The 15 Best Gifts for Wine Lovers, According to Experts

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By Hannah Selinger

If you’ve ever found yourself standing slack-jawed in a wine store, trying to pick out a perfect bottle for the oenophile in your life because you simply can't think of a better gift, allow us to lighten the burden. You don't have to buy that wine lover wine to slay the gift-giving game. We’ve asked industry experts—sommeliers, wine retailers, winemakers and restaurant insiders—for their favorite wine-related items that they own or wish they did. From varietal-specific glassware to stylish home goods to geeky wine items, here are our experts’ 15 picks for the best gifts for wine lovers.

$22 at Amazon

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The Antiox Carbon Filter Wine Stopper is perfect for the wine lover who is regularly pulling out bottles for weeknight drinking and wants to make the best of every last drop, says Breana Lai Killeen, the chef and farmer at Killeen Crossroads Farm in Shelburne, Vt. The stoppers, she says, "contain carbon, which halts the [oxygen] interaction with the wine." She notes the stopper "can keep a bottle of wine fresh on the counter for at least three days."

$19 at Amazon

These merino wool wine markers stylishly slip onto the base of your glass so that you can determine which one is yours in a large gathering. "The glass identifiers work so well for small dinner parties and small wine gatherings," says Kilolo Strobert, owner of Brooklyn's Fermented Grapes Wine & Spirits. They’re also a more modern look than the dangling charms of yesterday.

$145 at Amazon

Many sommeliers know to keep a tool on hand for extracting the corks from old bottles. If you’re looking for a gift for someone who is just becoming familiar with older bottles—or who is looking to dive deeper into the world of passionate wine collecting—The Durand is a gift of note, says Kenny Grandon, wine director of Middleburg, Va.'s Goodstone Inn and Restaurant. Older, crumbling corks stand no chance against the Durand. "You use the corkscrew piece first, then the second piece has the tongs on the outside to help grip the cork, pulling it out in one piece," Grandon explains. "This wine opener is an essential piece."

$61 at Amazon

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$79 at Bloomingdale's

"Glassware enhances the aroma, the taste and the experience," says Leslie Bloudoff, president of Nostra Vita Family Winery in Lodi, Calif., a winery that produces sparkling wines. Specific glassware is important for sparkling wine, she says, which is why she prefers Riedel's Performance Champagne Glass, an egg-shaped glass that helps bubbles to form, develop and be released. This package of two glasses is a generous investment for the true lover of something sparkling.

$161 at Amazon

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$160 at Coravin

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For the friend with the ambitious collection who just can't wait to get started drinking those prize bottles: Get a Coravin, says Melanie Natoli, winemaker and vineyard manager at Cana Vineyards & Winery in Middleburg, Va. The Coravin's needle pushes through the cork of even the most precious wine bottle, injects argon gas to displace oxygen and allows wine to be piped out. When you remove the Coravin, the wine can be returned to their shelf or wine cooler as if it were brand-new. "You can pour whatever sized glass you’d prefer for each course and not have to worry about a bunch of open bottles of wine," Natoli says. She also likes using the Coravin to taste wines in various stages of development as they age. "It's a great tool," she says, and, equally, a great gift.

$140 at Duluth Trading

Wine, cheese and charcuterie are the holy trinity of cocktail hour, so it makes sense that a beautiful charcuterie board would appear on our gift list for wine lovers. This walnut server from Duluth Trading Co. is a gorgeous addition to any tablescape, says Britney Brown-Chamberlain, a food blogger, recipe-developer and food photographer based in Washington, D.C. "It's chic, lightweight, it's easy-to-clean and the walnut color makes it a really beautiful piece to display when I’m not using it."

$35 at Amazon

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Keep white wine cold in style with this sleek marble wine chiller, which can be kept in either the refrigerator or freezer beforehand and then left out on the table for easy access. "There's nothing worse than having to walk back and forth to the fridge with your white wine when you’re at the dinner table," Killeen says. The marble chiller, she adds, is "a beautiful addition to any table setting," even as it keeps white wine within a stone's throw of every available glass.

$12 at Amazon

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Strobert loves Homaxy's absorbent towels, which are great-looking, come in multiple colors and always come in handy if you happen to be throwing a wine-related event. Use them to aid in pouring wine so that not a drop ends up in the wrong place, or set them beneath decanters like proper serviettes.

$28 at Amazon

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The classic wine drinkers in your life will definitely appreciate this Riedel Merlot decanter, named for the Merlot grape, which is actually appropriate for most grape varieties, says Christopher Freund, the founder and partner of Pure Wine in New York City. "It's durable, it does the job of decanting and aerating, but most importantly, it is easier to clean than most of the average ‘flying saucer’-shaped decanters," he says. It's an elegant piece that will add panache to any wine lover's collection, and it's not a hassle to maintain. In other words: the perfect bespoke gift.

$120 at Amazon

If your favorite Champagne lover prefers to saber a bottle the way that Napoleon's cavalry did during the French Revolution, gift a Champagne saber, the crème de la crème of theatrical wine gifts, says Bloudoff. "Any opportunity to enjoy a bottle of sparkling is an occasion," she says. "So let's celebrate!" The stainless steel blade of the Claude Dozorme saber makes it easy to shear through the bottle's thick glass, while the olivewood handle makes for a gorgeous addition to any bar cart or display.

$71 at Amazon

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"The glass you drink wine out of matters," Natoli says. She defines herself as a "dedicated rosé lover, advocate and producer," and considers these glasses—which are specifically made for the enjoyment of pink wine—as long overdue. The shape of the Riedel Extreme Rosé Glass helps the aromatics reach up and out of the glass, making them ideal for pink wines, which often showcase complex aromas that can get muddied in less delicate glassware.

$65 at Farmhouse Pottery

"It's hard to find a wine lover who isn't also a coffee lover," says Killeen. "I think wine lovers tend to appreciate the beauty of a well-crafted beverage." For Killeen, coffee should appear in a well-crafted receptacle, which is why she loves Farmhouse Pottery's Tall Silo Mug. "Whatever you’re drinking tastes better if you also enjoy the look and feel of the vessel," Killeen says.

$365 at Code38

Those obsessed with the trappings of home will no doubt love the Code 38 P-tye Pro, a tech-forward wine key that Freund describes as "a sexy piece of wine equipment." The wine professional finds this splurge to be worth every cent. "It's reliable and can be taken apart to clean and repair, and it just feels so good to work with," he says of the stainless steel opener.

$350 at Designs That Donate

Jill Osur, founder and CEO of Teneral Cellars in Fair Play, Calif., embraces the aesthetic side of wine service. Every wine lover also needs somewhere to properly present wine, stemware and the edible accouterment that goes with it, she says, and for that she recommends Designs That Donate's Hammered Steel Tray. The company, founded by sisters-in-law Keri and Farrel Starker, says it donates 5% of every sale to charity. The trays, Osur says, "are gorgeous, well-crafted products," but she also appreciates that Designs That Donate is a woman-owned business.

$25 at Amazon

Traveling friends looking to transport (i.e., bag-check) bottles of wine and liquor back from their destinations will love The Jet Bag, says Tyler Parker, beverage director of several restaurants in Santa Rosa Beach, Fla., including Shunk Gulley Liquor & Wine and Gallion's. A resealable, reusable and recyclable bag, he says, "protect[s] the wine in my luggage or on the road, can absorb a standard-sized bottle of wine [if it breaks] and is zipper-sealed to prevent leaking and making a mess anywhere accidents happen along the way."