Nothing says wine night like treating yourself to a fancy, expensive bottle or buying a bunch of charcuterie items to pair with your wine. But, when it comes to buying wine-related gifts for friends, it can be hard to know what to choose.
This is especially difficult if you know all the best Cab’s but your best friend prefers a good Chardonnay or Rose. That’s totally not in your territory! Still, there are a few wine accessories every wine-lover will adore, regardless of what their drink of choice or favorite snack to have with wine is.
Here are the ultimate wine-related items to keep an eye out for the next time you go gift shopping.
1. A Fancy Wine Opener
If you’ve ever broken a cork when trying to open a bottle of wine, you know how important it is to have a good wine opener. Upgrade your friend’s traditional opener to something much easier and more effective to use.
This will transform the way they drink wine. Plus, it comes in handy when you’ve already had a bottle or two!
2. A Decanter
While it’s nice to have a trustworthy, simple wine opener, a decanter is what really takes wine to the next level. There are many kinds of decanters and each is meant for a specific purpose.
The basic effect, though, is giving the wine a chance to breathe. Some wines really can do a 180 in terms of taste and body after sitting in a decanter for a little while. Others will taste as expected, but with a noticeably cleaner and smoother finish.
3. Cute Coasters
The downside to buying someone a decanter is that it’s a bit of a sophisticated gift. Your friend may not know exactly how to use their decanter or when it’s appropriate to let their wine sit.
Something everyone easily understands the concept of, though, is a coaster! Cute coasters come in all shapes and sizes. Some will be made of recycled cork, others will be glass or marble, and then there are ones that have a bit of a vintage feel to them.
This gives you plenty of room to be creative with your gift-giving. Coasters are a great go-to for different occasions or for giving many people a gift at once. Use them to ask your girl gang to be your bridesmaids or to celebrate the strong women you’ve grown up looking up to.
4. Glass Identifiers
Glass identifiers are also must-have wine items. How else are you supposed to tell which glass belongs to you when your friends get together for wine night?
They make a great last-minute addition to any set of wine gadgets and wine bottle accessories. You can buy identifiers that hook around the stem of a glass or sit on the edge of the glass’s rim. Some will be chic and simple while others come in fun, playful designs.
5. Custom Wine Glasses
Another fun thing to do is to order custom wine glasses! Such a gift is perfect for the newlyweds in your life or the recent graduate. You can write something that is suited for the occasion or more geared towards the person’s character.
Either way, they are sure to appreciate the gesture. Custom wine glasses are more than wine accessories; they’re gifts that show you’ve put a genuine amount of thought and effort into a person’s present.
6. Glasses with Fun Sayings
If you don’t know where to order custom wine glasses (or you’re buying a last-minute gift), find ones that already have fun sayings on them. These will be things like “cheers” or “salud” or something like “wine is my Friday coffee.”
They’re silly, sassy quotes that can get a laugh out of anyone, and many people actually relate to! Other sayings might be based on certain occasions like being a bride, a maid of honor, or a newcomer to the 21-and-fun club.
Don’t give up if you’re having trouble finding the perfect saying for the occasion. An oversized wine glass or a wine bottle holder will do, too.
7. A Special Wine Rack
Speaking of a wine bottle holder, what about buying a wine rack? Remember, wine stuff doesn’t necessarily have to be about drinking and enjoying wine. True wine lovers always have a few bottles ready to go, and a wine rack gives them somewhere nice to display each one!
This doesn’t have to be super pricey, either. You can usually find a decent-size wine rack at most department stores or home decorating stores. They come in wood, metal, wire, or some sort of mixture of materials. Many will need to be hung, but there are also countertop wine holders out there.
8. A Wine Cooler
As cute as a wine rack is, some people argue the best place to store wine is in a cooler. This is a much fancier gift than a decanter or a few wine glasses, but, it’s worth the splurge for a big occasion or a particularly close person in your life.
Wine coolers can be as little as a microwave or a mini-fridge or as big as a full-size fridge! These have the ability to hold 6-10 bottles or a few cases once you get up into the big leagues. Unless you’re buying a wine cooler for your parents or something, a small and mid-size one will do the trick.
9. Fun Furniture for Wining and Dining
Last but not least, consider getting wine-inspired furniture. Think about it: did your friend just move into their new apartment? Have mom and dad finally built the deck they’ve always wanted?
There’s gotta be a bar somewhere! A simple bartop table with a few chairs may be just the thing the wine-lover in your life needs. This is especially true if they love to entertain house guests.
You can even buy things like wine barrel furniture sets to go all-out. Click to read more about such a decor style and where you can find these kinds of pieces.
Wine Accessories, the Different Kinds of Wine, and Wine Tasting
Once you develop a taste for wine, a whole new world opens. Forget about box wine and cheap bottles you find in the grocery store. As you start to develop your palette, you’ll learn the difference between various berries and growing regions, which have distinct flavor profiles.
This turns into an appreciation for high-end wine accessories and maybe even a little splurge on yourself when you go shopping for someone else’s gift. Who knows, you could end up taking a trip to Napa one year for a wine tasting!
Whether you’re tasting fine blends in the heart of a vineyard or going to a wine tasting at a local establishment, you need to know the proper etiquette. Click here for a few do’s and don’ts.
