Gold, frankincense, myrrh . . . merlot? Deciding what bottle to take to someone’s house, especially during the season of giving, can be enough to bring some people out in a cold sweat. And it doesn’t get any easier when you’re a drinks writer, either, since you know full well that your host will be googling whatever you brought as soon as you leave the room.
A piece of advice that’s often given — particularly to those who are anxious about impressing their host — is to shun the classics and go for something a bit quirky instead: a Texan natural wine, a Chinese Riesling or something like that. This is a very high-risk strategy and not one I’d recommend unless you know your host really well (in which case you should actively compete to bring the weirdest wine possible — I’ve had some real fun doing this).
A respectable bottle of burgundy, Italian Nebbiolo or an aromatic white from Alsace (currently very on-trend) will always be appreciated by anyone with their head screwed on (and will be much easier for them to re-gift down the line, if they actually prefer Chinese Riesling). If you don’t know what to get, seek the advice of an independent wine merchant — this is where they really excel.