We’ve all been there before – you decide to gift someone wine – it’s easy, everyone likes it and you can never have too much of it during the holiday season….should be simple enough, right? WRONG. Choosing a bottle of wine can be a paralyzing task and this is why I have a bottle for every person you may have on the guest list:
Someone you are trying to impress: Flowers Pinot, $55
So you’re getting a little flirty in the DMs with someone this holiday season and want to impress them? Flowers Pinot is never a bad option. Silky, velvety, fruit forward – this is light enough to impress white wine drinkers and complex enough to impress heavy red wine drinkers. Only problem with this one is not keeping it for yourself 😉
A potential client: Chimney Rock C7 Cabernet, $110
We’re going classic Napa Valley floor, Stag’s Leap AVA single vineyard cabernet that basically anyone would view as a showstopper. This cab has the powerful, masculine tannins you’re looking for to really seal the deal with a potential client, with elegance pumped in interchangeably with the deep plum notes. Pair with a steak power lunch.
Your In-Laws: Rombauer Cabernet, $68
This is a bit of a Goldilocks situation. Spend too little – you look cheap. Spend too much – they’ll suddenly be worried you have spending problems. This Rombauer Cab has what you love out of a quality Napa Cabernet – dark fruit, hint of spice, but won’t break the bank. Like this cabernet, impressing your in-laws will never go out of style.
Your friend who only drinks white claw: Reeve Wines Remy Saves the Sea Rosé, $32
Inspired by a true story and a friend who swears by hard seltzer for its easy drinking ability. If we’re going for something that goes down easy and is chuggable when it needs to be, we’re going with rosé. This rose of pinot noir from Reeve is bright, crisp and has great acid, making it not only great with food, but great for day drinking on its own as well. $5 from every bottle also goes towards ocean conservation, so you can feel good about taking this bottle down.
Your aunt who swears by buttery chardonnay: AXR Ritchie Chardonnay, $90
“LAY OFF THE COUGAR JUICE” – you to your aunt, probably. Listen, there is nothing wrong with an oak profile on your chardonnay – Vivek swears by the round finish it gives a wine. However, there can be too much of a good thing. That is 1000% not the case with this one. A touch of vanilla on the nose and a bit of roundness that balances out the crisp acidity…one of the single best expressions of California chardonnay I had all year Imma let you upgrade her.
Your cousin who thinks wine is too bitter: Belden Barns Late Harvest Viognier, $34
Everyone I know who doesn’t like the taste of wine loves this one because it’s kind of like drinking a thin syrup – sticky sweet, but super balanced with truly a nose that rivals some designer perfumes. Lower in alcohol than most dry wines, this is more palatable for non-wine drinkers (seriously, Vivek’s mom doesn’t drink wine, but has no problem having a full glass of this one.)
Your friend’s wife who drank kombucha once and now thinks she’s hipster: Raft Sangiovese, $23
So you’ve got a self-proclaimed trendy kid on your hands that tells you they love natty wine because it “doesn’t give them sulfite headaches.” Well, rather than get into a long and draining debate about what natural wine even is and how not all natural wines are made equal, we’re just going to be the bigger person, bounce ahead and a share a juicy, minimal intervention wine with bright cherry notes that will knock everyone’s socks off – whether they open it at pizza night or simply on the couch with an episode of the Bachelorette that they claim they watch ironically. This wine and that show have a fandom for a reason.
Your neighbor who already has a huge wine collection: Lang and Reed “Two Fourteen” Cabernet Franc, $85
What do you get a girl or guy who, like Ariel in the Little Mermaid, has everything? You add something new to their collection and find them a new favorite winery in the process. Lang & Reed is the winery any cab franc lover needs to know about – they only produce this and chenin blanc inspired by the Loire Valley. The “Two Fourteen” is their more special vintage and clone specific bottling from Napa Valley that is enjoyable now, but will be even more enjoyable as it ages and the medium bodied wine softens.
I can’t wait to see what you choose to gift everyone in your life this year. Any of these stand out to you? Any folks I missed on your list? Let me know and happy shopping!
