give wine as a gift??

[countrygirl]

does anyone use wine, bought or homemade, routinely as gifts?
if so, any useful tips/ideas/thoughts?
i always get my friend at work a "dry/oaky" wine when we go on trips, but today i set out to make a "wine basket" for our cousins wedding shower tomorrow. i've got a wine opener (off their register at bed/bath/beyond) along with some kitchen towels, wine glasses, cheese board/cutter, etc.
i wanted to get a white wine, but not knowing what they like i was stuck.
i went to the new winery about 20 miles from us and tried their reisling and chardonnay. the reisling was sweeter but i went with the chardonnay.
hope they like it!

 

[Tom]

I give alot away. I also "donate" some for local raffles

 

[Wade E]

I think the Chard was a decent call. I also give lots of wine away as I make much more then I ever can drink. I wish shipping it (illegal) wasnt so expensive due to the weight or Id give a lot more of it away but finances typically interfer with that. I do ship wine out though occasionally and call it jams, jellies, and marinades when they ask what it is. Never use the US post office as that is very illegal and they will prosecute while as UPS doesnt really care if they dont know. I have had one shipment over the many years that didnt make it before breaking and they opened the box, cleaned up the mess from the one broken bottle and re shipped the other 3 with no problems and the bottles had labels on them that stated that they were wine.

 

[countrygirl]

interesting on the ups info...they're just hardworking people and don't really care i guess, lol
just this last holiday season, our farm donated a "wine a month" to our sons school (private/catholic) and it was very well received, but this was the first time giving it as a gift in a wedding shower setting and i wanted it to, not only look pretty, but make them say "yummy", too.

 

[Dufresne11]

Give it away

all the time.. I do up a label unique to the occassion and put it in a fancy bag with an opener or a stopper. I am always on the lookout for inexpensive or unique bags/openers and stoppers.... I am also hoping, like Wade, to someday make more than I can drink...

 

[myakkagldwngr]

I gave some last Xmas at a party some of my daughter and wife know from work. They have the parties where you draw a name, you pick a present, or have the choice of taking one from someone else, then they pick again.
My bag of wine lasted very late in the party.
The comment was made they would have to keep an eye on me the next time and see just what color my package was.
It went over big. Not long after that, I had a few requests for some more.

 

[djrockinsteve]

Customize the label. Put their anniversary date on it so they will think of you a year from now. Maybe even add an engagement photo on the label with congratulations.

 

[koda_ky]

All the time I give many bottles away at Christmas with good reviews.

 

[countrygirl]

some great ideas! thanks everyone~!

 

[Woodbee]

We, like most of the folks here give many bottles away. My wife and I go to lots of sales of many types. Quite often we find baskets designed to hold wine bottles. And sometimes clever little boxes. We buy these up for very little money. Sometimes we a find basket that was made to hold up to four bottles. These are great for taking bottles to parties or meetings.
Brad

 

[Runningwolf]

I also give a lot of wine away and this year would like to start donating it to non profit organizations for raffles. I buy all of my bags from True Fabrications. If you give them the name of your wine cellar/winery most prices are cut in half!!

 

[Dinich]

May not be the right place to ask the question: I'm jus a guy who makes wine, and not a "Licensed" winery. Can I donate to charities for auctions? or donate to people without getting in trouble. I don't ask for or expect remuneration of any kind.

Anyone no the legalities of giving away homebrew or where a good resource is to learn more?

thanks,

D

 

[Tom]

I do all the time.

 

[ffemt128]

Like others here, we too give wine away as gifts. We just started out last year and gave the better portion of our first kit away for Christmas gifts. We have continued that mainly with family and close friends as we get something we enjoy or think they may enjoy.

This year with the recent start of a strawberry wine, we are going with that as a theme. We are going to make homemade strawberry jelly this year and then get baskets and include a jar of jelly, a bottle of strawberry wine and a strawberry candle.

I'm sure as we get more into winemaking, our gift giving will increase.

 

[BMac]

I am very new to wine making (only on my 4th kit) but I plan on giving lots away for gifts (birthday, wedding, xmas, etc)

My wife had a wine bridal shower. Instead of hand towels and other stuff we already had, everybody gave her wine. She ended up coming home with about 35 bottles

 

[Runningwolf]

If you are looking for gift bags, I would suggest looking at this place.

 

[JohnT]

Gifting wine for me is now expected (since all know that I am obssesed with wine making. I am never in short supply for people that want to volunteer their services when there is wine related activity to be done. They all know that I will always gift some wine to them.