don’t sell the ranch to give the vineyard
Thursday, May 22nd, 2008When sending well-rounded wine gifts to a loved one, it’s important to not stop at the bottle of wine. While the bottle is important (and probably the most important!), there are other wine gifts that should be included in an effective wine gift basket:
1) The corkscrew. You can never be sure whether or not your loved one has a working corkscrew handy, especially if it’s someone you do not see often. Including the corkscrew guarantees that the bottle can be enjoyed immediately, if so desired.
2) Drip ring. While wine professionals know how to pour without dripping, many of us amateurs will still have that solitary drip running down the side of the bottle. The drip ring will prevent that.
3) Stopper. There are exceptions to this, but many times someone will open a bottle of wine, enjoy a glass, and then set it aside for later. Jamming the cork in can delay staleness, but a proper wine stopper will help that bottle last for days longer.
4) Wine thermometer. As a general rule of thumb, white wines and champagnes are chilled, while red wines are served at room temperature. Including the wine thermometer will give your loved one the ability to tell when the wine is at a drinkable temperature.