You don’t have to ask me twice, if there’s one gift that I’ll always be glad to receive when a guest comes to our house, it’s a bottle of wine. Particularly during the holiday season. Despite the fact that this is hands down my favorite time of year, there’s no denying the fact that it can also be the most stressful and a bit overwhelming at times. In my (and most people’s) opinion, a good glass of wine helps to cure those holiday woes and is the perfect compliment to the family time and memory-making that this season is really all about. Of course, seeing as I’m pregnant this holiday season, sadly, I won’t be indulging in any wine (insert crying pregnant woman emoji here), but let it be known that that won’t stop me from gifting bottles to all of our wine-loving friends!
While I totally think that a bottle of wine on its own is gift enough, I love the idea of curating a basket of gifts that compliment each other, so this year, I decided to put together some of these “dinner and wine” baskets to give to our neighbors, and as hostess gifts at any parties/gatherings that we attend. They’re a great gift, because above and beyond the bottle of wine, it doesn’t have to cost a lot!
Here’s what you need to create the perfect wine and dinner-themed gift basket…
A great bottle of wine
Any good wine-themed gift starts with a great bottle of wine. Wente Vineyards wine has become my go-to wine for gift giving (and drinking). Their Chardonnay and their Cabernet Sauvignon are among my favorites, and either variety would be the perfect compliment to the pasta dinner elements that you will be adding to your basket. Right now you can save 25% off of their single vineyard or estate grown wines online, by using the code: 25TOAST at checkout.
An inexpensive basket
You can pretty much find a cute basket anywhere these days. This is your jumping off point. The most important thing to keep in mind when choosing one is will it be big enough to hold a bottle of wine and your other items?
A pretty dishtowel
I like to use a pretty dishtowel to line the basket. Not only does the towel work well as a basket filler, it’s also a great additional gift to add that sticks with the theme.
A box of pasta
Nothing fancy here, just choose your favorite pasta shape, and toss it on in there!
Your favorite sauce
A good marinara sauce is the perfect compliment to a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon, so pick up a jar of your favorite sauce, and add that to the basket too.
Some breadsticks
What goes well with pasta? bread of course! I like to add some breadsticks in my gift baskets as well… that way the person who is receiving your gift has a complete meal (besides perhaps a salad).
A nice spoon
To round out the gift basket, why not add in a nice spoon to stir that sauce with?
And there you have it, the perfect gift basket to give to your wine-loving, foodie friend, family member, or neighbor! Don’t forget to use the code: 25TOAST when you order your Wente Vineyards wine online! Happy gift giving!
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