what you have given isn’t simply a bottle of wine, but potentially a whole evenings’ experience that involves both wine and a great meal.

Another way to enhance a wine gift is to give a bottle of wine but also give some information about the winery or the winemaker who made it. There is an abundance of information available on the internet and most commercial wineries have their own website. When you buy a wine, take a few minutes to go online and print off some reading materials – whether it be a biography of the winemaker or some history about the vineyard itself. You can always put this information into a card, or even a couple of printed pages folded and placed in an envelope along with the wine. Once again, you have ensured that this won’t just be another bottle opened up and guzzled back willy nilly. Anyone would appreciate the extra effort and would take the time to read the material you provided – adding an extra bit of entertainment and education to the drinking of the wine.

Here is a bottle that I highly recommend giving as a gift. Even better, since this wine pairs incredibly well with unique cheeses, you have a great gift addition that is easy to find and add for your next present.

Calona Artist Series Unoaked Chardonnay 2009

A clean nose that has lemon juice and grapefruit peels. Lovely sweet flavours that finish rather dry, hints of sweet lime and some tangy apple notes. Lovely with a wide selection of robust and unique cheeses. 84/100