Packing Wine for a Party

3. Tote in Style

When arriving to a party with wine, whether you’ve been asked to bring a bottle or not, avoid carrying the bottle in your hand or in a branded store bag. It’s just tacky. Even if you’re going to drink the bottle right away, guests should still treat the wine as a gift. You wouldn’t give an unwrapped birthday present, so why give an unwrapped bottle of wine? We love these durable neoprene bags that both protect and insulate bottles. Plus they’re practical — perfect for carrying wine on a picnic. 

4. Think Beyond the Bottle

Though there are hundreds of bags for bottles on the market, if you’re offering wine as a gift, why not have a little fun, too?

Bringing wine to a party on a boat? Ensure your bottle won’t sink, should it fall overboard, with this wine bottle preserver. Attending an Asian-themed dinner? Dress your bottle up in an outfit to match. If your host spends weekends racing his Porsche at the nearby track, ensure the bottle arrives just as he’d like to — tucked into a speeding race car. Feeling crafty? Make your gift stand out like a piece of art that’s practical, too, and make your own wine bottle stand. 

5. Add Something Special

Instead of dressing up that bottle of wine with its packaging, add substance to the gift by making it a part of something larger, like a gift basket. Bringing bubbly to a brunch? Add a bottle of fruit nectar or a pint of sorbet to your shopping list to dress things up. Celebrating a new mom? Give her the ingredients she needs to unwind by including a box of chocolate truffles and bottle of bubble bath along with your bottle of red or champagne. And if you’re visiting friends for the weekend, supplement your bottle of wine with something edible, like crackers and cheese from a local farm, or handmade pasta and pesto sauce that pairs well with the grape varietal. (Photo courtesy of Flickr/IDon'tKnowMaybe)

Click here for advice on When to Bring Wine as a Hostess Gift.

Click here to see How to Host Your Own Wine Tasting Party.

Click here to see How to Start Your Own Wine Club.

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