A Naturally Wine Gift Guide
I just checked the calendar and somehow it’s nearly the end of November?? I’m not sure when or how that happened, but it does mean that it’s the most wonderful time of the year…time for themed and curated gift guides! And with that, here is the third annual Naturally Wine Gift Guide. As this newsletter is based in Toronto, Canada, many of these gift ideas — which have been selected based on what I have seen, read, and tasted — are local (sorry to our international subscribers!). Please note that I am not professionally affiliated with these products or companies, and do not receive anything from this other than the joy of creating gift guide graphics!
Books and Games
The Social Herbivore (1) is the first ever book focused on wine pairings for plant-based food, written by Toronto-based Priya Rao, a vegan food consultant, and Jen Huether, a sommelier (also available at Bossanova). Friuli Food and Wine (2) celebrates the wine and cuisine of the northeastern Italian region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, which is bordered by Austria, Slovenia, and the Adriatic Sea. Champagne Box Set (3) is a guide to the wines of Champagne by Peter Liem, and includes grower and vintner profiles, and vintage vineyard maps #winecartography. Water & Wines Puzzles (4) take you on an illustrated and educational journey to various wine regions (also available at Grape Crush). The DOCGs of Italy (5) are info cards about the Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita, which are part of the Italian wine classification system. And Pipette (6) is an independent, print-only magazine about natural wines, available at Avling, Easy Tiger, and Queen Books in Toronto, along with other stockists.
Accessories and Merch
Rikindle’s Ripple Coaster Set (1) is made to order and available in solid walnut or solid white oak (as seen in Toronto Makes by Toronto’s very own Randi Bergman). Trail Estate’s Supersonic T-Shirt (2) is named after the winery’s fun sparkling red wine made from Concord grapes. Paradise Grapevine Toques (3) keep your noggin warm on these chilly nights. Zalto Carafe No. 150 (4) is great for decanting red, white, or skin-contact wine while at home with Friends this holiday szn. Midfield Wine Bar’s Bottle Bag (5) is perfect for a single bottle and comes with a cute custom cat gift tag. Burdock Brewery’s Big Tote Bag (6) features artwork by Berlin based Jonathan Niclaus. And Les Vins Dame-Jeanne Corkscrew (7) is a double-hinged pocket corkscrew with psychedelic vibes.
Wine and More Wine
There are many local Ontario wines to enjoy and discover (with several wineries offering holiday gift packs!), but a few suggestions that caught mine eye include: Stratus 2017 Cabernet Franc 'Decant' (1) in its one-of-a-kind bottle designed by Karim Rashid. Hinterland’s 2014 Magnum-Blanc De Blancs (2) makes a statement with 1.5L of sparkling Chardonnay. Stanners 2019 Pinot Noir (3) bottled without filtration and made with a non-interventionist approach. For an alcohol-free option, there’s Teetotaler Sparkling Rose (4) made from 100% Tempranillo grapes using the Brut method. Redtail Vineyard’s The Joint (5) is a blend of perry and cider, a joint project with FieldBird Cider and Randee’s Bees. Revel Cider’s Perry de Coupage (6) is naturally fermented pear cider in a can. Advent Wine Calendars from Grape Witches (7) and In Wines We Trust (8). And Gift Cards (9) from your fave bars and bottle shops.
Plus alllll the local Wine Clubs (10) curating packs delivered to your door: Grape Witches, The Real Wine Club (by The Living Vine), Crushable, Albae Wine Club, Weird Wine Subscription (from Lake Inez), VQ Wines, Boxcar Social, Grey Gardens, wineclub.to, Don’t Worry, and In Wines We Trust. As well as those from Ontario low-intervention wineries such as Trail Estate, Rosewood, Stanners, Southbrook, Leaning Post, Redtail Vineyards, and Hidden Bench, to name a few.
Give yourself the gift of a subscription to this newsletter about natural and local Ontario wine!