Simply Splendid Gift Baskets Blog

Of all the types of gift baskets, a wine gift basket is the most elegant present to give. Wine is a gift that most people appreciated and can be given for an array of occasions. The most popular occasions though are Christmas, New Years, anniversaries, weddings and birthdays.

The most important choice in a wine basket is the wine itself. Wine comes in two varieties - red and white. Red wine is made from red and black grapes while white wine is made from white grapes. Popular red wines are cabernet sauvignon, merlot and Grenache. Red wines are usually full flavored. The chocolaty flavor of merlots makes them a very popular choice among women. Grenaches contain a slight taste of raspberries.

White wines are produced using white grapes. White wines tend to be more on the dry side combined with a fruity taste and with a hint of vanilla. Chardonnays are the most sought after white wines.

Choosing the right wine can be a difficult task. Wine retailers usually have recommendations based on the occasion, your budget, the recipient, etc. All of these factors are important in choosing the right wine. For example, if you are buying a gift basket for an experienced wine enthusiast, you may want to find a more interesting wine. On the other hand, a beginning enthusiast will enjoy a mid-range bottle of wine.

The final step in purchasing a wine gift basket will be the accessories that you will include. Accessories for wine baskets can include food, tools, and literature. It is important to select the food according to preference of the receiver and also to the type of wine. Toasted sesame crackers are usually included with white wines, while a chocolate bar works best with a cabernet. Other foods that are generally included in wine baskets are apples and oranges, cheese spreads, cashews and olives.

Besides food the most obvious accessory added to wine gift baskets are wine glasses. Wine connoisseurs are almost as picky about the glass in which their wine will be served as they are about the wine. Several different types of wine glasses exist. The choice of wine determines which type of glass will be used. Red wines get served in a glass with a large bowl, while white wines get served in small bowled glasses. Champagne glasses are fluted. The number of glasses included will be determined by the occasion for which the basket is given.

Finally, other items can be used to finish off the basket. For example, a beginning wine enthusiast might enjoy some literature about the history of wines or how to choose a wine. Also, depending on the feel you want the basket to have, you might include some products not related to wine. For example, a gift basket for an anniversary present might include a red wine, a box of chocolates, strawberries, two glasses, and some spa products so that it has a romantic feel.

John Hawkesby is a wine broadcaster, writer and enthusiast.

In this story he talks us through the process he goes through to review a wine.If he loves a wine he will then talk about it through his work.

John invites us into his vineyard and home -- and gives us a look at why he loves what he does.

It was a lovely day getting to go over to Waiheke and talk with John, as with all stories you can’t get everything you want in -- but with this one it became a case of there being so many great lines from him that I just kind of cut them together and let it stand as a series of erudite digressions.

He was very generous with his time and a wonderful host -- going out of his way to put me and Warren Green, my friend and Camera pro, at ease -- he picked us up from the ferry and made us coffee  and a gift -- he is a top man.

It was a pleasure to meet him and it seems a terrible shame that there isn’t a bigger role that such a pro broadcaster could be filling.

I very much enjoyed talking to him about wine as it is something I have a large interest in and a very small knowledge of. I was lucky enough to work as  a waiter at a restuarant with a fantastic wine list and a staff that loved educating people about wine. My time working at Dine by Peter Gordon under a very cool lady Julie Woodyear-Smith gave me the chance to have winemakers talk through what they do and have wine experts conduct tastings. Like many crafts you can only learn about wine-making from lots of tasting and talking and it is a very good job that then leaves you having learnt about fine food and wine in a way that I hadn’t been exposed to.

John said he had an introduction to wine late-ish also -- -he was in his late twenties before he really drank at all. He has been collecting wine pretty much since. These days he doesn’t have to buy much local stuff as winemakers send him so much stock to review.

It is a good thing to be a friend of John’s on Waiheke as he is in the habit of tasting and taking notes about the wine -- and then sharing the rest of the bottle around.

Director -- Simon Pound, DOP -- Warren Green, Editor -- Sacha Childers, Producer -- Phil Wallington, host -- Russell Brown, Media 7 on TVNZ7