Finding the right wine gift for a wine expert can seem like a daunting task. Quite honestly, an aficionados' vast knowledge, advanced palate, and even personal preference can overwhelm just about anyone! But instead of glazing over all of the various vino selections available, follow these four steps to make your search easy and enjoyable:
Discover their wine preferences
As you begin your search, your first task is to find out what wine this person enjoys or tends to order on a regular basis. He/she may collect sweet dessert wines, possibly prefer full-bodied reds, or only drink French Chardonnay. Whatever their preference may be, I recommend finding this information by contacting the person’s Executive Assistant, friends, or spouse.
Search by point value
A wine score is an incredibly helpful tool that is determined by the world’s top wine experts, such as Robert Parker and the editors of Wine Spectator. After evaluating a particular wine, a wine expert will assign a value within the 100 point scale to reflect the quality of the wine. Similar to the 100 point scale, although less widely used, is the 20 point scale which also indicates the distinction of the wine.
Frankly, there are many wonderful bottles around the 85 point range and above or 16 point range and above, but buying for a wine expert is very strategic. My advice? Don’t buy a wine below 90 points or 17 points for an aficionado. For example, a lover of fine champagne will certainly adore Dom Perignon Vintage 2004 which scored a 95 by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, 95 by Wine Spectator, and 97 by Decanter. Alternatively, this person probably won’t be as wowed by an 85 point bottle of sparkling wine.
Check the full reviews and tasting notes
After limiting your search by particular varietal and point value, I suggest reading the detailed reviews and tasting notes of the particular wines on your short list. The full review by esteemed wine experts will give you great insight into how it compares against other vintages, its nose, the full explanation of quality beyond just the point value, and much more. Some of the top reviews to follow include those by Robert Parker, Jancis Robinson, Wine Spectator, Decanter, Antonio Galloni, and Wine and Spirits Magazine.
Top it off with a wine pairing (or two!)
Do you really want to knock their socks off? Try adding a phenomenal pairing to your gift. Along with the full review, you’ll often discover top pairing recommendations such as with gourmet cheeses, meats and particular dishes.
If you’re not able to find a clear pairing recommendation for your chosen wine, consult a wine pairing guide for helpful direction or purchase a full wine pairing gift instead. This Veuve Clicquot Champagne Basket includes a bottle of the 90 point Veuve Clicquot Brut Champagne along with the perfect pairing combination of Godiva chocolates, Lindt truffles, camembert cheese, rosemary garlic crispbread, almonds and more. Your recipient will both appreciate your thoughtfulness and be impressed by their premium gift!
PrimeWines
PrimeWines provides quick, easy, and all-inclusive wine gift delivery across Canada & USA. Whether it's for a business contact, family member, or an old friend, we offer the best selection of high quality wines with simple flat-rate delivery on all orders. If faster delivery is preferred, we offer same day and next day options.
We are committed to providing superior customer service with our staff available to answer questions 7 days a week. By combining the unique and hard to find wines in a down to earth atmosphere, we are creating the ultimate wine shopping experience that offers much more than any fancy nose-in-the-air store.