Céline Bossart
Ask any wine pro about Coravin and they’ll tell you all about its virtues in both a service setting and at home. This revolutionary wine preservation system offers a handful of different models, but they all operate around the same concept: using a needle and inert gas to bypass a bottle’s cork and pour a glass of wine without ever actually opening the bottle itself. Oxygen exposure is the enemy of freshness in wine — which is why a bottle doesn’t tend to keep for too long after being opened — and Coravin preservers and accessories are the pioneering answer to this problem. Though they’re certainly worth every penny, Coravin devices often live on wine enthusiasts’ and professionals’ wish lists versus being a “treat yourself” sort of product, so if you’re looking to invest in something special and hyper-functional for wine drinkers at any level, a Coravin preserver is your best bet.
Wine fridges are another great gift idea for wine lovers (if they have the room for it and you’re looking to splurge). These come in many shapes, sizes and prices and can be either free-standing or built into cabinetry, and there are many brands and various features to consider as you narrow down your choices. Home appliance and electronics brand HiSense offers a smartly designed and approachable 54-bottle wine chiller. This stainless steel dual-zone fridge has many user-friendly features, from a reversible door and six soft-closing shelves to an LED display, alarm system, flexible installation and more.
Though electric corkscrews can make the wine-opening process effortless, experts say they’re not necessary. Lever corkscrews — which are slightly more efficient than the most basic waiter’s corkscrew — are an equally powerful option, and they don’t take up as much drawer space. This one from Le Creuset uses “patented lever-driven technology” to remove corks — the set also comes with a foil cutter for bottles with a foil covering around the cap and cork.
BRÜMATE’s Winesulator is a great gift for wine lovers who prefer to travel with their drinks or serve them outside. After you pour your chilled wine into the insulated bottle, the brand says it will stay cool for up to 24 hours — even in the sun. The gift set also comes with two 14-ounce insulated wine tumblers for slow, temperature-controlled sipping.
Though a wine fridge is the best place to store reds and whites, not everyone has the space for such a bulky appliance. A more compact alternative is a wine rack — so long as it’s kept in a consistently cool area and out of the sun, it can keep your bottles organized and prolong their shelf life. This marble and stainless steel wine rack can hold six bottles at a time. It’s designed so the bottles can be stored on their side, which keeps the cork wet and prevents oxidation.
On top of some of our favorite options for gifting wine lovers, you can find plenty of wine gift ideas across major retailers and with nods to specific wine peripherals.
Signs of a high-quality wine glass include bowl shape, thinness and brilliance, to name a few characteristics. In addition to crystal, experts recommend looking for glasses made of lead-free crystal, a light, brilliant glass that has the characteristics as crystal without the lead content. These are some of our go-to brands and products for gifting (though you’ll be tempted to keep them for yourself).
A great decanter or carafe is a staple in any oenophile’s collection. Here are some brands with great options to choose from.
A book is a good gift option for those who enjoy curling up with a glass (or two) and a great read.
This kind of wine gift keeps on giving and is quarantine-friendly.
These hands-on wine gift ideas are the kind they likely won’t forget soon.
Studies (of the utmost scientific kind) show that wine is just better with snacks.
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