The 23 Best Gifts for Wine Lovers, According to Sommeliers and Other Experts

If you’ve ever found yourself standing slack-jawed in a wine store, trying to pick out a perfect bottle for the oenophile in your life because you simply can’t think of a better gift, allow us to lighten the burden. You don’t have to buy that wine lover wine to slay the gift-giving game. We’ve asked industry experts—sommeliers, wine retailers, winemakers and restaurant insiders—for their favorite wine-related items that they own or wish they did. From varietal-specific glassware to stylish home goods to geeky wine items, here are our experts’ 15 picks for the best gifts for wine lovers.

For the stylish host

These merino wool wine markers stylishly slip onto the base of your glass so that you can determine which one is yours in a large gathering. “The glass identifiers work so well for small dinner parties and small wine gatherings,” says Kilolo Strobert, owner of Brooklyn’s Fermented Grapes Wine & Spirits. They’re also a more modern look than the dangling charms of yesterday.

For those looking to go stemless

Emma Bentley, a wine writer and consultant based in Italy’s Veneto region, married into an Italian winemaking family. “There is a bottle of wine on the table with every lunch and dinner,” she says. “But only for special occasions or with guests do we use goblets.” Her favorite stemless glasses, after tried-and-true research, are the Schott Zwiesel Tritan Crystal Glass Forte Collection Universal Tumblers, which we also cite in our guide to the best wine glasses. Sold in a set of 6, these Tritan crystal stemless glasses can hold 19 ounces and are a great everyday glass for those looking to expand into the wide world of stemless.

For red wine obsessives

Red wine drinkers in search of a better drinking experience should look no further than the Vinturi Red Wine Aerator, says Michael Langenhoven, winemaker for Mont Rochelle Hotel and Vineyard in Franschhoek, South Africa. “An aerator brings the wine in contact with oxygen, which helps the wine come to life quicker by opening up the flavors and softening up the tannins faster,” he says. This aerator is placed over the glass and aerates the wine as it passes through. Small, easy-to-use and effective, this handy tool is a worthy gift for the red wine enthusiast in your life, and one of our favorite aerators.

For the snacking set

“Cheese and wine baskets are a dime a dozen during the holiday season, but I have a tip that ensures your money is well-spent,” says Dana Beninati, chef and sommelier behind recipe site Dine with Dana in New York City. She suggests looking for baskets that contain perishable items, like soft cheeses and fresh fruit. When these perishable items are stored properly, she says, the wine will be, too. One of Beninati’s picks for this holiday season? The Bubbly and Brie Champagne Gift Basket, which comes with a bottle of Lucien Albrecht Crémant d’Alsace, cured meat and, naturally, a small wheel of Brie.

For the picnicker

We included this insulated 2-bottle wine cooler bag on our list of the best wine travel bags thanks to its capacity to hold two 750-milliliter bottles as well as hot or cold food, making it perfect for your next picnic. It comes recommended by Jhonatan Adame Mejia, wine director at the Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Mexico in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, who appreciates the bag’s waterproof and weatherproof material, as well as the bag’s front zip storage compartment that can hold cutlery, plates, extra wine keys and more.

For the aspiring sommelier

Many sommeliers know to keep a tool on hand for extracting the corks from old bottles. If you’re looking for a gift for someone who is just becoming familiar with older bottles—or who is looking to dive deeper into the world of passionate wine collecting—The Durand is a gift of note, says Kenny Grandon, wine director of Middleburg, Va.’s Goodstone Inn and Restaurant. Older, crumbling corks stand no chance against the Durand. “You use the corkscrew piece first, then the second piece has the tongs on the outside to help grip the cork, pulling it out in one piece,” Grandon explains. “This wine opener is an essential piece.”

For the bubbles enthusiast

“Glassware enhances the aroma, the taste and the experience,” says Leslie Bloudoff, president of Nostra Vita Family Winery in Lodi, Calif., a winery that produces sparkling wines. Specific glassware is important for sparkling wine, she says, which is why she prefers Riedel’s Performance Champagne Glass, an egg-shaped glass that helps bubbles to form, develop and be released. This package of two glasses is a generous investment for the true lover of something sparkling.

For the tech-savvy

Beninati suggests gifting the tech-savvy wine lover in your life one of her favorite tools: the Cuisinart Vacuum Sealer Cordless Wine Opener. “It can open 50-plus bottles before needing to be recharged and charges in under two hours,” she says. The charger also comes with a vacuum sealer that can re-seal an unfinished bottle and set the date for when the bottle was opened. Cordless and streamlined, this easy-on-the-eyes appliance is a pretty addition to any bar top or dinner table, making it an ideal holiday gift.

For the nascent collector

Friends who are just beginning to build a wine collection may require a small wine cooler. New York-based freelance food and drink writer Shelby Vittek recommends an updated version of the small wine fridge she’s been using for years: Wine Enthusiast’s VinoView 28-Bottle Compressor Wine Cooler (she also recommends this model in our guide to wine fridges). “I was in college when I bought it, so the price tag was the main selling point,” she says. The 28-bottle, single-zone fridge with a temperature range of 39 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit costs less than $400 and is great for those with small spaces and who are just starting a substantive collection.

For the curious collector

For the friend with the ambitious collection who just can’t wait to get started drinking those prize bottles: Get a Coravin, says Melanie Natoli, winemaker and vineyard manager at Cana Vineyards & Winery in Middleburg, Va. The Coravin’s needle pushes through the cork of even the most precious wine bottle, injects argon gas to displace oxygen and allows wine to be piped out. When you remove the Coravin, the wine can be returned to their shelf or wine cooler as if it were brand-new. “You can pour whatever sized glass you’d prefer for each course and not have to worry about a bunch of open bottles of wine,” Natoli says. She also likes using the Coravin to taste wines in various stages of development as they age. “It’s a great tool,” she says, and, equally, a great gift.

For the bespoke gift-lover

Madeline Jimerson, master sommelier and wine director at Casa Tua, in Aspen, Colo., turns to the time-tested brand Laguiole when she’s in need of something classic and refined for a wine-loving friend. “Laguiole is best known for its tableware, but they know their way around a corkscrew,” she says. She recommends the brand’s Grand Cru Series White Horn Wine Opener, a piece crafted from the horn tip of French cattle. “It’s beautiful sitting atop your bar and feels great in your hand,” she says. Those with a more expansive budget—and a giftee in the know—should consider this gift, which will last a lifetime. If this one isn’t quite the right gift, we have even more wine opener picks.

For wine lover on-the-go

For the traveling friend who seemingly has everything, Beninati suggests a gift that will travel, too. “My favorite wine cooler is so simple to use and even easier to store when not in use,” she says. “These plastic ice wine bags are lightweight, durable and have built-in ice packs.” Just freeze the bag for six hours and then slide your bottle in when you’re ready; the wine will be at a drinkable, chilled temperature in 5 minutes.. The bags fold flat so they don’t take up storage space, either at home or on the road.

For the white wine drinker

Keep white wine cold in style with this sleek marble wine chiller, which can be kept in either the refrigerator or freezer beforehand and then left out on the table for easy access. “There’s nothing worse than having to walk back and forth to the fridge with your white wine when you’re at the dinner table,” says Breana Lai Killeen, the chef and farmer at Killeen Crossroads Farm in Shelburne, Vt. The marble chiller, she adds, is “a beautiful addition to any table setting,” even as it keeps white wine within a stone’s throw of every available glass.

For the design-forward

“Salviati glassware has been handmade on the Venetian island of Murano since the 18th century,” says Alexandra Schrecengost, founder and CEO of Culture With Us, based in West Orange, N.J. She recommends the La DoubleJX Salviati Murano fluted coupes, a pair of hand-blown glasses from vintage collector J.J. Martin that are equal parts art and drinkware. The glassware, Schrecengost says, “changes color naturally, depending on what’s in them.” Unique, spectacular and sure-to-impress, this set is one of our favorite finds. See our story for even more unique wine glasses.

For the casual weeknight drinker

The Antiox Carbon Filter Wine Stopper is perfect for the wine lover who is regularly pulling out bottles for weeknight drinking and wants to make the best of every last drop, says Killeen. The stoppers, she says, “contain carbon, which halts the [oxygen] interaction with the wine.” She notes the stopper “can keep a bottle of wine fresh on the counter for at least three days.”

For the tidy barkeep

Strobert loves Homaxy’s absorbent towels, which are great-looking, come in multiple colors and always come in handy if you happen to be throwing a wine-related event. Use them to aid in pouring wine so that not a drop ends up in the wrong place, or set them beneath decanters like proper serviettes.

For someone who loves a chilled wine

This set of two wine freeze cups made our list of the best stemless wine glasses thanks to the glasses’ cooling technology. They’re great for white wines, which are generally best served cold, since the insulated cups keep their contents at an ideal, crisp temperature (between 43 and 53 degrees, according to the company).

For the entertainer

The classic wine drinkers in your life will definitely appreciate this Riedel Merlot decanter, named for the Merlot grape, which is actually appropriate for most grape varieties, says Christopher Freund, the founder and partner of Pure Wine in New York City. “It’s durable, it does the job of decanting and aerating, but most importantly, it is easier to clean than most of the average ‘flying saucer’-shaped decanters,” he says. It’s an elegant piece that will add panache to any wine lover’s collection, and it’s not a hassle to maintain. In other words: the perfect bespoke gift.

For the theatrical wine lover

If your favorite Champagne lover prefers to saber a bottle the way that Napoleon’s cavalry did during the French Revolution, gift a Champagne saber, the crème de la crème of t“Any opportunity to enjoy a bottle of sparkling is an occasion,” Bloudoff says. “So let’s celebrate!” That celebration can include, of course, the theatrical performance of sabering a bottle—for which your giftee may require a super-sharp Champagne saber. The stainless steel blade of the California Saber Company Rosewood saber makes it easy to shear through the bottle’s thick glass, while the hand-cut rosewood handle makes for a gorgeous addition to any bar cart or display.

For those who drink pink

“The glass you drink wine out of matters,” Natoli says. She defines herself as a “dedicated rosé lover, advocate and producer,” and considers these glasses—which are specifically made for the enjoyment of pink wine—as long overdue. The shape of the Riedel Extreme Rosé Glass helps the aromatics reach up and out of the glass, making them ideal for pink wines, which often showcase complex aromas that can get muddied in less delicate glassware.

For the frequent flier

Traveling friends looking to transport (i.e., bag-check) bottles of wine and liquor back from their destinations will love The Jet Bag, says Tyler Parker, beverage director of several restaurants in Santa Rosa Beach, Fla., including Shunk Gulley Liquor & Wine and Gallion’s. A resealable, reusable and recyclable bag, he says, “protect[s] the wine in my luggage or on the road, can absorb a standard-sized bottle of wine [if it breaks] and is zipper-sealed to prevent leaking and making a mess anywhere accidents happen along the way.”

For the whiskey-drinker

If they like to switch up from wine to brown spirits, a whiskey decanter serves a distinct purpose, says Beninati. With its stoppered top, which is designed to allow in incremental amounts of oxygen, the Waterford Lismore Square Decanter helps whiskey to mature. And with a wide, stable base and faceted glass, it’s also lovely to look at. “It’s easy to admire the contents from near or far,” says Beninati, while still slowly introducing oxidative flavors appropriate to whiskey to help it to age at a gradual pace. See more decanter options here.

For those who like to self-select

The selective oenophiles in your life may want their own say on what their gift should be. And that’s OK, says Beninati. “With over 8,000 wines—and glassware to boot—it’s tough to beat Total Wine’s selection,” she says. Beninati recommends the wine store’s gift cards, which are “easy to order and send online, and can be used on delivery orders.” Even a $50 card can go a long way given the store’s value-driven wine program, she says. Note that this gift card can’t be redeemed in New York or Kansas.