Wine comes of age

Foods & DrinksFood

  • Author Minesh Modi
  • Published April 17, 2009
  • Word count 1,489

Come New Year and the age-old confusion begins again. Believe it or not, gifts and gifting are two terms that have become virtues that almost everybody has to perform on occasions like New Year. Choosing gifts for New Year can be a daunting task, more so when one is running out of imaginative ideas. Normally, what we tend to do is search for opinions of others or make use of the available technology such as opting for Google search for getting the right gifting idea that can impress a client, associate or an employee. Products such as diaries, key chains, apparels have now become run of the mill and extremely characteristic. So, to break the clutter and get more imaginative in gifting and also keeping the class and the taste of the gift recipient in mind, we have wine gifts this year as one of the most elegant gifts the corporate sector could ever wish for. Wine has over the years reduced the distance between mankind and has brought people closer to each other. Wine is considered a healthy drink these days, rich in various minerals. It is also widely believed that wine-drinking people are less prone to heart diseases and that makes it popular even with the older people. Wines matching spicy Indian food have made the drink even more popular with the corporate sector. Be it to reward your best employee or for bestowing it upon a very special client or an associate on the eve of his marriage anniversary, wine and wine gifts are absolutely ideal for corporate gifting.

Different wine types for different class

Wine segments include table wines; dessert wines, sparking wine, and still wines and fortified wines. Wines known for their ability to age well are perfectly suited for New Year corporate gifting. They are Port, Madeira, Armagnac, and Sauterne. The Port is a fortified wine, made in a number of different styles. Amongst all port wines, the 'Vintage Port' is the only one, which is dated. Bottled after two years of maturation in oak casks, the Vintage Port continues to develop in the bottle. The Madeira, like Port, is a fortified wine with a long legacy as it was used to toast the signing of the American Declaration of Independence. Madeira flourishes with temperature changes, something, which would destroy other types of wines, Hence it is easy to keep at home for long periods. Once opened though, you should have it within a month. Armagnac is a type of brandy, which is distilled from white wine grown in an area just south of Bordeaux, France. It is aged in barrels over many years and, when finally bottled, does not improve and nor does it deteriorate further. It is available in a wide range of vintages and can be stored anywhere. Once opened, it does not go off. Sauterne is named after an area of Bordeaux that makes sweet white wines. Unlike all the above mentioned wine types, the alcoholic strength of Sauterne is the same as a normal table wine. The previous three wine types keep for long periods due to high alcohol levels, whereas with Sauterne, it is the sugar level that allows long term aging. Once opened, one should have it on the same day. The most famous Sauterne is Chateau d'Yquem, which can age and improve with time.

In addition to the above wines, there are also the famous red table wines and champagnes. Apart from that, there are a number of celebrity wines, which have been launched in the market for those who are more brands conscious. These wines are equally ideal for gifting. Also, in India, wine connoisseurs appreciate the fact that the market for white wine is growing and time has come for us to taste the Deinhard range, which have very well captured the imagination of people. Moreover, high-grade quality and appearance have become the new buzzwords when it comes to brands and wine connoisseurs cannot settle for anything less.

Industry preview

Over the years, wine has not been marketed properly in India. Poor storage conditions coupled with transportation issues have led to the decline of wine sales in the country. Moreover, some of the regulations are also not much in favor of the drink. Such issues have led to low consumption of wine in India. The change in the image of the drink would require aggressive promotional strategies, which could include highlighting the health benefits, the drink can provide. Also, India depends majority on foreign countries like Australia, Chile and France for importing wine and hence some of the Indian brands suffer, which again is a hugely disadvantageous. Having said that, things are expected to improve a great deal in the coming days with corporate taking keen interest in presenting wines as gifts. A decade ago, there was no Indian wine, which was consumable. Today, there are significant wine makers in the country. Wine connoisseurs can hence hope to have a great time consuming a wide variety of wine in the coming days. Table wines, which are affordable account for a majority of the market and the rest, comprise of the expensive vintage wines. India is heading for wine revolution and wine consumption is expected to increase 3 times in the next few years.

Wine baskets: gifts for unique tastes

Have you ever given a thought to the fact that wine bottles can be presented in baskets? Presenting a wide range of wine gift baskets can make any clients or associates' day. The gifting segment boasts of some of the masterpieces from some of the most famous wineries in the world. On offer are wine baskets with everything from excellent table wine, to the once in a lifetime vintages. Two types of wine baskets are extremely popular in the gifting segment - the white wine basket and the red wine basket. The wines can be paired with exquisite gourmet foods to create wine gift baskets that are classy, refined gifts of exceptional quality. One should take care of the fact that gourmet food products are perfectly matched and these should balance the flavors of the wines. Wine baskets and champagne gift baskets filled with wines and champagnes are bound to please every wine enthusiast on your list. Sending wine gift baskets lets them know how much you appreciate everything they do over the course of the year. One can choose from extensive selection of red wine gift baskets, white wine gift baskets and even top-shelf champagne gift baskets. Equally popular are the Italian gift baskets. A typical Italian gift basket normally consists of various types of pastas, olive oil, biscotti, breadsticks, olives, bruschetta, brushetta topper, cappuccino and other authentic Italian ingredients apart from wine bottles. These special Italian gift baskets will impress clients and associates who enjoy Italian food. Presenting such wine baskets is a tradition widely popular in European countries. However, corporate in India are also steadily adopting this tradition and it wouldn't be too long before we see this tradition gaining more popularity.

Customized wine gifts - Adding to the charm of gifting

There are very few gifts in the market that are as worthwhile as well as elegant than customized or personalized wine baskets. One can send compliments and best wishes with the wine baskets. Apart from that, if you wish to promote your brand or company, one can also engrave a logo or a brand name on the baskets. It doesn't get any better than this. The purpose of customization is to leave a long lasting impact on the gift recipient and it does work pretty successfully. A beautiful poem or a short message conveying your warmth and affection for the recipient can also do the trick with these wine gifts. Customization also puts to death any doubts of bribing in the minds of the gift recipients.

Accessories to supplement your gifts

Presenting a wide range of accessories along with the wine gifts is the ideal foil for gifting on New Year's eve. Companies such as Dewan Exports, Priyanka Steel and Bhalaria Metal Craft Pvt. Ltd. can provide a wide range of customized & personalized accessories such as wine coasters, glasses, decanters, bottle holders & openers, wine trolleys, wine racks, ice buckets as per one's taste and liking. Generally, amongst the lot, wine coasters can come in handy for gifting as they prevent the linen from drips and also protects any wooden table from condensation. Wine accessories can come in material such as stainless steel, acrylic, glass, plastic and aluminum. Stainless steel ones are the most preferred because of its durability and also because it is comparatively inexpensive. When given away with wine bottles, wine gifts become even more aesthetic as well as likeable.

In spite of the booming electronic segment, wine is definitely here to stay and dominate the headlines with such a wide range of fantastic wines and wine baskets to choose from, corporate gifting is going to be anything but dull this New Year.

The Author compiles and puts together information for interesting reading.

Minesh Modi

Editor

Giftsnaccessories Magazine

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