How to Pick a Gift for Red Wine Lovers?

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It is not always easy to choose the perfect gift for friends or family members, even those who are very close to you. And when it comes to choosing the right gift for red wine lovers, it can become extra difficult to zero in on the right bottle of red wine. This is because red wine is more about personal taste, and the choice of ‘best’ red wine could be highly subjective. So it is always important to know more about red wine and about the personal preferences of the recipient before you buy the gift. You can order wine online as well, if you are confident of your loved one’s taste or know the brand they like.

Red wine differs from white wine in a number of ways. These differences are mainly in terms of flavour profile and factors like levels of alcohol and tannin. Most of these differences arise from the fermentation process that involves leaving the grape skin inside the tank along with the fermented juice. Apart from it, ageing process - whether in bottle or barrel - can also change the way a wine matures. So keeping these factors in mind, you can get the basic idea about the kind of wine that may best suit the need of a red wine lover. You can also keep a red wines list handy for the same and compare the following features.

Tannins- Tannin levels have a profound influence on the taste of wine, and are usually associated with bitterness in taste and firmness in texture that causes dryness in mouth. In general, red wines have higher tannin levels than white wines, but Cabernet Sauvignon is notoriously tannic. Apart from Cabernet Sauvignon, Rioja, Chianti and Merlot are also highly tannic.

Acidity - Acidity is usually associated with a puckering sensation in mouth, though sweetness in wine may reduce such sensations. Acidity in wine helps preserve the wine bottle for a longer period of time. Sauternes, for example, features high acid levels and could age for several decades. If you are looking for red wines with high acidic levels, consider Pinot and Grenache.

Body– Body of a wine refers to the weight of wine on the palate, and wines are accordingly graded as full-bodied, medium-bodied and light-bodied. This grading of a wine depends on a combination of factors, and full-bodied wines are usually associated with darker colours. Full-bodied varieties like Syrah offer such dark flavours such as chocolate, tobacco and plum, while Shiraz comes with a sweet tobacco finish.

Alcohol levels– Zinfandel features one the highest alcoholic content among red wines. Its high alcoholic content is mainly due to higher amount of sugar used in the fermentation process, and it causes the wine to feel more intense. Overall, Zinfandel is ripe and fruity. Other high-alcohol wines include Shiraz and Madeira.             

So, based on these aspects of red wine, it won’t be hard to select the right one for a perfect gift. But again, it is important to get the good quality wine at the right price. So make sure that the wine you are planning to buy is complex (in terms of offering a wide array of flavours) and intense (each flavour needs to be intense).

And finally, you can complete your wine gift set by adding interesting props to the gift basket. For example, you can include a red wine artwork, a wine infused coffee, or a stem-less glitter wine glass to make the gift lavish and complete! Wines can also be gifted with gourmet cheeses or chocolates. All in all, by keeping the above points in mind, you can impress your loved ones easily at the next party.