What to Get the Wine Lover in Your Life for Christmas

Shopping for your loved ones at Christmas can be difficult for anybody, but what about if your loved one is a wine lover? What do you get somebody that has a passion for wine? Hopefully, I can help you with that with this list of presents any wine lover would be happy to receive.

Wine Opening Set

Sure, your beloved wine lover probably already has a wine bottle opener of some sort, but that doesn't mean that there aren't still tools for them. A look through many of your stores will result in Wine Accessory sets that usually feature a corkscrew, bottle stoppers, and a drip ring. This might not be used every day by your wine lover, but his is a great addition to a wine bar.

Wine Picnic Set

If your wine lover is a fan of the great outdoors, a Wine Picnic set is a great way to encourage them to spend time outside, and to allow them to take wine with them. Most of these feature at least two wine glasses (usually made of durable plastic), a corkscrew, a cheese knife, some small plates, napkins, space for at least one bottle of wine, and an attractive carrying case that is easy to transport around a park, lawn, or wherever your wine lover likes to enjoy the outdoors.

Wine Glasses

Anybody that drinks wine is sure to have a descent set of wine glasses, but for a new wine lover, a great set of white and red wine glasses is always welcome. A simple set of white wine glasses and some red wine glasses with a nice bowl will be appreciated by your wine lover – and who doesn't need an extra set of wine glasses?

Wine Refrigerator

A wine fridge is perfect for anybody that keeps a lot of wine on hand and wants it to be at the perfect temperature at all times. Depending on how much you're willing to spend, this present can be quite affordable or quite expensive. Ranging in size from less than 10 bottles to upwards of one hundred, wine refrigerators are perfect for keeping wine in a central location and at the perfect temperature.

Wine of the Month Club

The gift that keeps on giving. Receiving wine every month will give your wine lover something to look forward to every month, and it can expose them to new wines that they've either expressed interest in and haven't had the chance to try, or varietals that they haven't even heard of. Coming in a variety of prices and options, this is a great present for every level of wine enthusiast.

About the Author

George R Perry is the writer of the $20 Sommelier, a blog focusing on affordable wine. The $20 Sommelier can be found online at: http://the20bucksommelier.blogspot.com .

Does the Type of Glass You Use Really Matter When Drinking Wine?

Just about any store you go into that offers wine glasses will have a section marked off a red wine glasses and white wine glasses. The question I've often hear is "Does the glass type really matter"? There are varying opinions on this, but here are a few things that I've always thought about when asked that question.

When it comes to white wines, the type of glass that you use is really irrelevant. Some people will say that you should use a glass with a smaller opening or thinner bowl, but when it really comes down to it, the only thing that should really be of concern to you when selecting a glass for your white wine is whether or not it is clean. Nothing ruins wine quite as quickly as a dirty glass.

For red wines I'm often of a mixed opinion. While I typically use a glass with a larger opening and bowl than what I would use to pour white wine, neither do I think it will compromise the wine if you don't use a glass like this. The advantage to using a glass with a larger bowl and opening is that a) you can get your nose into the bowl and really let the aromas of the wine wash over you and b) more oxygen is allowed into the glass allowing the flavors of the wine to open up, essentially like decanting the wine but on a smaller scale.

The other question I've heard is whether the material of the glass matters. This question is much easier to answer. While crystal looks great, and I'll never not recommend it, glass is by far less expensive and since neither will have any effect on the actual taste of the wine, there's really no reason to go out and spend money on crystal when some inexpensive glass goblets will do just as well.

When it comes to which glasses to drink your wine from, the best advice I can ever give is to go to your local store and invest in some inexpensive, basic wine glasses, roughly six labeled as "red wine" and six labeled as "white wine". Most places will sell these for roughly two dollars a glass, which is great since you will eventually break some of them, and there's no reason to be replacing $50 glasses just because somebody knocked one off the table.

As a side note, when it comes to whether or not to buy glasses with or without a stem, there really isn't any difference with the notable exception of it being somewhat more difficult to knock over a glass without a stem. Personally, I'm a big fan of using stemless wine glasses for outdoor parties as you don't have to worry about them getting knocked over and having broken glass in an area that's harder to clean up. Either way, neither one will affect the taste, so whichever you prefer is always going to be fine.

About the Author
George R Perry is the mind behind The $20 Sommelier, a blog of wine reviews on affordable wine priced at $20 or less. He can be found online at: http://the20bucksommelier.blogspot.com .