Credit: Liv Averett / WSJ Wine
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The WSJ Wine Advent Calendar Might Be the Best Gift for Wine Noobs
I’ve been covering advent calendars for all kinds of people recently: spice lords, whiskey lovers, energy drink addicts, and more. Today, I’ve got one more genre to add to the pile: wine. WSJ Wine, an online wine shop that licenses the Wall Street Journal’s name but operates independently of the outlet, was nice enough to send over their cute cottage-shaped advent calendar featuring 24 different varieties. Keep scrolling to find out if this advent calendar is worthy of the oenophile in your life.
WSJ Wine Advent Calendar ($159.99)
Pros: This is the first advent calendar I’ve reviewed that I’ve immediately considered gifting to people in my life. Call me crazy, but I think these alcohol advent calendars might actually be better for novices than diehard fans. A true wine snob might consider this a waste since the purchase price could go towards full bottles of their favorite wine. As a newcomer to wine, this seems like a great way to try a great variety of wines to find out what I like at a reasonable price. (Also, the mini bottles are glass replicas of their full-size bottles—they’re super cute.)
Cons: This wine advent calendar is slightly weighted towards red wines—fitting for the season, but not everyone’s personal taste. My white/sweet wine devotee of a girlfriend was a little disappointed we didn’t get any Riesling or Moscato. And the tasting guide includes very thoughtful pairing recommendations for every single wine, but it doesn’t tell you which wine will be served on which day. I understand the point of an advent calendar is to surprise you, but if you really want to make use of their pairing recommendations you’ll have to delay your enjoyment of the day’s bottle or make last-minute dinner plans.
Credit: Liv Averett / Wall Street Journal Wine
Is the WSJ Wine Advent Calendar worth $159.99?
Oh, absolutely. When you hear “mini bottles,” you may think these are Christmas ornament-sized shooters, but each mini bottle contains 6oz, which is enough for two modest glasses or one generous glass. For comparison, the whiskey advent calendar I reviewed recently comes with 24 50ml bottles and costs $100 more than this one—that’s wine lovers’ privilege.
Spoilers Below!
Here’s Everything in the WSJ Wine Advent Calendar
Here’s the rundown of all 24 wines you’ll find behind the tiny doors of this adorable cardboard house:
Rich Italian Red
Classy White Bordeaux
Juicy Spanish red
Top-Estate Chianti
Bestselling French Chardonnay
Powerful Portuguese Touriga Nacional Blend
Hugely Popular French Cabernet
Refreshing Austrian Grüner Veltliner
Sumptuous Southern French Grenache Blend
Crisp Sicilian Pinot Grigio
Bold Australian Shiraz
Elegant French Sauvignon Blanc
Classic Bordeaux Favorite
Vibrant California Chardonnay
Fresh Red from Puglia
Silky Argentinian Malbec
Stylish Provençal Rosé
Standout Super Tuscan
Lovely Southern French Viognier Blend
Barrel-Aged Spanish Cabernet
Exquisite Italian Chardonnay
Our #1 French Pinot Noir
Hugely Popular Portuguese Red
Gold-Medal Prosecco
Dining and Cooking