While shopping after Thanksgiving, Krista saw a mug that said something like, “Anyone who says they don’t know what to buy me doesn’t know where to buy wine.”
For us, there’s a lot of truth in that. Don’t know what to buy us? Get us some wine.
But buying wine for wine lovers can be intimidating. Our friends have told us so – repeatedly.
If you have a wine lover on your list, maybe you’re feeling the same way. Luckily, you don’t have to rely on wine alone for a gift (although, for the record, a gift card to any store that sells wine is a perfectly acceptable choice). There are many places you can go to buy wine-related gifts, including local stores and online.
First, if you’re the kind of person who likes to get out and shop, there are any number of wine-related items at any department store, including glasses, bottle openers and other gadgets. You can pick up some nice Riedel wine glasses (our favorite) for $39.99 for a set of four at Target. Or you can stop by “It’s About Wine, etc.” at Glenbrook Square.
Pam and Ron Greenwood opened the store last month just for the holiday season and have a unique array of wine-related items. You can find everything from wine glass footwear for $6 each (these are like coasters for wine glasses, in the shape of a flip-flop or slipper that attach to the base of the glass), to ornate, decorative bottle holders for nearly $200. Most of the items in the store are handcrafted by artisans the Greenwoods have met over the last few years.
After the couple from Middlebury retired a few years ago, they decided they needed something to fill the time. Their son had moved to California and started his own winery specializing in port, Roxo Port Cellars in Paso Robles, and he suggested they look into selling wine-related items.
Anyone who has ever looked for unique wine gifts for wine lovers knows it can be a challenge. So the Greenwoods started selling items in Shipshewana in the summer months and expanded to the Mesa Market in Arizona from January through March. Now, they’re giving the mall a try.
Many of the items in the store are made by artisans from Georgia, Michigan, Ohio, Arizona and Minnesota – and even an artist from Fremont.
“I’m constantly looking for unique things,” Pam said. Many of the visitors to the store know a wine lover and want to find a unique gift, she said. Others are looking for items that will match their own décor.
Krista was eyeing several things in the store and dropping hints heavily to Dan. We’ll see whether he picked up on any come Christmas Day.
“There’s something about grapes and grapevines that’s charming,” she said.
The store will be open at the mall through Jan. 10, and if it’s a success, it might return.
If mingling with the holiday crowds isn’t your style, you will have no problem finding wine gifts online. Try Googling “unique wine gifts” and just look at what you’ll find. Among the more unique items we’ve seen this year are glasses made from wine bottles.
We have a few cheese-and-cracker trays made from wine bottles, but this year was the first for glasses made out of bottles. Just like wine bottles, the glasses come in a variety of sizes, shapes and colors. They can be found at several sites. Just search for “recycled wine bottle glasses” and have fun.
Of course, the other great place to find wine-related gifts is at a winery. Most winery tasting rooms have at least a few items you can’t find anywhere else, which is one of the many reasons we love visiting wineries. And sometimes, as long as we’re there – and if the mood strikes us – we may even buy some wine. Seriously, though, wine from a winery is also a great gift because you can taste it first so you’ll know what you’re giving, and chances are it’s a bottle the recipient can’t get anywhere else.
Whatever you decide to get for the wine lovers on your list, we’re sure they’ll love it. After all, it’s the thought that counts, and what’s better than thinking about wine?
Cheers!
