Every holiday season my number one googled phrase is “Gifts for ___ [insert ‘Dad’, ‘Husband’, ‘Mom’, ‘Dog’, ‘Kid Who Has Everything’, you get the idea].” As a mom, I occasionally find a few minutes here or there to get on Amazon and order a few gifts, but to have inspiration is a huge time saver!
So, I am here for you this holiday season if you have wine lovers on your gift list! This year I am proactive because I want you to get the best deals on Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, or whenever they present themselves. I can personally attest to the quality of every item I have listed below because I own every one of the products and have used them extensively. If you have any questions about the products, feel free to e-mail or direct message me for more information!
1. The Adventurist Wine-O
I have listed the BruMate Winesulator + 2 Uncork’d XL Wine Glasses/Lids as the number one item on the list for a reason: this thing is amazing and everyone wants one. I have given multiple as gifts and the recipients rave about it! I gave one away for the best wine at a recent wine tasting event in my home and I thought there was going to be a cat fight over it. I’m telling you, it’s that awesome. My only warning is: they are already selling out on a lot of colors and are back-ordered on some of the highest demand styles. So, order now! If you’re not picky about colors, hold out until Black Friday because they have historically had phenomenal deals! If you sign-up for my newsletter on the Holiday Wine Deals Page, I will immediately send you a discount code that gets you a 15% off coupon at brumate.com!
The way this works is that you pour a bottle of wine in the Winesulator and it keeps it at temperature for up to 24 hours. So, if you’re going on a hike, boat ride, to the beach, to the pool, or anywhere that bringing glass is not desirable, your wine is there at the perfect temperature! The glasses also keep contents at temperature. I will definitely be buying several of these sets for gifts this year!
2. The 52 Weeks of Wine Enthusiast
There are some wines that just need to be decanted. When a wine is decanted, it’s the same concept of allowing the wine to “breathe” but somewhat of a faster process. The wine is exposed to air as it is poured and swirled in the decanter, opening up the aromas and flavors. Usually, wines with higher tannins benefit most from decanting. Another reason for decanting is to separate the sediment from the wine. In my opinion, this is more of an aesthetic purpose and rarely why I use a decanter.
Well, if you’ve ever looked at decanters, there is a very large selection and most reside at high price points (in excess of $200 unless you want a very plain and ugly decanter). However, when I created my wedding registry, I found a wonderful Riedel decanter that has elegant lines and is affordable in price.
This Riedel Magnum Cabernet Decanter is currently $57 on Amazon. (*) I have had mine for six years and it makes the world of a difference on some of those young, high tannin wines!
3. The “To Me, From Me” Gift
If you’ve been looking to upgrade your wine glasses, you must read what I am about to tell you. My husband and I have always enjoyed having elegant, beautiful wine glasses. We had Riedels, we had Scott Zwiesel’s, and don’t get me wrong – those are gorgeous! – but we break so many glasses. It’s so depressing when you invest in one of those amazing glasses and you break it! So we received our Wine Enthusiast catalog and noticed a special on these so-called “break-resistant” wine glasses that were beautiful, elegant, and also came with a 10 year limited warranty. I know when I hear about a “limited warranty”, I’m a little cautious. Well, I have tested this warranty for you and I can attest, that it is “no questions asked.” Here’s my disclaimer: these glasses might be “break resistant” but they break, maybe not as easily as others, but they still break. So, if you’re going to buy some nice, quality wine glasses, why not get a 10 year warranty with them!? We have personally cashed in on this warranty about four times now. I have gotten to the point where I just wait for 4 or 6 to break before we call on the warranty!
So, if you’re intrigued and you’re interested in buying these glasses, you have two options: Wine Enthusiast or Amazon (I can attest that Wine Enthusiast honors the warranty even if they are purchased through Amazon).
- Amazon: The links are below. Pro’s: free shipping no matter what size purchase, free returns, you know – all the perks of Amazon. Con: they are currently about $5 more per set of 4 glasses (various prices per product, as seen below).
Wine Enthusiast Fusion Infinity Champagne Flutes, Set of 4 ($46.78) (*)
Wine Enthusiast Fusion Classic Chardonnay Wine Glasses, Set of 4 ($37.32) (*)
Wine Enthusiast Fusion Infinity Cabernet/Merlot Wine Glasses, Set of 4 ($44.93) (*)
Wine Enthusiast Fusion Infinity Pinot Noir Wine Glasses, Set of 4 ($43.34) (*)
- Wine Enthusiast: The link below is to the entire Wine Enthusiast Fusion Selection. Pro’s: purchases in the next week (by November 20th, 2018) of $99 or more receive a $50 merchandise credit to Wine Enthusiast and free shipping. The price for 4 glasses is $5 less than Amazon ($39.95). Con: You have to order $99 worth of merchandise to qualify. Also keep in mind, Wine Enthusiast is likely to offer some Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals on these items, which I will keep you up-to-date on if you subscribe to my newsletter on the Holiday Wine Deals Page.
The Wine Enthusiast Fusion Wine Glass Collection
4. The Rebellious Wine Drinker
For my birthday this year, my mom bought me a wine purse. She know’s me too well. You may have seen some tacky wine purses out there, but this one is different. The purse is beautiful, classy, and the spout for pouring wine is quite subtle. Let’s just say, it may have gone unnoticed at college sporting events and Oktoberfests. I am going to first cover myself with a disclaimer: it is your own liability if you choose to have an open container of alcohol in public and owning this purse does not authorize you to break any open container laws. Okay, now that that’s out of the way, I’ll tell you more about this purse.
I would carry the purse alone, even without the convenient and easy-access wine pour spout – and I have high standards with purses! The compartment that holds the wine bladder is well-concealed within the purse and the purse itself has convenient pockets for any of your typical organizational needs. The bladders are easily cleaned but affordable enough to make disposable. My mom also bought me the flexible cups and an ice pack designed to fit in the wine compartment. This has really been a fun item to own, especially when you just know you might need some wine wherever you are going!
PortoVino Spout/Party-Pouch (3 Units) ($17.99) (*)
PortoVino Silicone Cups ($9.99) (*)
PortoVino Ice Pack ($9.99) (*)
5. The Corky Consumer
You may be the “Corky Consumer” or know someone who keeps the cork from every bottle they ever drink (like me), but this cork board kit is pretty fun! You could either buy this kit for someone, or buy the kit, customize it, and give the completed board as a gift. My mom made the board for me and customized it with an “M” using champagne corks, for our last name. She also went a little above and beyond and made champagne cork push pins. You can see where I get this cork obsession…
At $35.95, this is really an affordable gift and could be more personalized if you’re willing to put in the time!
Wine Enthusiast DIY Wine Cork Board Frame Kit ($35.95) (*)
6. The Tech-Saavy Enthusiast
I have always had a manual bottle opener until I was preparing for a wine tasting event where I was anticipating 30+ bottles to be opened. I thought, “what a pain to open 30+ wine bottles”, so I ordered this electric bottle opener. My husband thinks I’m ridiculous but I absolutely love that this thing does not have any buttons or batteries! It is charged with a mini-USB and has a sensor when it comes in contact with a cork to remove the cork from the bottle, then spit it out from the opener! I was so proud to make this video above! This opener is also extremely affordable! Just get it for someone on your list! I personally know that any moms, aunts, or grandmas who suffer from arthritis or carpal tunnel would also LOVE this opener!
Rabbit Automatic Electric Corkscrew Wine Bottle Opener ($34.70) (*)
7. The Goofy Gag-Gift Lover
I love goofy, socially awkward and inappropriate gifts, ESPECIALLY if they’re opened in front of the whole family on Christmas! So, if you have someone on your list that can handle a good laugh (at the gift or themselves), these are a few great options!
- Sir Perky Novelty Bottle Stopper ($7.95) (*) – I can’t really explain this gift – whether you buy it or not, just click the link to see it. Basically, the small male figure is stopping the bottle with a portion of his anatomy. I’ll just leave it there.
- NPW Drinking Buddies Cocktail/Wine Glass Markers ($9.39) (*) – These guys are hilarious! The female markers prop themselves on your glass using their bust, and the male markers just hang on with upper body strength. It’s always entertaining to see which guests choose which markers. You may have some automatic assumptions on which your guests will choose, but my husband’s favorite is “Ryan”, as his best friend is also Ryan and I think he enjoys feeling like he has his California friend as drinking company. Yeah…that’s what I’ll go with…
8. The Practical Wine Drinker (Stocking Stuffers)
Okay these items aren’t super exciting but I can tell you that they are the products I use on a daily basis. These items would also be great stocking stuffers!
- Rabbit Wine and Beverage Bottle Stoppers with Grip Top (Set of 4) ($7.99) (*) – Quality but inexpensive bottle stoppers are great to have! I tend to lose bottle stoppers, so having a few extra is always a bonus!
- Lily’s Home Decanter Cleaning Brush Set ($11.95) (*) – If you buy someone the decanter I mentioned above, you’ll really be doing them a favor if you buy them a decanter cleaning brush. I have this one, it comes with three brushes and is pretty much a necessity if you have a decanter or very thin champagne flutes.
- Oenophilia 2-in-1 Drying Decanter Stand ($9.51) (*) – For the same reason above, this is really nice to have for drying a decanter. You can’t just turn it upside-down on a mat or towel to dry because it’s often bottom-heavy and will easily tip over and break.
- Final Touch Silicone Glass Drying Mat ($12.99) (*) – I used to dry my wine glasses on a fabric mat or a towel until I received this silicone drying mat as a gift. It never occurred to me that when you dry a wine glass on a fabric mat, the humidity is trapped inside the bowl of the glass and it takes forever to dry and leaves water marks all over your glass. These silicone mats are great for all glasses!
9. If Grape Juice Mom is On Your List 😉 (or someone who has every wine gadget in existence)
You may have picked up from several of my blog posts that I am a fan of Gary Vee (Gary Vaynerchuk, owner of winelibrary.com and once known as “The Wine Guy”). I am not a huge fan of wine subscriptions or memberships as they are often overpriced and include huge shipping fees for just a few bottles. BUT – Gary Vee created the “Gary Vee’s Monthly Wine Club” which includes 1, 2, 3, or 4 bottles monthly for only $55 a month (that includes shipping!). Gary Vee claims he hand picks these bottles himself and the cost is usually 50% off the combined cost of the bottles. Gary Vee was my inspiration for the 52 Weeks of Wine series, so I feel confident that the wines he chooses will be new and enjoyable.
Well, I hope I covered every wine lover on your holiday gift list – and if not – send me an e-mail or direct message on social media and I can help you brainstorm about the perfect gift!
Cheers!
(*) Every product with an asterisk next to the link is an affiliated link. An affiliated link is a link that I have qualified for as a business owner to present a product to you with a small return for my referral. I receive a very small percentage (1-3% of product cost) with no additional cost to you as the consumer.
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