Wines for Thanksgiving: Serving and Gifting

Wines are a tradition with many meals and Thanksgiving dinner is no exception. Many people like to serve wines for these special occasions but which of the thousands are appropriate. How about taking a bottle of wine if you are a guest at Thanksgiving dinner? Luckily we have some suggestions for you.

Although there are traditions for serving different wines with different types of foods, these are not hard and fast rules. Choosing wines is more about choosing what you enjoy. First, let's look at those traditions as a guideline.

Wine enhances food and vice versa. So some wines go very well with some types of food. With a Thanksgiving dinner wine, you will look at what foods you are serving. If turkey is your main course, the tradition would dictate a lighter red wine or a drier white wine. But, if you like to serve a roast or other red meat, then a drier red will complement your meat better.

Red meats, red wine, lighter foods, lighter wine and sweet foods, sweet wines. That's the tradition. But, if you like the driest red wines and you are serving turkey for Thanksgiving dinner, enjoy your red wine with it.

These same guidelines go for bringing a bottle of wine to your hostess. If you don't know what kind of food will be served, then pick a wine you like. You may just introduce the other Thanksgiving dinner guests and your hostess to a new variety. And that's a great idea for any wine drinkers.

Wine Accessories Make Great Gifts for Wine Lovers

Hostess gifts for parties, birthday gifts, anniversary gifts, even house-warming gifts can be as simple as wine accessories if you recipient enjoys drinking wine. A wine bottle corkscrew or special wine bottle pour spout make great gifts. And they don't have to break the bank.

Some wine accessories are inexpensive, while others can be more elaborate with a price tag that matches. You can choose the price range that matches your own budget and pick a great wine-lover gift without having to make a choice for a bottle of wine.

Choosing wine as a gift can be very difficult if you don't know the particular tastes of your recipient. So a wine accessory makes a good way to pick a gift without insulting their taste.

Besides corkscrews and pour spouts, wine aerators and wine bottle stoppers are also good choices. You might even want to combine several wine accessories together to get a larger or more expensive gift.

So don't be afraid to give a great gift to your wine-loving friends and family. You won't show any ignorance about different types of wine. Instead, you'll show your expertise at choosing great gifts.

The Value of Using Wine Glass Charms

The next time you have guests over and serve them wine, it's a good idea to use wine glass charms to help identify each guest's glass. Think about the times that you have been at a party, enjoying your wine, but put your glass down somewhere, then can't figure out which is yours anymore? Think about the times, as a hostess, you have been the one to wash wine glasses in the middle of the party because people didn't which one was theirs anymore either?

I got stuck with those problems too often, before I discovered wine glass charms. Of course, I have enough wine glasses for my guests, but not that many extra. So the wine glass charms proved to be a great answer. Each guest had their own charm to identify which glass was theirs. It no longer mattered if they couldn't quite remember where they set their glass down, we could always find it again.

Wine glass charms come in many different styles so you can match them to your party theme, if you want. As an animal lover, I have many sets of charms with different animals on them. Every time I use them for a party, they become something of a party game. We enjoy referring to each other by the animal of their wine glass charm. "I'm the giraffe," or "I'm the Persian Cat," can often be heard at my parties.

When you next need a gift for a wine lover or a hostess gift, wine glass charms make excellent choices. They aren't expensive so you can get several sets that match the personality of the person you are giving the gift to.

So use wine glass charms for your next party and save yourself some hassle. You can find out lots about wine at All About Wine to help you choose, serve and enjoy wine.