We Asked 22 Sommeliers: What’s Your Go-To Wine to Gift?
Around the holidays, a bottle of wine seems like a simple, easy gift to give until you’re standing in a liquor store trying to figure out what to buy. How much to spend and what to give are complicated questions, but add in the question of what your host likes to drink and even a well-versed wine drinker could lose hours trying to decide.
Whether the aim of a bottle is to seem in the know about new wine trends, or about historically popular grapes and regions, a sommelier can help identify the right bottle. To smooth the holiday wine-buying this year, we asked 22 sommeliers to recommend their favorite wine to gift. Unsurprisingly, many sommeliers recommend a bottle of Champagne, but even those who don’t want to pay true Champagne prices will find useful recommendations here. With suggestions ranging from a little-known style of sparkling, to an easy-to-drink Rioja, there’s something here for every occasion and price point.
These are the best wines to gift, according to sommeliers:
Riesling
A magnum of Champagne
Rioja
Red Tail Ridge Perpetual Change Brut Nature
Domestically made sparkling wine
Blanc de Noirs Champagne
Brunello di Montalcino 2017 San Polino Helichrysum
Domaine la Calmette Serpent à Plumes Malbec Vin de France
Avinyó Reserva Brut Cava
Hervé Souhaut Domaine Romaneaux-Destezet Syrah
NV Dhondt-Grellet ‘Dans un Premier Temps’ Extra Brut
Wines from the Loire Valley
Patrick Piuze Val de Mer Bourgogne Blanc
Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs NV Grand Cru Champagne
Grosses Gewächs
Pasaeli ‘6N’ – 2023
Sparkling wine
Tenuta Scerscé ‘Infinito’ Sforzato di Valtellina DOCG
Champagne
Champagne Bollinger
R. Lopez Heredia Vina Bosconia 2013
Laurent-Perrier Champagne ‘Cuvée Rosé’
“I love to give a dry Riesling, since so many people dismiss these wines as they think they will be cloyingly sweet. This gift provides an element of surprise but also is a good means of showcasing the multi-faceted nature of wine and proves the point that there is a right bottle for everyone.” —Thomas Kakalios, lead sommelier, Eat Well Hospitality, Chicago
“My go-to gift is a magnum of Champagne that I personalize with a verse of poetry scrawled on it in metallic Sharpie” —Janine Poleman, sommelier, Cru Uncorked, Moreland Hills, Ohio
“I’ve found that red wines from Rioja tend to be great wine gifts. They tend to have balanced profiles of fruity and earthy characteristics: The overt vanilla flavors of oak make the wine appealing to people who might otherwise like bolder California wines, while the structure and the sour finish tend to be appealing to people who might enjoy a bit more savory rusticity. I think La Rioja Alta’s Vina Ardanza or Lopez de Heredia’s Vina Bosconia are both great crowd-pleaser gifts.” —Chris Ray, sommelier, Lutèce, Washington, D.C.
“I always like to give Champagne alternatives. Wines made step-for-step like Champagne in the traditional method but from outside of France. Some highlights are Red Tail Ridge Perpetual Change from The Finger Lakes in New York, or A Tribute to Grace Sparkling Grenache Blanc from Santa Barbara.” —Owen Huzar, sommelier, John’s Food and Wine, Chicago
“Sparkling wine is my go-to gift. I prefer choosing a domestic option to showcase an alternative to Champagne — something the recipient may not have tried before — that surprises them with equally delicious flavor. Some of my favorite domestic producers include Sparkling Pointe, Schramsberg, and Argyle.” —Melissa Rockwell, wine expert, Sparkling Pointe, Long Island, N.Y.
“When gifting wine, I often feel overwhelmed by the choices — type, region, varietal, producer, sub-region, and vintage. Thankfully, there’s Champagne. When choosing a Champagne gift, I consider the recipient’s tastes but often opt for Blanc de Noirs. Made from 100 percent Pinot Noir and/or Pinot Meunier, it offers a full body, creamy texture, and rich fruit flavors, making it a fantastic choice that pairs well with various dishes or stands out on its own.” —Marcos Loureiro, wine director, The Golden Swan, New York
“San Polino Brunello di Montalcino is a sophisticated wine with deep flavors of dark fruit, spice, and a smooth, velvety texture. Its balance and elegance make it a standout for both wine lovers and collectors. An exceptional Christmas gift with the essence of Tuscany.” —Valerio Lombardozzi, general manager, Tavola, Houston
“Domaine la Calmette Serpent à Plumes Malbec Vin de France, is my go-to wine to gift during the holiday season. This wine is filled with fruit notes of blackberry, plum, and blueberry compote, which are balanced with a touch of violet and graphite. Your wine-savvy friends will appreciate this unfiltered and minimally sulfured Malbec, while those who are looking for an entry into wine will find it approachable and deliciously relatable. You can rest easy knowing this wine was farmed using organic and biodynamic practices by two vignerons who care deeply about creating a new definition of what Malbec from Cahors can be.” —Grace Bradley, wine director, Petite Vie & Vistro Prime, Western Springs and Hinsdale, Ill.
“Nothing starts a celebration like bubbles and my go-to gift wine is Avinyó Reserva Brut Cava. Spanish Cava is less expensive than Champagne so you can give something with a lot of value that tastes great without breaking the bank. Avinyó is one of the few Cava producers in Penedès that is still family-owned and operated and their Reserva Brut is dry and crisp with fresh minerality.” —Lynne White, beverage director and certified sommelier, Boqueria, NYC
“Sometimes, receiving a bottle of wine as a gift feels like a bit of a white elephant, especially if you’re being gifted the bottle at a holiday party. Do you open it that evening for all of your guests to enjoy or do you tuck it away for the future? I like to gift wine that can do both — it should be great if enjoyed now and even better if opened down the road. A wine made in a leaner style that shows the purity and acidity needed to age well like Domaine Romaneaux-Destezet’s Syrah is perfect. Take the pressure off of the recipient by giving them something they’re sure to love whenever they’re ready to open it!” —Marissa Chirico, beverage director, River Twice, Philadelphia
“Gifting Champagne is always a go-to for me. First, it is always a good time for Champagne! And, second, it pairs with just about everything on the table. A bottle I am very excited about right now that I recently shared with a friend who introduced me to the producer is NV Dhondt-Grellet ‘Dans un Premier Temps’ Extra Brut.” —Tia Polite, head sommelier, Indienne, Chicago
“I often gift wine — predictable, yes! — and as much as I of course choose my wines according to who’s the receiver, there is one particular region I always rely on, which is the Loire Valley in France. This is by far one of my favorite wine regions in the world, with crisp, crystalline, mineral Chenin Blancs and earthy, muscular Cabernet Francs which also happen to be, nine times out of 10, great value for money.” —Alessia Ferrarello, wine director, NoMad London, London
“An excellent wine to give this holiday season is the Val de Mer Bourgogne Blanc. Val de Mer is a part of a project led by the renowned Patrick Piuze, a celebrated winemaker known for his wine production in Chablis. This white Burgundy has an outstanding minerality and bright acidity with delicate notes of orchard fruit.” —Michéala Johnson, sommelier, Le Jardinier, NYC
“One of my favorite go-to gifts is Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Champagne. There’s something special about gifting a Grand Cru Champagne that remains accessible at under $50 per bottle. This particular Champagne offers a harmonious blend of complexity and balance, with tasting notes that intertwine pastries and fruit, with excellent minerality. It’s a sophisticated choice that’s sure to impress.” —Thomas Delasko, general manager and sommelier, Via Sophia, Washington, D.C.
“My grandmother is from Düsseldorf, so traditional Christmas dishes were never a part of our holiday table, but great Riesling always was. When it comes to gifting during the season, I gravitate toward something celebratory — a bottle of dry Grosses Gewächs (GG), ideal for raising a festive toast.” —Daniel Bowman, beverage director, Georgie, Dallas
“Pasaeli 6N is my bottle of choice to give as a gift. This is a beautiful red grape called Karasakız, indigenous to a small coastal area called Kaz Dağları in Türkiye. Even though it is a lighter-bodied red, it has a lot of character, which makes it super versatile and pairs well with everything. It is also an easy drinker on its own!” —Katrina Schult, co-owner, general manager, Hamdi, Seattle
“Sparkling wine is a perfect host gift because you can enjoy it at many points of the meal — before sitting down, paired with appetizers, or even with dessert. Rather than buying big-name-brand Champagnes, look for smaller producers that give much more bang for your buck. Those from Franciacorta and Bordeaux are my picks, along with more niche grower Champagne.” —Kylie Monagan, sommelier and partner, Amali, Calissa, and Juniper at The Vanderbilt, NYC
“Italian wine is always a safe bet when gifting for a wine connoisseur. One that I think would be loved by most would be a beautiful Nebbiolo from Valtellina. In Valtellina they also produce a style of Nebbiolo where they dry the grapes beforehand, which accentuates everything interesting about this special grape. It is plush and juicy with cherried fruit and tamarind, laced with a bit of tar. The production method is called sforzato, and the Tenuta Scerscé Infinito delivers in so many ways.” —Liz Martinez, general manager, KILN at Hotel Heron, Alexandria Va.
“My go-to gift for friends or family, if I don’t already know a region or varietal that they love, is always Champagne, preferably one that can do a bit of aging. Champagne can be perfect for any kind of event from holiday gatherings to a quiet dinner at home. Fun, ageable Champagne also allows the gift to be opened right away or kept for a special occasion! I find that you are always a welcomed sight when you show up with Champagne somewhere.” —Brady Brown, wine director, The Tusk Bar and BRASS, NYC
“My wine gifts for the year are usually Champagne Bollinger, a great producer.” —Steven Karataglidis, director of wine, Fairmont Royal York, Toronto
“The 2013 R. Lopez Heredia Vina Bosconia. The Heredia family, one of the oldest winemaking families in Rioja, has been crafting exceptional wines for 135 years. This particular wine comes from their own Bosconia vineyard, which enjoys a south-facing aspect, allowing the grapes to ripen fully under the full influence of the sun. While the minimum aging requirement for a Reserva in Rioja is three years, with 12 months in oak, the Heredia family takes it a step further, aging this wine for a full five years before release. If you were to bring this heritage and level of craftsmanship to Bordeaux or Burgundy, you’d expect to pay two or three times the price. Full-bodied with notes of dried cranberry, cherry, and strawberry, complemented by oak, leather, and tobacco, this wine is a true stunner, as it embodies the craftsmanship and rich history of one of Rioja’s oldest winemaking families, offering a rare combination of tradition, complexity, and remarkable value that wine connoisseurs will truly appreciate.” —Kisong Mun, sommelier, The Dearborn, Chicago
“Laurent-Perrier Champagne ‘Cuvée Rosé.’ The bottle is not only festive and elegant, but this Champagne is made with 100 percent high- quality Pinot Noir. Its hue reminds us of the warmth and joy of the holiday season, making it a perfect choice for holiday celebrations.” —Andres Blanco, head sommelier, Le Jardinier at MFAH, Houston
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