Gifts

The Best Wine Gifts Under $50

Wednesday, May 24, 2023

I recently reviewed the wine advent calendar from In Good Taste which makes a fabulous gift for the holidays, but it’s definitely a single-holiday gift and it’s not under $50. So, I thought I’d gather up some other wine gift ideas that work year-round and that are more budget friendly. One suggestion that isn’t a wine gift but works great for any health nut in your life is supplements from Goli Nutrition. And these aren’t your grandma’s supplements. Rather than a hard pill you have to choke down, these are gummies that actually taste good. You can even use a code for 35% off gummies.

Bottles of Wine

I figured we’d get the most obvious answer out of the way first: a budget of $50 is plenty to get you a very nice bottle of wine for the wine-lover in your life. If you’re not a wine drinker yourself and have no idea what’s good, ask the staff at the store. You don’t start a job at a wine store without loving the stuff yourself, these people practically live for being asked for wine recommendations. They may have some basic questions about whether your giftee prefers reds, whites, or roses and specific kinds of them so see if you can suss out what their preferences are ahead of time. That will give the staff the information they need to make the best possible recommendations

Decorative Cork Holders

This is kind of a fun one. Decorative cork holders are typically wall hangings or containers to place on a table that have slots or a chamber to hold corks from bottles of wine. They run the gamut of designs, with some being more straightforward and functional and some being very creative indeed. They can run the gamut in terms of pricing as well, but check out sites like Etsy and you can get personalized ones for around $50. 

Freezable Glasses

If your giftee loves whites and roses, they will never have to suffer through another glass of lukewarm wine again. A freezable glass is exactly what it sounds like – it goes into the freezer ahead of time and can be pulled out when they want to have a glass. The frozen gel inside the vacuum cup will keep their wine cold for hours even on a hot summer evening without ice melting into it and diluting the wine (ick). I can’t think of many things I find more refreshing on a hot summer evening than a nice glass of chilled wine. These will usually run you around $40. 

Bottle Stopper Garden Kits

Once the wine is finished, these stopper kits can turn the bottle into a pot for herbs or edible flowers. I think this is such a cool idea, and I loved seeing the roots growing down into the water  in the bottle. Much more interesting than a tray of herbs in your windowsill! These make a great gift to bring to a dinner party as a thank you, and they are only about $30! 

Uncorked Candles

Uncorked is a line of wine-scented candles that  are encased in upcycled old wine bottles. I have to put  a disclaimer here and say that I have not personally smell-tested these, so I’m not sure if they are any good or not. I do love a good candle though, and the idea of a candle scented with my favorite kind of wine is intriguing. The collection includes champagne, rose, chardonnay, pinot grigio, and cabernet. If you try one out, let me know how they smell. Or you could give me one as a gift! The candles are $35 each.

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Wine

The In Good Taste Wine Advent Calendar – is it worth it?

Tuesday, May 23, 2023

If you love trying new wines or know somebody who does, then you may want to look into the In Good Taste wine advent calendar next holiday season. It has 24 mini-bottles of a selection of the wines they carry and is a fun way to try different wines from around the world. If you find one that you particularly enjoy and want to try it at the source, you can use a 10% off coupon for accommodations.

What’s included with the advent calendar?

In each advent calendar from In Good Taste you will get 24 mini-bottles of wine, each containing 187mLs of the wine selection for that day. It’s just enough to enjoy a glass and get a good sense of if you like the varietal or not. The advent calendar also comes with a booklet with more information on each wine, as well as what foods pair well with them which is a nice touch. The promise of being able to try 24 different wines was strong enough to sell me, but they really went the extra mile with the little booklet and the details that went into it. The packaging that it comes in is quite attractive as well, so it’s easy to leave it out on a table or counter for the holiday season.

What kind of wine do you get in the advent calendar?

In Good Taste changes the wines that are included every year (which makes it a fantastic repeat gift for anyone who loves wine), so I can’t say for sure what you will get, but it typically includes wines from Spain, Sicily, California, and more. The advent calendar includes reds, whites, and roses so you get a wide variety of different wines.

Is the advent calendar good, actually, or just a gimmick?

I’m glad you asked! On the In Good Taste website there are 824 reviews of the advent calendar with the lowest rating of 4 stars out of 5! And, only 22 reviews give a 4 star rating, all 802 of the other reviews are for 5 stars. Customers are overall impressed with the quality and variety of the wine, as well as the attractive packaging. One customer mentioned that the mini-bottles also have nearly infinite possibilities for being upcycled once you drink the wine, which I thought was very clever! The only negatives I really saw in the 4 star reviews were that given the time of year, they wished they had the option to purchase an all-reds advent calendar. I suppose that’s more of a personal preference, than a negative?

So in conclusion, yes, the wine advent calendar from In Good Taste is good, actually. It’s fun, it’s cute, the wines are fabulous, they suggest tasty dishes to go along with each one, and you can reuse the bottle for all kinds of things once the wine is gone. If you are even considering purchasing it for yourself or as a gift, I can wholeheartedly recommend that you take the plunge and do it!

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