Best Gifts For Wine Lovers

Looking for the perfect gift for the wine lover in your life? Giving wine itself can be tricky, with so many options on the market, all suited to different tastes and philosophies.

Shipping wine can also be a challenge, depending on the states involved. Accordingly, wine accessories are a great alternative to gifting bottles of wine.

What do I mean by ‘wine accessories’? In this instance, I’m referring to products that aid in the service and enjoyment of wine.

There are thousands of categories of wine accessories, but I’m going to focus on wine bottle openers, wine bottle storage, wine decanters and other service items (such as buckets), wine glasses, wine books, and wine bottle totes.

These categories cover the majority of items both essential and nice to have for enhancing enjoyment for people at any stage of their wine journey.

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Wine Bottle Openers

While we’ve all seen some creative ways to open a bottle of wine on YouTube…a sturdy, reliable wine opener is really nice for any wine fan to have on hand.

There are a lot of variations available – from material, to color, to style – but an important consideration here is your giftee’s hand mobility (easy vs more difficult to use).

Best Traditional Corkscrew: HiCoup Wine Opener

Easy to use and durable – the ideal combination for an everyday use corkscrew. The metal parts are stainless steel and the knife is serrated for extra efficiency.

The rosewood option is very pretty, but they do have about 10 other colors/materials to choose from.

This corkscrew doesn’t have any fancy bells and whistles, but represents a wonderful value for the price.

Best Extra Accessory: Wine Foil Cutter

Sometimes the pesky foil is the hardest part of opening a bottle, and achieving a nice clean cut can be a challenge.

These inexpensive accessories are easy to use and look very professional (and help prevent nasty foil cuts). This does mean having another piece of equipment, but these are small and easy to store. 

Best Opener for Serious Wine Collectors: The Durand

This is a splurge-worthy opener – the two part device is ideal for opening bottles with fragile corks, such as very old bottles.

A Durand is not necessary for the casual wine drinker, but is a must-have for those with investment-worthy bottles in their collection.

There is a bit of a learning curve for using a Durand, so your giftee needs to have some patience and read the instructions carefully.

Wine Bottle Storage

Storing bottles properly is essential for the wine to show its best, whether storing everyday sippers in the short-term, or collectible bottles for the long haul. Wine can be delicate and requires the proper storage temperature and humidity, as well as protection from UV light and heavy vibrations.

A wine cooler/fridge is the ideal way to ensure all of these parameters are met. These are some of the more expensive items in this article, so save these to commemorate a very special occasion!

Best Countertop Wine Fridge: Maisee Dual Zone 18-Bottle Wine Fridge

This compact unit manages to hold 18 bottles, plus offers the versatility of dual temperature zones.

Quiet and energy efficient, the simple design will blend in with most decor. As a drawback, the door isn’t reversible, limiting where you can place the cooler in your home.

Looking for More Options? Check out our article covering the top countertop wine coolers on the market

Best Large Capacity Wine Fridge: Tylza 189-Bottle Wine Fridge

This fridge stores a whooping 189 bottles, making it ideal for serious wine collectors. The adjustable shelves can accommodate multiple bottle sizes and shapes, and the unit can be either freestanding or built-in.

Unlike the Maisee unit above, the Tylza model is a single temperature zone – fine for long term storage, but not as convenient for bottles that are opened regularly. 

Looking for Additional Options? Check out our article on the top large capacity wine fridges

Wine Service Items (Decanters & Buckets)

Decanters are great for serving old vintages that have sediment buildup in the bottle, for aerating young wines, or for dressing up boxed wine (of which yes, there are some very nice options available these days).

Ice buckets are very helpful if you’re dining outside or want to keep a white, rosé, or sparkling tableside for the duration of the meal. When selecting these items, be aware of the size (not all decanters hold a full bottle of wine, for example).

Best All-Purpose Decanter: Le Chateau Wine Decanter

Le Chateau’s crystal wine decanter is a solid mid-priced option for multiple decanting purposes. The wide mouth aids in aeration, and it fits the entire bottle of wine – very convenient.

The unique shape can make this decanter difficult to clean, despite being dishwasher safe, and the size can be awkward to store.  However, the benefits typically outweigh these challenges.

Most Beautiful Decanter: Wine Enthusiast Treble Decanter

This functional and stylish decanter was designed exclusively for Wine Enthusiast, a well trusted wine resource.

It’s pretty enough to keep on display even when not in use, and can hold up to two bottles of wine.

The decanter is hand wash only and rather delicate, so it may not be appropriate for all households. 

Most Versatile Chiller: Homeries Marble Wine Chiller Bucket

I personally prefer this style of chiller – it keeps wine cold without ice, which can get messy as it melts and damages the label.

The marble look will go with many décor choices, and there are other options available to suit your tastes (like bamboo).

The compact size is easy to use and store, but roomy enough to accommodate most wine bottles (including sparkling, but it won’t fit large format bottles).

Wine Glasses

Every wine lover needs wine glasses!

Novices may appreciate a durable set of all purpose glasses, while aficionados may go for the nuances of specialty crystal glassware. Luckily, there are a lot of options at various price points.

I prefer stemmed glasses because the body heat from your hand can alter the temperature (and therefore aromas and flavors) of the wine. That said, stemless can be a great alternative if space is an issue (a small apartment, cabin, or even a RV), or to take picnicking or out on the patio.

Best Wine Glass for Celebrations: Riedel Vinum Vintage Champagne Glasses

This splurge-worthy set of 2 is both functional and aesthetically pleasing.

Riedel is a globally recognized brand for superior glassware and is best known for varietal specific glasses. These crystal glasses are even dishwasher safe!

They do come at a price, but should last a long time and are great investment pieces.

Best Glassware for Serious Wine Drinkers: Gabriel-Glas Stand’Art Edition

Gabriel-Glas wine glasses are universal, meaning they are appropriate for all styles of wine.

These Austrian crystal glasses are beautiful, fairly durable, and dishwasher safe. Additionally, the design allows for ideal oxygen contact, helping to bring out all of the subtle aromatics of the wine.

Note: These glasses are available in sets of two (instead of six), if you're looking for a lower cost option.

Best Wine Glasses for Small Spaces: Amazon Basics Stemless

This set is a steal of a value for four glasses – and at this price point, you won’t be broken hearted when one breaks.

These stemless glasses are workhorses – solid and durable, yet still stylish enough for the patio table. While not ideal for luxury or collectable wines, these glasses are great for everyday drinking.

Wine Books

Wine books make exceptional gifts for a myriad of reasons. Foremost among these is their ability to be customized to align with someone’s specific interests, be it Champagne, natural wine, the basics of wine, or any other particular fascination.

From my experience, I’ve found that the more I learn about wine, including the growing of grapes and winemaking, along with the history and culture around wine producing regions, the more I enjoy each bottle I open.

Top Pick: The Oxford Companion to Wine

Perhaps the most comprehensive volume on the market, the OCW covers major grapes, wine regions, wine terms and definitions, viticulture, and enology – but in a very readable way. Topics are broken down and presented in alphabetical order, much like a traditional encyclopedia.

The hardcover book is large and quite heavy (it has to be, to include so much text), but is a must have for any serious wine enthusiast.

Author Jancis Robinson also has a subscription based website (jancisrobinson.com) that includes access to an online version of the OCW along with access to wine reviews and articles. A gift subscription is another option for the wine lover in your life. 

Best for Visual Learners: Wine Folly

Author Madeline Puckette started her professional life as a graphic designer before getting bitten by the wine bug, and that shows in this beautifully illustrated book.

Wine Folly is full of charts, graphs, and other infographics that break down complex wine topics into very digestible bits.

This book is mostly for beginners to intermediate wine enthusiasts; experts may find it a bit too introductory.

Best Vicarious Wine Experience: Adventures on the Wine Route: A Wine Buyer’s Tour of France 

The author, Kermit Lynch, is a well known wine buyer and importer. Although his memoir was written a few decades ago, it has stood the test of time.

Readers will learn a lot about France’s top wine regions without even realizing it, while they are entertained by Lynch’s stories of his travels and antics. The books is available as a hardcover, ebook, and audiobook.

Wine Bottle Totes

Any devoted wine drinker needs an efficient way to transport their bottles!

Whether going to a friend’s house or on a picnic, a handy wine tote is very useful – they typically have separators and/or are molded to fit wine bottles so that the bottles don’t clink together. As an added bonus, some wine totes are also insulted.

Best Single Bottle Tote: OPUX Single Bottle Wine Tote

With its fun striped design (plus several other colors and designs), this is an easy, affordable gift idea.

The OPUX tote is insulated, making it ideal for a picnic or beach outing.

While I would not consider the materials to be the most premium (faux leather and polyester), this bag is still a great value for the price.

Most Stylish Tote: 3-Bottle Leather BYO Wine Bag

Wine Enthusiast – a trusted authority for all things wine – offers this stylish three bottle bag.

Beyond its looks are the quality make and materials. It is 100% genuine leather, and the bottle dividers are removable for added versatility.

While this is one of the pricier options, it does include a money back guarantee in case it’s not quite right.

Best Bundled Wine Gift: Legacy Adventure Wine Tote

This ingeniously designed tote holds two bottles of wine, plus has extra storage space for all your wine picnicking needs – glasses, a corkscrew, and a bottle stopper (and yes, these are included with the bag).

The canvas material is rugged yet stylish, and the wine storage area is insulated. Additionally, Picnic Time – the brand behind this product – is a family owned business based in California.

Conclusion

While not always absolutely necessary, most wine accessories enhance the wine drinking experience somehow – keeping the bottle in the best condition, opening it with ease, having the proper glassware to enjoy the wine, and so forth.

A good corkscrew and proper glassware might be considered the most essential of the bunch, but it really depends on how serious of a wine drinker you giftee is – a collector may value a fridge to ensure their investments are sound in the long term, while a novice might enjoy an entry-level book to help them expand their wine knowledge.

Furthermore, the above recommendations are but a few of the plethora of wine accessory gifts out there. Other ideas include wine club subscriptions, wine-related travel, an in-person or online wine class…the list goes on.

Be sure to think about the person receiving your gift – what stage of life are they in? Do you know how interested in wine they are? Consider their style, taste, lifestyle, likes and dislikes. Including a gift receipt is always nice if you’re really unsure.

Cheers to elevating your gift recipient’s wine experience to the next level! 

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Allison Sheardy

Allison Sheardy came to wine as a second career in 2016 and has truly found her calling. She has created a niche for herself working in unique wine regions around the United States (Texas Hill Country, historic Livermore, CA, & Minnesota), where she specializes in hospitality for boutique, family-owned wineries. Allison is equally passionate about wine education. As such, she has earned her WSET Diploma in Wines and completed the French Wine Scholar program. Allison is currently pursuing her Master of Wine and teaches WSET levels 1-3.