10 Wines To Gift This Holiday Season

With the holidays around the corner, it's time to start thinking about gifts for your loved ones, and those lucky enough to be in your periphery of gift-giving. For many people, wine is the perfect gift to receive, as it offers not only a sensory experience but the promise of an occasion to come. Whether it's Tuesday night watching TV with a bottle of gifted wine or a delicious meal with a unique wine pairing, there's something to be said about adding an element to someone's future experience. A bottle of wine can tell a story, from far-off vineyards and cellars to the occasion when you serve it. You're not just gifting a bottle of wine, you're gifting an experience.

Unless you know your gift recipient would rather drink cheap boxed wine than try something new, a wine gift is the perfect way to introduce them to something distinct. This selection of wines contains tried and true classics, as well as some original offerings to pique your giftee's curiosity. The choices range, including lighter styles and bolder, more complex options to satisfy all tastes. Whether you know your recipient's preferred style of wine, or they're particularly interested in a certain region of the world, you'll find a bottle for everyone on your list this season.

For red wine lovers who prefer something a little lighter on the palate, gamay is an excellent variety. Originally from the Beaujolais region in France, it's increasingly grown around the world, including in the U.S. Syncline Winery in Washington's Columbia Gorge AVA produces an excellent expression, made with one of the variety's clones from Beaujolais. If your recipient is a fan of this French wine, then they'll be thrilled to discover the grape coming from another region. And if they're unfamiliar with it, they're sure to become avid fans.

This juicy gamay displays plenty of fruity notes, with raspberry, cherry, and strawberry adding brightness to the palate. Peppered with delicate hints of spice, fresh herbs, and earthiness, the result is elegant and complex. The wine is complemented by smooth tannins and a balanced acidity, making it a versatile choice to pair with food. Whether you're gifting it to a vegetarian or a meat lover, or someone who just enjoys a glass of red wine to wind down, Syncline's gamay is the perfect choice.

Most people are pleased to receive a bottle of French wine, but with all the distinct appellations and small regions, it can be hard to make a reliable choice. When in doubt, a wine from Condrieu is a definite winner. This tiny region in the northern Rhône Valley is the homeland of the viognier grape, and nowhere else in the world does it succeed quite like here. The region is home to several small producers who dedicate plenty of attention to the hillside vines, showcasing the unique nuances of the terroir.

Cave Yves Cuilleron is a family-run winery founded over 100 years ago. The winery produces several bottlings in the Condrieu region, highlighting specific parcels of land. La Petite Côte is a fine example, brimming with notes of peach, apricot, quince, and Turkish delight. Citrus brings vibrant acidity, while hints of ginger and jasmine add spice and character. Gift this to the white wine lover in your life for an explosive aromatic experience.

If you're looking for a special gift for a curious wine lover in your life, this Greek bottle is a great choice. Founded by brothers and now a second-generation endeavor, Markogianni Winery is located near Ancient Olympia, in a mountainous region that provides distinct conditions for growing grapes. The vineyards are farmed organically, and a collection of low-intervention wines is included in the lineup, including Vorias & Helios Orange Assyrtiko. During winemaking, the grape skins remain in contact with the juice for the first week or so of fermentation, giving the resulting wine a vibrant, deep orange hue.

This savory wine displays the assyrtiko grape in a new light, highlighting the complexity of its aromas and its fullness. Notes of orange peel, ripe apricot, and peach stand out, complemented by a crisp minerality and hints of tea. Whether the recipient is new to orange wines or has tried numerous, they're sure to find this delicious rendition pleasant, with its smooth tannins and long finish. It's a great wine for food, conversation, and solo time, ticking all the boxes as far as wine gifts are concerned. It even has a dazzling label that requires no wrapping paper or bows.

If there's anyone on your holiday gift list who loves Barolo wines, then you can't go wrong with a bottle of Ratti's Barolo Marcenasco. The vineyards for this iconic wine are reported to have been around since the 12th century, highlighting its classic essence. With ties to history and respect for tradition, this nebbiolo is a treat for fans of the region. Barolo Marcenasco has been produced for 60 years, further evidence of its timeless nature.

This elegant wine has a full and balanced palate, with aromas of red fruits, like cherry, red currant, and strawberry, and hints of licorice and tobacco. Subtle floral notes and baking spice come through in the glass, adding complexity to this structured wine. It's everything you want a classic Barolo to be, making this consistent example the perfect gift. Ready to drink now or hold for several years, this is sure to be well-received. And if you're really fond of the recipient, at Ratti's family estate, you'll find Villa Pattono, a charming luxury travel destination for Italian wine lovers.

Armenia is at the heart of the oldest winemaking traditions, with evidence of production dating back over 6,000 years. Still, it's not all that common to find Armenian wine, as most of the exports are to Eurasia. Nevertheless, an increasing number of producers are getting involved, leaving American consumers with a few more options. Family-run Karas wines is a fine example, producing award-winning wines in the foothills of Mount Ararat, a dormant volcano.

The winery's Reserve Blend combines tradition and modern winemaking methods in a blend of syrah, malbec, and cabernet franc, aged in Armenian oak. It's well structured with a complex and rich character, livened up by a refreshing acidity. Dark fruits are prominent on the palate, with concentrated notes of blackberries and black plums. A hint of woodsy cedar and spiced notes are present, along with a subtle aroma of eucalyptus. This would make a great gift for a history buff or wine geek, eager for a taste of tradition.

Van Duzer Vineyards in Oregon has been around for about 25 years, located in a unique area of the Willamette Valley. Here, a gap in the Coast Range known as the Van Duzer Corridor allows marine breezes to flow in, creating cool climate conditions. The winds guarantee freshness in the wines, which are made from varieties that are well-suited to these conditions. Case in point, Van Duzer's Estate Pinot Blanc, showcasing a grape that really deserves to experience more of the buzz that its better-known relatives get.

This wine is plenty aromatic, with a balanced acidity and notes of stone fruit, Asian pear, and lemon zest. Hints of honeysuckle, hazelnut, and brioche from the lees aging add complexity to the palate. Thanks to the marine breezes, it's light, fresh, and boasts an elegant nature that makes it stand out. If you have a friend who only ever drinks pinot gris, this delicious alternative is an easy way to level up their white wine repertoire, without steering too far from their favorite.

Many vineyards elicit awe, and that's undeniably the case on Spain's Canary Islands. Located off the coast of northwestern Africa, the volcanic island of Lanzarote is home to several wineries, with vines planted in conical holes protected by crescent-shaped stone walls. With black volcanic soil and unique grape varieties, the vineyards in this part of the world are one of a kind. Not to mention, they are some of the only European vineyards that were not decimated by the phylloxera epidemic in the 1800s.

Gift your friend or family member a sensory trip to the Canary Islands with a bottle of Bodega Los Bermejos Malvasia Seco. Made with malvasia volcanica, a clone of the Greek malvasia grape that mutated as it adapted to Lanzarote, this variety is well-suited for the harsh winds and intense sun experienced on the island. This organic wine has notes of stone fruit, white flowers, fresh herbs, and aniseed. It displays a mineral freshness on the palate, complemented by fruity aromas and a long finish.

The holidays are typically a time to go all out, so it follows that it's the perfect time to splurge on a bottle of wine. Whether it's a gift to yourself or to someone near and dear, Amarone is an excellent choice for the season. This Italian wine is made by drying grapes for a few months before crushing, fermenting, and aging. The dried grapes give it an extra concentrated, fruit-forward flavor that's one of a kind.

Gift a bottle of Pasqua's Mai Dire Mai Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG to share the wonders of this unique wine. At 16.5% ABV, this is a bottle for lovers of bold red wines. It boasts notes of ripe black fruits, cocoa, mocha, cedar, and cloves on the palate. The rich, concentrated aromas are complemented by a balanced acidity and a powerful structure, highlighting the depth and complexity of this age-worthy wine. Pick up an older vintage that has already had time to evolve in the bottle, ensuring your recipient has the ultimate gustatory experience.

For chardonnay lovers, California is the source of plenty of dazzling bottles. While it's grown in many vineyards across the state, those in Sonoma County do a pretty stellar job with it. Owned by a former race car driver, Adobe Road Winery has a fine example of the grape. With vineyards located in the Petaluma Gap AVA, an inland valley that is in the path of a constant marine breeze from the Pacific, the fruit preserves acidity while thickening its skins, resulting in concentrated aromas.

The Chardonnay Sangiacomo Vineyards Roberts Road is an excellent bottle to gift, thanks to a perfect balance of richness and freshness. The wine is bright with a creamy texture that adds depth to the palate. Notes of honeysuckle and citruses are present, along with a hint of spice from the oak barrel aging. The latter doesn't overwhelm, instead leaving this wine smooth and elegant. This is an excellent pairing for different foods served over the holidays, leaving the recipient with plenty of opportunities to pop open this bottle.

South Africa is home to incredible vineyards, and while some span centuries, others are far more recent. Here, tradition and innovation coexist, and with this interesting balance, plenty of exciting wines emerge. Waterkloof Wines is more of a recent affair, with vineyards dating back about 50 years, and the winery itself founded in the '90s. With its biodynamic practices and focus on preserving the surrounding wildlife, Waterkloof is dedicated to producing wine that reflects its terroir. With sustainability in mind and a penchant for finesse, these wines make excellent gifts for discerning oenophiles.

The Circumstance Cabernet Franc is a fantastic choice for fans of red wine and anyone looking for the best of the old and new world. Ripe plum and black cherry aromas come through on the nose, with warm baking spices that bring intrigue to the palate. The structure is elegant, with balanced acidity and smooth tannins. This savory wine is a great match with food, especially game meat or roasted vegetables with herbs. If you have a foodie wine lover on your shopping list this holiday season, Waterkloof's cabernet franc will be a hit.