Choosing The Right Wine For A Gift Basket

Putting together a gift basket for somebody is great for any occasion because it allows you to get creative and come up with something that's 100% customized for your loved one. Wine is a rather popular item to include in a gift basket, but sometimes, it's hard to know what kind of wine is best to include--especially if you don't know exactly what kinds of wines they like. Fortunately, based on some general information about your loved one, you can easily pick out the right bottle every time.

For Those With a Sweet Tooth

Does the person you're shopping for love sweets? Perhaps they've always got a batch of fresh-baked cookies in the oven when you stop by their house, or maybe they're always ordering dessert when you go out for dinner. Either way, sweet wines are definitely the way to go for these people, along with people who don't often drink wine to begin with. Some examples of great sweet wines include moscatos, some rieslings, roses, and many sparkling varieties. Some wine distributors even indicate sweetness levels on the label of each bottle, so you can choose based on that as well.

For Those Who Prefer Dry Wine

What if the person you're creating a gift basket for isn't so much into sweets? Well, then you'll want to stick to either the semi-dry or dry wines. The nice thing about this is that you have a much larger variety to choose from! At the same time, this can present you with more of a challenge when choosing. For those who don't love sweets but will indulge in a treat every once in awhile, consider a semi-dry wine, such as a riesling. But for those who never eat sweets, you'll be better off with a cabernet (red) or a pinot grigio (white).

What About Snack Pairings?

Finally, no wine gift basket is complete without some accompanying snacks that will go well with the wine. Crackers are always a good choice for wine, especially if you're going to gift your loved one with more than one type to try, as crackers can help to cleanse the palette in between tastes. If you're giving a bottle of dry red wine, consider incorporating some quality dark chocolate into your basket (the darker the better). Dips, such as hummus or salsa, are a great addition to just about any wine gift basket as well.

If you're short on time and don't want to assemble a gift basket yourself, many wine dealers, like Sand Castle Winery, offer pre-assembled wine gift baskets for recipients with varying tastes.