Wine Gifts
Continuing the gifts theme. Any wine nerds, please enlighten us less educated apes how the uncultured should gift wines to our MDs at upcoming holiday parties.
Consider: cost, type, region of origin, occasion/purpose for gift, food pairings, etc
When gifting wine to MDs or other senior professionals, it's essential to strike the right balance between thoughtfulness, quality, and appropriateness. Here's a breakdown based on the most helpful WSO content:
1. Cost
2. Type of Wine
3. Region of Origin
4. Occasion/Purpose
5. Food Pairings
6. Presentation Tips
By following these guidelines, you'll impress your MDs and show that you've put thought into the gift. Cheers to making a lasting impression!
Sources: Drink Recs for the Upcoming Holidays, How to Crush Your Informational Interview, HF to PE post-MBA - my story and seeking advice (long-time poster)!, Recommended Drinks?
I used to look up Wine Spectator ratings, but not sure if that is still a thing.
Agree on Wine Spectator
When in doubt, get a Bordeaux or Chianti/Chianti Classico . You can't really go wrong with either choice, and they're fairly inexpensive. Barolo is also a pretty good bang for your buck. If you want a nice dry white wine, I'd go with a nice bottle of Cremant.
Cremant is sparkling, not still wine. Can be good value wine but not what most people think of by a dry white wine. And if getting a gift for a manager, I’d go champagne over cremant.
Lol meant to say that. I need to lay off the eggnog.
It depends if they're genuinely a fan of wine or they just buy one of handful of expensive Napa brands they've heard of and will be happy and impressed if they recognize the brand.
If the former, look up ratings in the $100-$150 price range for a Brunello, a Bordeaux, or a Burgundy and google what years were quality in that region. You can usually get a bottle from France or Italy at half the price of similar, if not better, quality than American producers. There are good Napa brands (MacDonald, Spottswoode, Harlan Estate) but they're not what most people visit or buy.
If the later, buy a Caymus Cab or something. Everyone over 60 in finance who doesn't know wine loves Caymus.
This is really good advice. However, one thing that I always struggle is the amount to gift to co-workers.
Here's a real dilemma that I've run into in the past. Our boss will regularly gift us a nice $50 bottle for Christmas. Usually, its appropriate to give a gift back of a similar or slightly higher value. Well, to your points above, the only bottle that he would appreciate is a $150 Bourdeaux....but then it's awkward because you gave him a really nice bottle and he gave you a mid bottle. Any thoughts?
Get him a $60-$70 Brunello and tell him to get over himself ;)
Why don't you just get together with his other direct reports and get him a nice bottle of wine between you? 5 of you could get him a $300 bottle, which won't be quite First Growth but even a good Second is going to be highly appreciated.
Agree with this overall, but please don't get Caymus - terribly overpriced wine that's just marketing. Take a look at Jonata, it's owned by the same people as Screaming Eagle and has some good options from $75-150, though you'll have to buy online
I think this is decent advice, but it sort of depends. If they're really a fan of wine, get them a really great bottle from a secondary or tertiary region. Top burgundies are thousands of dollars a bottle, and even top Bordeaux are pushing the four figure mark.
If your boss loves wine, get him/her something really great from the Loire Valley, or Sicily, or wherever it might be. Top wines from those regions are going to be in that 100-150 range. Better yet, buy one yourself and drink it so you might be able to talk to your boss about it when they drink it. Someone who actually loves wine is going to be way happier to get a really good expression of a wine/grape they haven't had, rather than a "meh" version of a popular wine region.
As you say, if they don't care about wine then just go to a steak house, look at the mid-priced California cabs, and buy one of them retail.
I recommend pichon comtesse reserve (pichon lalande’s second wine) or guidalberto (sassicaia second wine). Both wines are great qpr and you can buy either at most wine shops.
tamjanika / serbia is pretty local, cheap and tasty
Robert Mondavi has some interesting stuff
If you don’t know their tastes or level of wine knowledge get a nice Chianti. If they know their wine, regions and possibly collect go for a left bank Bordeaux.
Research what years fit your price range and purpose. Don’t cheap out but don’t go over the top.
Note - do not get anything too recent or they will not drink it before you no longer work together!
https://www.amazon.com/Perignon-Champagne-750ml-Bottle-Pack/dp/B0DNKR4Z…
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