As a writer who works for a wine importer and moonlights pouring bottles at a natural wine bar in Brooklyn, I’m the first person people ask about wine gifts. I try dozens of wines a week. I know what grapes and producers I like, and I buy bottles for myself with reckless abandon (read: with my tips). While I love when friends bring over a special bottle for us to share around the holidays, I already have plenty to go around—or at least I would, if I could ever find a wine key in my crowded kitchen.
It never occurs to me to buy all the accoutrements that would greatly enhance my wine drinking: My glassware is a chaotic amalgam of shapes and sizes, mostly souvenirs from my favorite wine bars, and given that I don’t have enough room in my fridge to store my bottles, I’m guilty of occasionally cooling down my wine with ice. I last did this while working wine harvest in Alsace, France, and when the winemaker caught me I swore I’d never commit the crime again.
And yet, I still haven’t bought myself a set of wine-chilling wands.
Most wine lovers I know are the same, splurging on bottles instead of proper storage or other practical items. If you love someone who loves wine, know that the best gifts are things they won’t buy for themselves: Top-notch stemware, books that go deep on pioneering producers, and a centerpiece-worthy decanter are great places to start. For those deeply moved by the giving spirit, a subscription to The Vines—a luxury wine club that whisks members away on intimate, far-flung wine adventures for a casual $25,000 initiation fee—would surely be appreciated by your oenophile pals.
A nerdy wine book
Having worked on a few vineyards, I can confidently say that wine tastes better when you know the person who makes it. Longtime Food & Wine editor Ray Isle has spent the past several years doing exactly that. His debut book, The World in a Wineglass, paints intimate portraits of sustainably minded winemakers from around the world, spanning pioneers of natural wine in Austria to longtime family-run vineyards in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. It’s a tome that will introduce you to your new favorite wines, which of course pair beautifully with the book.
The World in a Wineglass: The Insider’s Guide to Artisanal, Sustainable, Extraordinary Wines to Drink Now
A luxe wine key
The wine lover in your life likely already has a corkscrew or two, but as someone who loses one in a tote bag weekly, I can promise you there’s no such thing as having too many wine openers. This wine key—which differs from a bulky, tedious two-armed corkscrew—is compact, elegant, and crafted from durable stainless steel and laminated wood. It’s made by the iconic French brand Château Laguiole and there are plenty of different shades available, all of which come with a chic leather holster for convenient carrying.
Château Laguiole Laguiole Grand Cru Corkscrew
A curated wine bundle
It’s tempting to return to your favorite wines again and again—which is why I always trust the folks at my neighborhood wine shop to recommend something new to me. Parcelle is like having your own wine concierge at your fingertips—each month, they curate three-pack bundles of organic wines, featuring a variety of sparkling, white, orange, rosé, and red wines, as well as a selection of rare bottles. If you’re unsure what bottles to gift a friend, they’ll make sure it’s not just the thought that counts, but the taste too.
A gadget that keeps open wine fresh
If you’re looking to open a bottle of wine but don’t think you’ll finish it, I’d say (a) invite me over or (b) invest in a Coravin. This revolutionary device keeps wines tasting fresh for up to four weeks, meaning you can serve yourself by the glass or even host an at-home tasting with a flight of your favorite wines (again, invite me over!). It’s super straightforward to use: Simply replace the cork or cap with the included Pivot Stopper. When you’re ready to revisit the bottle, insert the Pivot Device, tip the bottle, press the button, and marvel at how good the wine tastes weeks later.
Coravin Pivot Wine Preservation System
A Champagne stopper
While Coravin has a separate system for preserving sparkling wines, those looking for a more affordable alternative will be impressed with the Le Creuset Champagne Stopper. The switch-style valve on this metal stopper effectively seals off your leftover bubbly from oxygen, ensuring it’ll stay fresh and carbonated for days after opening.
Le Creuset Champagne Crown Sealer
A deep-cut wine book
For a coffee table book that they’ll actually flip through, look no further than James Beard Award winner Jon Bonne’s tome on all things French wine. The two-book box set—which boasts a gift-worthy deluxe slipcase—takes readers through every single region of France, introducing them to the soil and history of each place through stories, maps, and photographs. The second book is an epic guide to some 800 producers and their wines, covering everywhere from Burgundy to Bordeaux.
If you’re looking for a stocking stuffer to go along with it, The SWURL Guide to Commonly Used Wine Terms is a fabulously illustrated glossary that covers over 60 essential wine-related definitions.
A customized wine tote
If your friend is always the one lugging wine to the party or park picnic, the least you can do is thank them with a tote that will make their life easier. This monogrammed canvas bag fits up to four bottles and helps to keep them from knocking about thanks to the interior lining. You can personalize the monogram as well as the strap color.
Simply Embroidered Boutique Monogrammed Wine Bottle Tote
A custom wine label
Corny? Yes. Charming? Also yes. A custom wine label is whatever you want it to be: an earnest celebration of an engagement, a cheeky snapshot of your lover, or a silly selfie of you and your BFF after one too many bottles.
The Spirited Label Custom Wine Label
A wine fridge
I may not have an age-worthy collection of Bordeaux wines, but I do have a child-size fridge in my Brooklyn apartment—and playing Tetris with all my groceries and wine bottles was a headache. Springing for a wine cooler has offered me so much space to store my wines, and the split zone makes it easy to set the top and bottom section to different temperatures to suit a variety of wines. Since my kitchen is compact, I use the top of the cooler as extra counter space, decorating it with potted plants and books. Plus, if I ever get desperate or run out of wine (one in the same, I suppose), I could always use it for shoe storage, à la Carrie Bradshaw.
Wine Enthusiast 32-Bottle Dual Zone MAX Compressor Wine Cooler
Some nice wine glasses
When it comes to gifting glassware, there are two options: a branded glass from your friend’s favorite wine bar or this set of elegant tulip glasses from Riedel. Forgo bulbous or ultra-delicate stemware, which takes up too much space and often feels too precious to use. Instead, go for a pretty and practical option that can be used for both red and white wines. I like these because they’re dishwasher-safe and feel sturdy enough to use with frequency. They’re sleek but not pretentious.
Riedel Vinum Glasses, Set of 2
An artsy decanter
Decanters do a great job of separating out sediment from wines while also looking sexy on a dining room table. I like the coiled design of this borosilicate glass one from Wine Enthusiast, which looks like a middle school science experiment gone right. Even friends who don’t enjoy wine will get a kick out of watching grape juice twirl through the double spirals, which serve to decant the wine while oxygenating it, resulting in fuller flavors and aromas.
Wine Enthusiast Art Series Spiral Decanter and Aerator Set
Wine wands
Look, I’m not going to judge you if you put ice in your wine—but inevitably, someone else will. To give your glass that freshly chilled feeling without risking the side-eye from a French winemaker, opt for stainless-steel wands like these, which quickly cool the wine without diluting it or imparting any flavors. I prefer wands to wine stones, as the stem is designed to hang over your glass for easier removal once your wine has chilled down.
Final Touch Beverage Chilling Wands for Wine and Drinks
A showstopping Champagne saber
For a flawless two-part gift, bring a bottle of Champagne and this sleek saber to your wine friend with a flair for dramatics. Designed in Thiers, France—known to blade aficionados as the knife capital of the world—the saber features an ebony wood handle and can be engraved with a custom name or date.
A vintage wine cooler
A friend gifted me this insulated wine chiller a few years ago, and it’s one of the most thoughtful and unique wine gifts I’ve ever received. The retro lunchbox-like design dates back to the 1980s, designed by Richard Carlson as a way to keep your wine cool at BYO restaurants. There’s a hollow separator in the center, which can be filled with water and frozen in order to keep two bottles cold on the go. It’s perfect for picnics and parties, and is even part of the Permanent Collection of MOMA.