When you have a birthday, anniversary or other special occasion that requires the giving of a gift it is worth considering a wine gift basket. They are beautiful gifts for any occasion and can include a wide selection of gourmet delights besides wine. They may also include such delights as fruit, nuts, candy, cheeses and wine accessories like bottle openers and corkscrews, drip stoppers and foil cutters or whatever else you think the recipient may enjoy. You can buy one already made or you can make your own for an extra special touch. All you need to know is the type of wine the recipient enjoys, or you can create a surprise basket.
Where To Buy Prepared Baskets
If you’d rather buy a wine gift basket pre-packaged, stop into your local liquor store to see if they have a selection available. Good liquor stores often sell gift baskets, especially during the holiday season. You should be able to select the wine you’d like to add to the basket and then select accompanying products.
Shop Online
The internet is the first place to search for customizable gift baskets. Start by ordering one or more bottles of wine, then begin adding gourmet products from the wide range available. Products that you could include would be caviar and smoked salmon, cheese or other savory crackers, artisan cheeses, cheese knives, nuts, exclusive mustards or honeys … the sky’s the limit in what you can add to them.
The online retailer will then arrange delivery the basket directly to the gift recipient. This is a very easy option if you wish to thank a member of staff or for a corporate gift.
Create Your Own Gift Baskets
Making your own wine gift basket gives allows you to add that extra personal touch. Begin by purchasing an attractive basket. Even a simple and inexpensive basket will do because you can then decorate it with silk flowers or colored tissue paper. Buy your wine of choice or choose champagne for a special celebration, add some additional products depending on the preferences of the gift recipient. You don’t need to limit your basket to wine or wine-themed gifts for example. You could include handicrafts for someone interested in arts and crafts, or a book about wine for a wine lover who is also interested in the history or the making of wine. Add some quality food products to accompany the wine, pack everything into your decorated basket and wrap the whole thing in clear cellophane.
If you are able to, deliver the gift basket to the recipient personally so you can see their joy when they receive it. If you’re very lucky they might even share the bottle of wine with you.
For those who don’t drink wine you can still assemble some stunning gift baskets. For a coffee drinker you could try a coffee-themed gift basket that could include coffee mugs, freshly roasted coffee beans from different coffee-growing regions of the world, gourmet cookies, toffees and, nuts. A tea drinker may like to receive a selection of teas from different regions, a teapot and strainer and a fine china teacup. A coffee or tea gift basket could actually be packed onto a decorated tray rather that a basket. Again, wrap the whole package in clear cellophane and add a ribbon.
Ideas for gourmet gift baskets are only limited by your imagination.
Choosing a good wine can be a real nightmare, especially if you’re trying to impress someone. You’re having a dinner party – you’ve planned the menu thoroughly, dusted off your best crockery and wine glasses, and got everything prepared – except for the wine selection. There’s just so much to consider, and everyone else always seems to know so much more about it than you do. You stand there for what seems like forever looking at the seemingly endless shelves of bottles, and the more you wonder about it the harder it gets. That’s why we’ve put together a few tips of what to look for and how to choose the perfect wine that will compliment your meal.
Firstly and most importantly, you should match the wine to the meal you have chosen. Everyone has different opinions of which wine will taste good with different foods, but there are a few basic guidelines that you can follow if you’re not sure. The easiest way is to match the colour of the wine to the meat, you can’t go wrong. So if you’re eating red meat select a dark red Cabernet or Syrah. For lamb or pork a medium bodied red like a Merlot will be less heavy whilst still supplying a rich flavour. Chicken and fish dishes are often overpowered by reds so it’s best to go for a crisp white instead, like a Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc. If it’s a special occasion or celebration, you might be better off with a sparkling wine, served in fancy Champagne flutes.
Once you’ve worked out what kind of wine you want, look at where it has come from. Wines from different regions will be hugely different in quality, so it pays to do a bit of research into which are the best regions. If you’re not sure, France is always a safe bet and has been producing good quality fine wines for hundreds of years. Italy is another good choice, and Chilean wines are also very popular at the moment, particularly the reds.
Another thing you should check is the vintage of the wine, or the year it was bottled. A true wine buff will know which were the good years for each region, and will buy only vintages which they know came from a particularly good crop. For the rest of us non-experts, it can seem like a lot of guesswork, but if you know the basics you’ll be on the right track at least. That all wines get better the older they are is a common misconception. It’s true that most red wines do improve with a little aging, but most wineries won’t distribute these reds for a couple of years after bottling, which gives them time to mature. This means they are ready to drink and will taste good as soon as they appear in stores. Most white or sparkling wines don’t need aging, and taste good if drunk straight away.
Looking for some top gift ideas for wine lovers that you know then worry no longer, because here is a list that is devoted to helping you “find a gift divine those who love wine”. Of course, it must go without saying that a personal vineyard tops this list, but if your budget doesn’t stretch quite that far there are a few more modestly priced gifts included. Take a quick browse through this list of…
10 Tempting Gifts for Crushed Grape (Wine) Lovers
1. The best gift is still the personal vineyard. Now, this isn’t realistic for most of us – but you can buy a share in many vineyards! This is a very cool gift which any wine lover will be absolutely thrilled with. While it may not make the recipient into a wine tycoon, this is a very thoughtful gift.
2. Wine glasses are always a great idea for wine lovers. This is a gift which you know they’ll use, probably right away. Consider picking up some large, high quality crystal wine glasses; these look great, are great to use and will certainly be appreciated.
3. A Purple “Instant Youth” bottle bag. These are always good for a chuckle, with their slogan of “Instant Youth – just add wine”. Of course, you’ll want to put a bottle of something good inside; this will get an even bigger smile from the recipient.
4. Personalized labels. You can order a bottle of Petite Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Grigio with a personalized label; this can feature the design or photo of your choice.
5. One ideal selection among wine gifts is a portable wine box or basket. These come in an amazing variety. You can choose one made from leather, wicker, or even wood. Some of these carry single bottles of wine while others have room for 2 or more. There are also higher end models that include wine stoppers, corkscrews, glasses and napkins that make them perfect take-a-longs for a concert or picnic.
6. If your wine lover enjoys games you can dazzle and delight them with a Wineopoly board game. The tokens used for the game include a wine glass, carafe, cheese, grapes and more. You can best your friends and become a grape champ as you challenge them with this game, and you really learn some cool facts about wine as you play.
7. Wine glass charms are practical, useful and oh, so elegant. There are many wine lovers who collect these and will love this thoughtful gift. A few companies will even let you custom order a set, which will give your present even more bling points.
8. A wine club membership is a great gift for anyone on your list. This is a wonderful way to introduce them to your favorite winery or vineyard. These memberships have wine lists that can be tailored to please even the most discriminating palates.
9. Cookbooks with wine-related recipes are terrific gift ideas for wine lovers. Food and wine go together like.. well, food and wine! You can put together a great gift basket including a cookbook, some cheeses, a bottle of good wine and other accessories – this is a very thoughtful gift for the wine lover on your list.
10. Novelty T-shirts featuring wine-related slogans will always be appreciated by wine lovers; how about:
• Get a Tan with your Tannins…pick your own grapes
• The Wine is Divine but it crushed the poor grapes
• Nectar of the gods…Produced by our soles
• Us Old Vines Have The Best Wines
• Wine is fruit….and they recommend 4 servings of fruit daily
Even though many just assume that wine tasting is sipping, swishing, and swallowing – many are amazed to find that it’s actually a bit more. Wine tasting is more of an art, an art that is used to distinguish the taste of fine wines. Wine can be a tasty and refreshing drink – if the bottle was stored correctly and aged properly.
Wine tasting begins with the swishing. The reason why wine tasters swish the wine around in their mouths is to get the taste. Both the front and the back areas of the tongue contain taste buds, although neither one has any distinct sensation in taste. Taste buds can detect food and liquid that is bitter, salty or sweet, without a problem. To get the proper taste from wine however, you need to swish it around in your mouth and allow your taste buds and sense of smell to bring out the unique and fine flavors in the wine.
When you have a cold however, the wine can taste very different. When tasting your wine, your sense of smell has a major impact on the taste. The important thing many fail to realize, is that more than 75% of our taste is the result of our sense of smell. When we have a cold, our sense of smell is affected. Therefore, when eating or tasting wine with a cold, the taste will appear different. Wine tasters all over the world will tell you that tasting wine is more about a sense of smell than the actual taste buds.
The art of wine tasting is indeed an art. Wine tasters do however, follow some general guidelines and rules that judge how great a wine is. These techniques can help you bring the most out of your wine, providing you follow them and know how to bring out the taste.
The first thing to do with wine is to look. With wine, you can tell quite a bit about it by looking at it. You should always start by pouring the wine into a clear glass, then taking a few minutes to look at the color. As far as the color goes, white whines aren’t white, but actually yellow, green, or brown. Red wines on the other hand are normally a pale red or dark brown color. Red wine gets better with age, while white whines get more stale with age.
Next, is the smell of the wine, which you should do in two steps. You should start with a brief smell to get a general idea of the wine, then take a deep, long smell. This deeper smell should allow you take the flavor of the wine in.They use to think about the smell before they taste the wine and they prefer sitting behind, it is the sign of an experienced wine taster.
Last but not least, is to taste the wine. To properly taste the wine, you should first take a sip, swish it around in your mouth, and then swallow. Once you swish the wine around in your mouth, you’ll bring out the rich and bold flavors of the wine. After swallowing, you’ll be able to distinguish the after taste of the wine, and the overall flavor.
Once you have looked at the wine, smelled it, and finally tasted it, you’ll be able to evaluate the wine from a taster’s standpoint. This is the easiest way to determine the quality of the wine, and whether or not it has been properly stored and aged. As with all things in life – the more you taste wine – the better you will get at distinguishing the unique flavors.
Despite what many may think, the area known as Hungary holds more wine tradition than any other country in Europe. Most of this very tradition is just now surfacing in the light, with people finally starting to catch wind about everything Hungarian wine has to offer. Even though many wine drinkers aren’t familiar with Hungary – there are many who are.
Hungary is home to over 20 wine regions, fully of forests, vineyards, and orchards. With several different varieties of grapes to offer, the vineyards found in Hungary have flourished since the great Roman Times. The weather in Hungary is seasonal to say the least, with cold winters and extremely hot summers.This weather allows the soil of this country to be diverse, which allows winterners to create a range of quality wines.
Despite the communist control in the past, there are several different wines found in Hungary. Although the vineyards here produce a lot of excellent wines, Tokay Aszu is by far the favorite here and the wine that locals always love raising their glass to. Tokay Aszu is a popular wine with meals or dessert, in Hungary and also happens to be one of the most popular dessert wines in the entire world.
Tokay Aszu was discovered in the mid 17th century in Hungary, quickly becoming a favorite for many European aristocrats. Even though it was great to the taste, many believed that certain types of the wine had mystical healing powers. Although this was strictly a rumor, it actually helped the wine become more popular than ever. Over the years, Tokay Aszu was one indeed the most popular wine in Hungary, spreading to other areas of the world as well.
Egri Bikaver, also referred to as Bulls Blood is another popular wine found in Hungary. This is another popular wine for locals, and can be found throughout the world as well. Getting it’s name from it’s color, Bulls Blood is truly a feast for anyone who likes wine. The wine is dark red in color, yet sweet to the taste. The wine was first developed back in the 16th century, and remains popular even to this day.
If you ever visit Hungary, there are many places you can visit to get some great wine. You should also make a point to visit Tokay, located in the northeast. You can take a train from Budapest and arrive here in a few hours.There are several different wine flavors and varieties here, sure to please just about anyone.Tokay area wineries are generally open for tours and tasters during May to the end of October. If you visit during these months, you can tour the underground cellars, sample the superb wine, and learn more than you ever thought possible about the manufacturing of Hungarian wines.
All in the all, the wine found in Hungary is great to have in your collection or just have around the house for special occasions. You can get it by the bottle, the glass, or by the case. All types of Hungarian wine has been perfected over the years, making it something that you really can’t go wrong with. If you like to drink wine, as most of us do, you really can’t go wrong with any type of Hungarian wine. Hungarian wine gives wine lovers plenty to study, plenty to order, and plenty to drink. The wine is very tasty and refreshing – and it helps to keep the nation of Hungary thirsty for more.
