As you may know, wine often complements some types of food and if a wine basket is put together with a red wine and dark chocolate you have a good mix of healthy and delicious in one container. The antioxidants that are present in red wine are very beneficial, but only recently it was found that dark chocolate is good for a persons health as well. So if you like wine and you like chocolate you should be very pleased to hear this and happy if you get a gift basket that contains both of these healthy products.
A fish needs to swim
So if red wine goes nicely with chocolate then you should know that white wine goes best with a fish. A perfect idea as gift would be to create a gift basket with smoked salmon, no refrigeration needed, together with a nice and crisp chardonnay or Chablis is a wonderful gift to receive during the holidays. Even if you don't give this to a friend or family member having this in the house during the holiday it is perfect match to give to those visitors who drop by unexpected.
Cheese, cheese, cheese
Imagine this, a glass of cold white Riesling, that fresh fruity flavor in your mouth and after that a piece of cheese, that would be the perfect finish. Put together a nice gift basket with a bottle of Riesling wine, some fruit, crackers and of course some nice cheeses. For fruit you can select almost anything just keep in mind that it you put some softer fruits in the basket you will have to place the fruit inside a hard-sided container. Hard fruit like apples or oranges don't need that.
Get a box or nice tasting crackers in there so the receiver has something to put the cheese on. The cheeses you put in the basket can not be just any old cheese, you will need to put in either already sliced or diced pieces of cheese in or cheeses that are easily cut. Cheese like cheddar, Gouda or provolone. Do not put Parmesan or other hard cheeses in the gift basket.
Skipping the food factor
You don't have to put food in a gift basket just because it a holiday. You can always go for a good wine spread, giving some different kinds of wine, white or red or both in a nice wooden box.
Just keep in mind that holiday or no holiday always consider the receiver, think what that person would like to receive, not what you would like to give. That way the holidays will be perfect.
