Wine is a popular go-to gift for lots of special occasions. But how do you pick out a good bottle of wine? gifting wine should be more than just looking at the bottles for a label that appeals, perhaps the one with the cutest animal (or is that just me?) or rigidly sticking with a well-known brand as you feel it’s a safe bet.

This article will guide you through the process of gifting wine so your gift recipient will get more pleasure drinking the wine you picked. Apparently many of us lack an understanding of what makes a good wine so hopefully this article will help!

Award Winning Wine

If you find it difficult gifting wine why not look for award winners like this 306 Biologico Nero d’Avola 2017.

“Floral and perfumed with crunchy cranberry, redcurrant jelly and white pepper; grippy on the palate with a spicy oak finish.” – Decanter

Achieving Decanter Silver is quite an accolade not many wineries manage to do that. It’s a testimony to the quality of the wine which is produced by Salvatore Tamburello’s organic micro-winery in Sicily. Salvatore is really passionate about quality and it’s a family affair with his wife and three daughters.

If you lack confidence picking out a good wine choosing award winners can really make a difference. Award winners are usually blind tested, so you know the attractive label, or the established brand name haven’t impacted the judge’s decisions. The wine is picked solely on merit not the skill of the marketing team behind the brand! So, look for award winners as a benchmark of quality and feel surer about your choice.

Ask For Help

Don’t be afraid to ask for help, companies like Independent Wine are specialists in the field so you know you are in capable hands if you need any assistance picking out a decent bottle of wine. You don’t have to rush into deciding either, seeing the wall of wines in a supermarket can be quite off-putting when you are at a complete loss as to which bottle would be good enough! Heading to a specialist that really know their wine can help you feel more assured in your purchasing decision.

Presentation

How you gift wrap your bottle of wine can have an impact on how well it is received. Always bear in mind that wine is fragile so if you are sending it as a gift make sure you have packed it well.

Labels

I mentioned earlier how you shouldn’t base your gifting wine decisions on the label graphics. Wine producers capitalise on this knowing full well they will sell more wine with the help of a good graphic designer. Instead read the label pick out the important words from it, such as the vintage, whether its hand crafted, estate grown or bottled and more about the grapes.

How Well Do You Know The Gift Recipient?

If you know your gift recipient well, you can select a wine that compliments their favourite meal. That would be a thoughtful gesture. Depending on your knowledge of the person you can improve your chance of picking out a bottle of wine they will love. Prior to the occasion observe the wine they order, it might help you choose a wine that is fruity enough for their palate. If they gravitate towards dry wines, you do not want to gift wine that is too sweet.

Hopefully you will feel much happier gifting wine now! Why not use that new found confidence to organise a wine tasting at your virtual Christmas party!