2023 Holiday Gift Guide
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Our holiday gift guide is here. We offer a few gift ideas (and ideas that do good) we’ve fallen in love with. No affiliate marketing or kick-backs, just heart-felt recommendations from us to you. Enjoy!
Wearables
All roads lead to wine. But there’s no need to get that as a tattoo. It’s already on a cool shirt.
A TRINK hat or T makes the best kind of statement. We have super durable cotton caps in black with white stitching for US$25 each + shipping) and extra-soft cotton Ts in men’s and women’s styles and sizes. (US$20 each + shipping). Order here!
Nahe naturalists Paulina + Carl Bamberger of GLOW GLOW have just released a limited edition Winzerhemd we are totally crushing on. DM them for ordering details.
Tools of the Trade
We swear by the handmade, award-winning Josepheninhütte Universal No. 2 glass. It’s ethereal, sculptural, and incomparable when it comes to accentuating the details of any wine. (Improbably, it is also the most durable stem we’ve ever owned.)
A natural way to keep your Vernatsch cool and your table looking even cooler. Just like pulling on your hiking socks, but for wine…
Finding just the right wine can also give you the warm fuzzies. Share that feeling with your guests (and let everyone keep track of their glasses) at your next party with these fun glass trackers.
Eat + TRINK
Support South Tyrol’s farmers and artisans and impress your winter guests with a subscription box that delivers Speck, Schüttelbrot, and more specialties of the Italian Alps to pair with your favorite German-speaking wine this winter.
If you’ve ever spent time in Swabia, you know Spätzle and Linseneintopf are as much a part of local food culture as Riesling and Trollinger are of wine. Get the complete Schwaben Survival Kit here!
Battle of the Lebkuchen: order both and let us know who wins at your house. It’s America’s finest versus Germany’s cutting edge.
We first encountered Zotter chocolate in Styria and were instantly obsessed with the mad flavor combinations (Gin & Lemon, Poppyseed & Cherry, Saffron & Pistachio), design-driven packaging, and next-level quality.
Of course, it’s not all about sweets this time of year. Pull out a Swiss white (may we suggest a rich, complex Completer?) and set forth a magnificent cheese, like this nutty, meaty Ur-Eiche.
Stocking Stuffers
Sometimes the simple things are actually the best choice for the wine professional in your life. Umlaut wines are just as likely to be red as white these days, and a Tide to Go pen has saved many a white shirt from a stray splash of Spätburgunder.
Slip in one of these handsome German-designed notebooks and your favorite wine lover will always be prepared to capture their first impressions of a brilliant bottle.
Viel Spass!
Wine education should be fun! We like this analog, at-home gamified approach.
But we can also imagine this expert-level Mosel tour as the ultimate gift for the German wine geek in your life.
We’re biased, of course, but we think the very best way to learn about wines of Austria, Germany, and our corners of Switzerland and Italy is a gift subscription to TRINK, available in two sizes: small (3 months) and large (12 months).
Maps and Books
Our friends at Archetype have created a strikingly handsome and informative Limited Edition Wine Map of the Alps.
There is nothing like the Oxford Companion to Wine for comprehensive coverage of the world of wine. From newbie to MW, you’ll find your questions answered with authority. A brand-new, substantially revised 5th Edition is out now!
Stephen Bitterolf is a U.S. importer of German wines who walks in the footsteps of Kermit Lynch: first immersing himself in the world of small growers, now writing about a decade of those experiences. Ten Years of Hocks and Moselles is a beautiful love letter to Germany’s growers — from the world-famous to those toiling in modesty.
Do Good
There are many charitable organizations working to restore ecosystems and build social support networks in TRINK’s coverage area. Consider making a donation to the Bergwaldprojekt or help crowdsource a vineyard restoration project in the name of a wine lover who cares.
The very best gift you can give to the wine lover in your life doesn’t require clicking on a link or flashing a credit card. Rather, pick that special bottle from your cellar/closet/shelf, the one you’ve been saving, reserve the night with a friend, and then… open and savor. How better to say ‘You’re important to me’ than to share one of those singular moments that only a bottle of wine can capture.
