The Wine Club

Come festive season, we always run short of gift ideas. What would my team-mates at work appreciate? What to take as host/hostess gift for that Deewali get-together or the soon-to-follow Halloween or Thanksgiving potluck? And what would fill up that Christmas stocking delightfully? For me, a bottle of wine always seems to be the saviour! Chosen wisely, it always portrays you as someone gracious and sophisticated. Now that you’ve decided to pick up wine for people in your gift-list, the next question is which one to pick up. My husband always behaves like a kid in a candy store when taken to a wine boutique. Instead of thinking rationally about what would interest the recipients, he spends hours on labels that interest him. In the end, ends up buying not only bottles for gifting, but also for personal consumption and collection! When suggested to gift wine, the first thing that would surely come to your mind is the pocket pinch. Trust me, it’s not always true that quality and price of wine is directly proportional. There are many wine magazines and websites that can keep you updated on the current trend. And if the thought of visiting a wine boutique seems perplexing to you, most supermarkets will provide you adequate variety. When you are taking wine for your host/hostess, don’t expect them to serve it that evening itself. But you can take the kind of wine that pairs well with the food to be served that evening. However, this is not always possible since you might not have fore-knowledge about the menu. In general, red wines are recommended for meat, spicier dishes, and whites are paired with poultry or seafood. Now that leaves out the vegetarians. So we cannot limit to such binary thoughts. In reality, there’s no hard and fast rule. The palate always is the guide. And the palate always rules supreme. As a broad guideline, it could be good to remember that cool wines taste better with spicy Indian fares to combat the heat of the dishes. Another accepted norm is to gift red wines in winter and white wines in summer. But, once again, it all depends on personal preference. Now that you have picked up a bottle, make sure you present it well. Just a little extra cash will make your simple gift seem exquisite. It can be a simple wine tote or an exclusive hand-crafted wine-box, depending on your budget and inclination. Now I don’t want to start talking about wine accessories. That can take up volumes. That’s for another day, another time. Over a chilled glass of bubbly. But before I round off, I should remind you to take into account local customs, cultural considerations and religious beliefs before gifting wine. Finally, make sure you are not buying wine to gift a non-drinker/teetotaler!