Expensive wine gifts are how you show someone the depth of your friendship, love, or respect. These gifts are well-known for being especially elaborate, often blending handcrafted materials, tasty treats, and beautiful decorations together.
Should you go with the massive gift basket or a single-aged bottle of cabernet sauvignon? The only problem with expensive wine gifts is just how many options you have! We’re here to cut into choice fatigue and help you pick the perfect present for that special someone. We’ll even have some extra gift-buying tips to really narrow things down!
By the end of this list, you’ll have a slew of elegant and functional wine gifts to choose from.
What to Look For in a Wine Gift
Before we dive into the wine gifts you should choose for a friend or a co-worker, we have a few tips that’ll steer you in the right direction.
A Little Customization Can Be Extra Special
Customization is a spectacular choice for making your gift stand out. While money certainly talks, being able to engrave the name of a loved one or a funny in-joke will make your gift stand out even more.
Functionality Goes a Long Way
A functional gift goes beyond temporary novelty, slotting into the daily life of someone you care about. If your gift receiver is a practical person, they’ll appreciate you taking the time to choose a present they can use repeatedly.
Pay Close Attention to the Details
As the saying goes: a little goes a long way. The smaller details of your expensive wine gift will probably be what your gift receiver remembers the most!
Now, if you’re not sure about the exact kind of German wine grape your family member or friend likes, there’s nothing wrong with a simpler gift idea. However, if you do remember details like a favorite winery or type of cheese, try to incorporate it into your gift.
Our Top Picks for Expensive Wine Gifts
What is affordable to one person may be expensive to another. As such, we’re going to have a solid variety of price points and gift ideas below to ensure every reader walks away happy.
Harry & David Chocolate Decadence Cake and Red Wine
Let’s start off the list with a knock-out gift basket from Harry & David for $49.99. With an elegantly simple set-up and solid food pairing, the Chocolate Decadence Cake and Red Wine set is a straight-up winner.
The provided vintage is tempranillo, a robust and smoky Spanish red wine grape. With such powerful flavor notes, a pairing of marionberry jam and chocolate cake just makes sense.
If you find yourself a little overwhelmed by all the gift basket combinations on the market, your gift recipient will be more than pleased with this purchase.
We Recommend This Expensive Wine Gift Idea For:
- People with a sweet tooth that leans toward savory
- Drinkers who lean heavily toward strong red wines
- Any recipient who prefers simple gifts
Hickory Farms California Getaway Wine Gift Basket
If the first gift basket was too small, we have a medium-sized option you should consider! Hickory Farms is a well-known name in Western wine culture for its broad selection of tasty treats and functional accessories.
Their California Getaway Wine Gift Basket gives just enough variety to keep any recipient busy but is still not so large as to be overwhelming. The wine selection here runs for $89.99 and is rather well-rounded, offering up a fruity cabernet sauvignon alongside a smooth chardonnay.
The food selection offers a blend of salami meats, nuts, cookies, pretzels, and white cheese.
We Recommend This Expensive Wine Gift For:
- Fans of both red and white wine
- Wine drinkers who love well-rounded charcuteries
- Gift recipients who like to share food gifts
Wine Basket.com Giant Statement Wine Gift Basket
Now for the biggest wine basket on our list! If you have a wine lover with a truly big appetite or a family you want to treat, this selection will have everyone going home happy.
This Giant Statement Wine Gift Basket lives up to its name, offering no less than five wine bottles nestled in a plethora of tasty treats for $259.99. The wine selection runs the gamut of red and white, from the peppery Montepulciano to the honeyed riesling.
The finger foods provided are just as varied, including (but not limited to) wafers, chocolates, mixed nuts, seed bars, and olives.
To top things off, this basket comes in a decorative metal planter that can be turned into a pot for plants or a knick-knack holder. This is the kind of wine gift basket that’s an event all by itself.
We Recommend This Expensive Wine Gift Idea For:
- Gift receivers who are married or have a large family
- Drinkers who enjoy red and white wines
- People who want to keep the basket afterward
Total Wine Blankiet Prince Of Hearts Red Napa 2016
If an elaborate wine basket isn’t quite the gift you’re looking for, consider purchasing a single bottle of red wine. These gifts are the epitome of less is more…though not when it comes to flavor!
The Blankiet Prince Of Hearts Red Napa 2016 is a Winery Direct choice on Total Wine, a label given by a direct relationship between the wine producer and the website. With this bottle’s romantic profile, it’s not hard to see why the site was keen on working directly with this winery.
This aged, single-origin cabernet sauvignon runs for $99.99 and boasts complex flavor notes of dark cherry, plums, and coffee.
With its long, earthy finish and beautiful packaging, this gift will be the highlight of a loved one’s holiday season.
We Recommend This Expensive Wine Gift Idea For:
- Dedicated drinkers of cabernet sauvignon
- Gift recipients who prefer straightforward gifts
- Gift buyers who need a simple gift in a pinch
Total Wine Renieri Brunello Di Montalcino Riserva 2015
Curious to see what other expensive wines you could buy this year? Total Wine has not only given the Renieri Brunello Di Montalcino Riserva 2015 their Winery Direct label, this bottle received a prestigious 97 out of 100 points from acclaimed wine critic James Suckling.
With such a solid first impression, it’s unsurprising to see how delectable this bottle is. This sangiovese is $104.99 and hails from the famed Brunello di Montalcino region of Tuscany, Italy. The flavor notes are a medley of complex and almost contradictory flavors, including sweet licorice, ripe red berries, and roasted nuts.
Consider pairing this bottle with a homecooked meal or pick out a few treats of your own. We highly recommend herb and tomato dishes with sangiovese, while the best finger foods are salami and salty cheeses.
We Recommend This Expensive Wine Gift Idea For:
- Wine drinkers who love complex, elegant red wines
- Gift buyers who want to choose their own meal or treat pairings
- Buyers who need a little outside help when choosing a wine
Total Wine Tzarina Brut Champagne
If you’re ready to really knock the socks off your gift recipient, a fancy bottle of champagne is sure to dazzle! This Tzarina Brut Champagne is a Winery Direct selection that’s also received an impressive 93 out of 100 points from Wine Enthusiast magazine.
The bottle alone is a showstopper, displaying an elegant twirl of gold frosted glass with smooth silver packaging. However, this bottle is more than just a pretty face.
Blending chardonnay with pinot noir, drinkers will enjoy a flurry of honeyed and fruit-forward flavor notes with a delicately floral finish. With a price tag of $150, this is one bottle that must be savored!
We Recommend This Expensive Wine Gift Idea For:
- Fans of sparkling wines and blends
- Drinkers who want a fancy wine for a special occasion
- Wine drinkers who love to collect bottles, corks, or packaging
WoodDaleShop Wooden Wine Rack
Perhaps your gift recipient already has a lot of wine in stock. Do they have enough room to store it all? This handmade wooden countertop wine rack from WoodDaleShop on Etsy is a great functional gift choice for $49.99.
This wooden wine rack comes in several natural colors, including light brown, medium brown, and dark brown. It’s able to hold eight standard bottles of wine (technically nine if you slip one into the bottom gap), perfect for wine drinkers of all shapes and sizes.
New drinkers will enjoy this rack for its small size, while experienced drinkers will love this rack for its convenience.
We Recommend This Expensive Wine Gift Idea For:
- Gift recipients who need a little extra storage for their wine
- New wine drinkers who want to start off small
- Fans of handmade wooden creations
ZolisWoodcarving 20 Bottle Quality Handmade Wine Rack
If the aforementioned wine rack is too small, consider this bold offering from ZolisWoodcarving. Right off the bat, the most notable aspect of this gift is how it’s designed after a wine barrel.
The creator crafts this 20 Bottle Quality Handmade Wine Rack using several types of wood such as golden oak or walnut. For $169.99, wine drinkers will be able to store a solid twenty standard wine bottles in the comfort of their kitchen or living room.
The wine rack is a few feet tall, making it just small enough for an apartment, condo, or house.
We Recommend This Expensive Wine Gift Idea For:
- Gift recipients with a lot of wine to store
- Wine drinkers who want more unique wine storage options
- Anyone who needs wine storage options that aren’t too large
SalyLimonUSA Handcrafted Leather Wine Bag
Perhaps you want to purchase expensive wine gifts as a housewarming present. If large gift baskets or wine racks are too complex, we have an elegantly simple purchase you’ll love.
The Leather Wine Holder from SalyLimonUSA is a breathtaking gift idea with a simple concept: carrying a wine bottle in style! Also known as a wine purse, this shop uses handcrafted leather to create highly ornate designs that’ll turn heads. This wine holder comes in a variety of colors such as gold, red, teal, brown, coral, gray, and black.
This functional gift idea runs for $59.99 and can easily be repurposed to carry sparkling cider, beer bottles, or ingredients for a wine charcuterie.
We Recommend This Expensive Wine Gift Idea For:
- Gift buyers who want a simple, functional idea for a present
- Wine drinkers who love to get fancy with each wine session
- Fans of ornate designs and handcrafted items
HannaBeDesign Personalized Charcuterie Board Acacia Wood Cheese Board
Remember when we said customization makes a gift extra special? HannaBeDesign’s Personalized Charcuterie Board will truly be a present to remember.
The creator’s craft this charcuterie board with silky smooth acacia wood, outfitting the board with an extra compartment. For $148 you can slot everything from cheese knives to corkscrews in the bottom, leaving the top free for your cheese and salami extravaganzas.
This is a larger gift that’s just begging for a party or a movie night, running largely at seventeen inches long and thirteen inches wide.
Consider engraving the name, initials, or family name onto this charcuterie board to make your loved one’s eyes light up!
We Recommended This Expensive Wine Gift Idea For:
- Wine drinkers who love elaborate charcuteries
- Gift recipients who often host gatherings or throw parties
- Anyone who needs a high-quality, functional gift
Winc.com Wine Box Subscription Service
Passionate wine drinkers are in a constant state of purchasing new bottles for dinner pairings, parties, or personal movie nights.
When your friend or co-worker is too busy to constantly replenish their stock, consider getting them a Winc.com wine box subscription service!
Now, this is one gift that’ll definitely go over better if you have a good idea of what your loved one likes to drink. Winc.com sets up its subscription box service with a fun quiz that narrows down your preferences on flavor notes, origins, and food pairings.
Subscriptions currently run at $29.95 per month for four bottles with easy options to skip a month or switch wine offerings.
If you know what the wine drinkers in your life enjoy, this gift will put the fun back into function! Pay for the first few months so they can pair their favorite hobby with easy, hassle-free delivery.
We Recommend This Expensive Wine Gift Idea For:
- Wine drinkers who drink a few bottles a month
- Gift recipients who are too busy to keep ordering wine
- Anyone who wants to experience different origins and wine types
