Giving wine as a gift–what kind to buy?

I want to buy my boss a good bottle of wine for Christmas, but I don’t know the first thing about wine. He hasn’t worked here long and I don’t know him really well yet, so I don’t know his preference when it comes to wine, but I do know he drinks it. Any suggestions? I don’t want to buy him something cheap, but I can’t afford to spend an arm and a leg, either. I was thinking maybe something in the $20 range. Is that acceptable when it comes to wine? Any suggestions as to what brand/type? I believe he drinks both red and white. Thanks!

V Sattui? Yellow Tail? Red Bicyclette? 20$ Merlot? Drink these if you want, but these are not gift worthy wines to anybody who knows even a little bit about wines. V Sattui isn’t very complex, yellow tail is boring and commerical, and bicyclette is cheap. These are fine to drink on your own or with a friend, but they are not even CLOSE to the *best* choices, much less one for a boss.

I agree with the previous poster who said that a better price range is $30-$40.

Maryhill Reserve Sangiovese ~$25
Yangarra Grenache Blend (Wine Spectator top 100 wine) ~$25
Archery Summit Premier Cuvee ~$35
Kim Crawford Marlborough Sauv. Blanc 2006 (WS Top 100) ~$15
Domaine Drouhin “Arthur” Chardonnay ~$25
Goose Ridge Vireo Syrah ~$30
Any Raymond Cabernet ~$25-$35
Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir ~$40
Barossa Shotfire Ridge 2004 Shiraz ~$20

And, you can never fail with a nice bottle of bubbly

Schramsberg Blanc de Noir ~$30
Veuve Cliquot NV ~$40
Beaumont Des Crayeres ~$30-$50

The other thing that I would do is to go into a private wine shop and talk with them. Tell them your price range and what you are looking for. They can help you figure something out so that you don’t become too overwhelmed. And don’t forget to look for ratings tags. I love to use gift wines to try things that I might not have otherwise tried or to compare my tastes to the wine rating. Good luck in your search!

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