Father’s Day is right around the corner, so we’ve compiled some great gifts for the wine-loving dad in your life!
Wine Decanter, $17-$1000+
A wine decanter is the most industrial, functional of all wine gifts for dad. It can also become your dad’s next piece of fine art, but that all depends on your wallet. Nevertheless a decanter is an essential tool for properly enjoying wine, even in the most basic forms. Essentially, wine has been closed off from production to begin a slow ageing process, but at the end of the bottle’s lifespan, however long, it needs to be opened and interact with oxygen. Going glass for glass is fine, but who wants to pour a glass and wait 2-3 hours for it to taste well? No one. A decanter allows for the juice to interact with the open air and for each glass to be enjoyed with minimal downtime between pours. In some cases, the decanters have corks or stoppers. Perfect additions if dad isn’t prone to finishing a whole bottle in a sitting (like our dads are). Bonus points with dad: get him a decanter drying rack too, it’ll eliminate hard water stains and keep his new toy looking the best it can for much longer than without.
Riedel Varietal Specific Stemware, $50+ depending on collection and quantity
We’re sure your pops already has a favorite wine glass. Or maybe your dad is the kind to not care about one. That can all change. Have your dad try his Pinot Noir out of his normal chalice, then have him try it out of the new varietally specific Pinot Noir glass you just gifted him from Riedel. Guaranteed he will never use the old glass again, and he’ll instantly become a wine glass snob where he used to drink it from a coffee mug before. There is some science and art behind the shapes and process by which these stems are made, but you can skip all that if your dad is short on attention or doesn’t care for such stuff. The glass speaks for itself side by side with his usual vehicle, and makes for a fun, memorable moment in his wine journey.
Coravin, $200-400 depending on model and accessories
If your dad loves wine, he no doubt has a few (or many) bottles he is ageing or has held onto for quite some time. For the case buying, club subscribing, wine hoarding dads out there, nothing would be a better gift than the Coravin. It is the perfect way for him to check on his wines without breaking the seal. Now he can find when his stash of (insert wine name here) is at its optimal drinking profile. While the Coravin might set you back a bit, it is by far the gift of choice for a beloved dad. If your dad doesn’t collect or age wines and constantly complains that he has to toss out unfinished bottles, this is the answer as well. Think of the price of the Coravin as an offset to the price of countless dumped half or 1/3 bottles that didn’t make it to day 3 or 4. Problem solved.
Vino-Voyage TSA-Approved Wine Suitcase, $299
Is he a travelin’ man? Then this is the perfect way for him to get his favorite bottles to and from his destinations. Our good friends at Wine Enthusiast offer this bag that boasts a virtually indestructible reinforced frame to get those prized bottles through the roughest of baggage handlers intact. Added bonus, the removable foam inserts allow for various wine bottle sizes to be transported safely.
Wine Books, $10-$100+
Ok, this is a broad category, but that is ok. Everyone’s dads are at a different point or preference in their wine journey. There is a book for everyone from introductions for the curious to advanced and obscure literature for the oenophile. One of our favorite go-to-books-to-gift is from our friends over at Wine Folly. Recently Madeline Puckette updated and expanded on the initial Wine Folly book with the “Magnum Edition” – we highly recommend it if you are uncertain what to get your book loving dad, and it’ll only set you back about $35 for a hardcover edition, which isn’t much at all in the wine world.
What are your favorite wine gifts for your dad? Feel free to use the comments section below to add to the list!