The Top 10 Tough-To-Buy-For People on Your Holiday List

Wines That Will Get Them In The Holiday Spirit

If you’re looking for a gift to get those hard to buy for people in your life, look no further….a simple bottle of wine can go a long way.  When you give wine, doubles are fine, there are no wrong sizes and you can always find something good in stock. 

Check out these vintage gifts that will get anyone into the holiday spirits...

Natalie’s Top Ten Gift Wines for Your ...     

 Hairdresser

For the person who combines humour and optimism every time she styles your mop. Go for a light, gulp-able wine like a dry rosé. It’s versatile and fuss-free—a great quaff for your coif.

Psychiatrist

Of course, he’ll analyze whatever you give him so choose a wine that’s all about balance. Easy-drinking pinot noir is medium-bodied yet packed with flavour. Surprise him with a large-format bottle, like a magnum.  Big thinking means big progress for you. This wine also works for psychologists, marriage counsellors and bartenders.

The Boss

Pick too pricey a wine and your boss will think your last raise was too much; go cheap, and she’ll think you lack judgement. Focus on a label with a lot of white space since that makes the bottle look more expensive. A castle in the distance also works, but avoid fluffy animals.

Personal Trainer

Think a muscular, robust red would work? Hold that position. Instead, try riesling: this light white wine pairs well with a health-nut diet of salad and seafood, plus it’s low in alcohol. You can also give it to Pilates instructors, yoga masters and Tai Chi coaches.

Financial Planner

You and he both know it’s going to take decades before your portfolio recovers after the crash of 2008. With that long-term view, vintage port makes the perfect gift. This fortified wine from northern Portugal, with its long aging potential, will be around for both of you into your retirements.

Travel Agent

She’s been everywhere and seen everything, so go local with your choice of wine. Even better, if you live close to the winery, get the bottle signed by the winemaker.

Teacher

If you can’t find a suitably obscure wine with a Latin name, there’s always cream sherry. It’s the tipple of Oxford dons, not to mention the centerpiece of Edgar Allan Poe’s classic short story The Case of the Amontillado.

Mail Deliverer

Go for a winery that’s consistent year after year in producing a wine that can be enjoyed in snow, rain, sleet or hail. Try an Australian shiraz or Argentine malbec.

Mechanic

Yes, there’s a wine called Red Truck, but try to be more imaginative. Why not give a wine made by Mario Andretti in California or Ferrari in Italy?

Online Date

So you’re on your second or third rendezvous with the person you met on eHarmony or Dating.com. If you’re not sure yet whether marriage is a possibility, try something middle-of-the-road, like merlot.  Yes, it’s the soft jazz of wine, but until you know, play it safe.

And after all that shopping, don’t forget yourself: even Santa’s little helpers need more than milk and cookies. Try something with high-alcohol like Italian Amarone or Rhone syrah: these big reds easily drown out tone-deaf carolling and pair beautifully with tired feet.

To fund her late-night vinous habits, Natalie MacLean holds down day jobs as a wine writer, speaker and judge. An accredited sommelier, she is a member of the National Capital Sommelier Guild, the Wine Writers Circle and several French wine societies with complicated and impressive names. Funny, brainy and unapologetically tipsy, her goal in life is to intimidate those crusty wine stewards at fine restaurants with her staggering knowledge.

You can also join Natalie in this wine & food pairing video class. Listen to wine confessions on the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast and get her best wine picks every Saturday morning for your weekend.

You can connect with Natalie, mother of one, at nataliemaclean.comTwitterFacebook and Instagram.