All year round, more and more people have been giving gourmet gift baskets as a token of affection and appreciation on every occasion. The practicality of giving gourmet gift baskets enables the givers to have an easy way in giving these tokens, instead of thinking hard on what gift to give on certain special occasions.
A typical gourmet gift basket would include a single or two packages and/or containers of various gourmet foods such as caviar, chocolates, sweet meats, truffles, cakes, patè and cheeses, among others. A gift basket may also contain gourmet foods specific to a culture or a country. For instance, shops will offer an Italian gourmet gift basket, a French or a Spanish one. But a gourmet gift basket will not be complete without a bottle or two of wine.
One issue a giver should take into account is what kind of wine to include in it. Usually, a gourmet gift basket purchased from stores will contain either a red wine or a white wine. Many shops also offer gift baskets with both kinds in them. However, a giver should still think whether a red wine or a white one is appropriate to include. Or if it is within his or her budget, should he or she give a basket with both kinds.
First, we shall distinguish the differences between the two kinds of wine commonly included in the gourmet gift basket. Both red and white wines are alcoholic beverages that originally came from grapes or grape juice. For obvious reasons, red wine are thus so called because of their color and because they came from red or purple grapes. Meanwhile, white wine came from white grapes. However, their colors are not the only one distinguished among the two kinds.
White wine has many types. There is champagne, chardonnay, chenin blanc and pinot gris to name a few. They differ a bit in taste and flavor, brought on by the way where the grapes are grown and processed. If a giver of the gourmet gift basket is thinking of celebrating a feat for the receiver such as project well done or an office promotion, white wine is the way to go. White wine is usually brought out for toasts and congratulatory parties, and would go with buffet or light meals.
Red wine likewise has many types including cabernet sauvignon, merlot and pinot noir. These types may also differ a bit in flavors some of which are comparable to the taste of cherry, plum, strawberry or raisin. If a giver of the gourmet gift basket is thinking of an occasion in a more intimate setting, then red wine is the ideal bottle to include. Red wine is usually brought out more for a relaxed atmosphere and is suitable for a gathering of a few people or a couple. Another difference of red wine from the white is that red wine is believed to be more beneficial for a person’s health.
These are just a few tips on what bottle of wine to choose in your gourmet gift basket. The important thing to remember is that every occasion should not go without some bubbly to celebrate.