2023 Holiday Gift Ideas

1. When Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Is Part of the Festivities

Price: $69.99, Makes 4-8 cocktails
• Click here to purchase

Like some other celebrities Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson has ventured in the spirits business. In 2021, with Jenna Fagnan, Ken Austin and Dany Garcia, he created Teremana Tequila. They use agave from the highest peaks of the Jalisco highland mountains, and had copper pot stills created by a local artisan, resulting in an ultra-premium small-batch tequila in three expressions: blanco, reposado, and añejo. Its name loosely translates as “spirit of the earth,” from the Latin word “terra,” meaning earth, and the Polynesian word “mana,” meaning spirit.

So, why not toast the season with the Teremana Ginger-Spiced Paloma kit? The kit makes 4-8 cocktails
and includes all that is necessary:
– Teremana Tequila Blanco 375 ml
– 5 limes
– grapefruit juice
– ginger syrup
– 3 ginger beers
– candied ginger

The recipe is included in the package, but here it is — serves one:
Ingredients:
-2 oz. Teremana Blanco
– ¾ oz. lime juice
– 1 oz. grapefruit juice
– ½ oz. ginger syrup
– Ginger beer
Method:
• Shake all ingredients except ginger beer with ice in a cocktail shaker
• Strain into a highball glass over fresh ice and top with ginger beer.
• Garnish with a lime wheel and crystalized ginger.

ALSO READ: Tequila & Mezcal Guide

2. Indulge in Gourmet Extravagance

Price (with free shipping):
Classic Holiday Gift Basket $128
Deluxe Holiday Gift Basket $158
Holiday Huntsman Gift Basket $178
Ultimate Holiday Gift Basket $198
• Click here to purchase

The Holiday Gift Basket Collection from Angel’s Salumi & Truffles is a true delight for foodies, gourmet enthusiasts and charcuterie lovers.

The salumi are crafted from the legendary Berkshire pork. They have a lower fat content, setting them apart from the rest. Once you have tasted these salumi, you can never go back.

The antipasti are primarily imported from Italy and France.

READ MORE: Our exclusive interview with chef Pascal Besset, CEO Angel’s Salumi & Truffles

3. Pair Your Canelé with Champagne

Prices: Canelé from $15 (4 pieces) to $75 (20 pieces). Click here to purchase.
Champagne Pommery Royal Blue Sky $68, Click here to purchase.

• Watch the bottle of Champagne Pommery Royal Blue Sky NV being sabered (opened by with a saber)

Once you will have opened these two packages (sold separate), you have to sit and relax to enjoy the bubbles of Champagne Pommery Royal Blue Sky NV paired with the canelés from Pâtisserie Vanessa.

Canelé is a French delight that hails from the winemaking region of Bordeaux. Bite into the caramelized crust on the outside, with a subtle rum infusion to finish on custardy texture on the inside.

This Royal Blue Sky NV champagne is to be served over ice. Its notes of ripe mangoes, orange jam and a touch of white Vermouth make it a great companion to a sweet treat.0000

ALSO READ: GAYOT’s Champagne Guide.

4. Enhance Your Wine Collection

Price: $1,000, set in a custom alder wood box
• Click here to purchase

Crafted by winemaker Michael Baldacci, the inaugural release of The Thomas Collection is a bold and captivating expression of two of their exceptional vineyard sites. The first, Winery Ranch, nestled within the Stags Leap District, benefiting from cooling marine breezes and nighttime cold air currents. The second, Stella Knight Vineyard, Diamond Mountain District in Calistoga, enjoys the welcome shade of the afternoon sun. This combination results in a balanced fruit profile and refreshing acidity with a rich structure, all accentuated by a warm Mediterranean climate.

The wine shows a deep ruby red color with a nose marked by dark berries, spices, cigar box and a touch of oak. The mouthfeel is rich, with velvety tannins, ripe berries and chocolate, all enveloped in well-measured oak and finishing long and exquisitely balanced.

Baldacci Family Vineyards is located in a beautiful part of the Napa Valley just off of the Silverado Trail (west side) slightly south of the Yountville Cross Road. Records show the property was originally planted with grapevines in 1888; it was purchased by Tom & Brenda Baldacci in 1998. For approximately six years, the family sold grapes, including to notable producers such as Rombauer, Shafer Vineyards and Clos du Val. Eventually, Tom decided to build a winery rather than selling the property. Perhaps his family heritage had something to do with his decision, being the grandson of Italian immigrants, who made their own wine.

Baldacci, The Thomas Collection, 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon | Napa Valley, CA
Varietal: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Price: $1,000 for a 3-bottle boxed set
ABV: 14.5%

• Reviewed by Dirk Smits, GAYOT’s Wine & Spirits Editor

ALSO READ: Best Cabernet Sauvignon

5. A Kitchen Knife Like No Other

Price: from $40 to $124
• Click here to purchase

The Japanese Kyocera Group was founded in 1959 as a producer of Fine Ceramics (also known as “advanced ceramics”). One of its activities is the production of kitchen ceramic knives. In 2023, the company collaborated with award-winning designer Yohei Kuwano and launched INNOVATIONwhite^™ Ceramic Kitchen Knives.

One of them has literally become my kitchen’s center piece. Recently someone asked me if I put it in the dishwasher. I said “no.” Why? Because I use it all the time. I would miss it if it was in the dishwasher — note that it is dishwasher safe.

What is it about this knife? At the very first, the weight is disconcerting. It is so light, half the weight of the metal ones. But you get used to it rapidly. It creates a new dynamic when you are cutting. It is so sharp, life in the kitchen becomes easier.

INNOVATIONwhite^™ Ceramic Kitchen Knives are made from a patented blend of zirconia and alumina nanoscale particles fused into an extraordinary ceramic. Using Kyocera’s most advanced blade technology, Kuwano focused on enhancing the handle design of this new line to provide far better grip ability for different cutting techniques. The handle tapers gracefully as it connects with the blade, which allows for smoother grip changes. Additionally, the handle’s rounded underside and slightly thicker ends reduce the risk of dropping the knife when hands are wet. The knives are ultra-long-lasting and resistant to acidic foods, corrosion and staining.

6. An Easy & Effective Wine Saver

Price: Starts at $9.99 for 4-pack to $119.99 for 72-pack.
• Click here to purchase

This cork by repour® is a unique wine saver that can keep an open bottle of wine fresh for up to two months. It removes 100% of the oxygen from wine; and with no oxygen, the wine stays fresh.

Invented by Tom Lutz, a scientist with a PhD in chemistry, it is made from 100% recyclable materials. It is the only wine saver that can remove oxygen from the air above the wine as well as dissolved oxygen from the wine itself. The packet inside the bottle stopper holds a proprietary iron-based blend. A reaction occurs between the iron and the oxygen inside the bottle to continuously remove the oxygen from the bottle and the wine.

Each repour® stopper is designed to save one bottle of wine.

ALSO READ: GAYOT’s Wine “Best of Lists“

7. Fly Away With Your Wine

Price: $349
• Click here to purchase

Someone you know can’t travel without his/her wine. Here is the perfect suitcase! It can contain up to twelve bottles. Cheers!

7. Tea For More Than Two

Price: from $31
• Click here to purchase

When tea gets in the holiday spirit. Esprit de Noël by Mariage Frères, available at La Maison d’Été, is a festive black tea blended specially for the season. Flavored with mild Christmas spices, it includes pieces of cinnamon, almond and apple.

MORE ON GAYOT.com: Mariage Frères Family – History of French Tea

9. Helping the People of Maui

Price: Subscriptions are available, starting at one pineapple for $44.99 or two for $54.99 for quarterly deliveries, and one pineapple for $39.99 or two for $49.99 for monthly deliveries.
• Click here to purchase

What could be sweeter than the gift of a pineapple from Hawaii? When it helps the people of Maui!

Through Maui Gold Pineapple’s initiative, “Pineapple Pledge,” a portion of the sales of each Maui Gold Pineapple will be donated to organizations providing aid for Maui wildfire relief. (On top of that, it also helps support local farm jobs and pineapple production operations.)

Grown on the slopes of Maui’s Haleakala where the days are warm and the evenings cool, Maui Gold’s pineapples are picked from the farm and shipped the same day. Hand-harvested to ensure they’re picked at their peak ripeness, these pineapples are prized for their superior sweetness, high levels of Vitamin C and low acidity.

Here are ideas on ways you can use Maui Gold Pineapple in your dishes

• Hawaiian Pizza – It’s controversially good
• Piña Colada – A fan favorite drink for the tropical cocktail lovers
• Tacos Al Pastor – A hint of sweetness to a savory meal
• Pineapple and Ham – Elevate that ham dish with Hawaii’s sweetest pineapple
• Pineapple Bowls – Swap out that dinner bowl for a hollowed out pineapple – the result is a fun and flavorful meal 

ALSO READ: Exploring the healthy properties of pineapples

10. Petal Cocktail Ice Tray

Price: $20
• Click here to purchase

This silicon mold includes four ornate, floral-inspired spheres inspired by the Art Nouveau movement. They will greatly enhance the cooling of your drink. The tray is designed to shape the ice to melt slowly and avoid dilution, keeping your beverages tasting pure every time.

Sophie‘s tip; Make sure to utilize a large glass.

11. The Not So Little Black Dress

Price: $299
• Click here to purchase

Born in Taiwan and immigrated to the USA at 14, Anita Chang carved a path from fashion blogging to dress designing, fueled by her academic pursuits in communications and an MBA. Her journey in fashion was inspired by the transformative experience of wearing a prom dress her mother especially handmade for her to accommodate her unique body type, a pivotal moment that reshaped her self-perception and confidence during her formative years.

The Atina Collection embodies that spirit of reinvention and personal empowerment, offering dresses that celebrate the unique contours of each wearer, envisaging the tender care of a mother’s hands shaping a dress for her daughter. Anita’s designs evoke elegant sensuality, with each garment crafted to accentuate feminine allure without forgoing comfort or ease of movement. Anita skillfully infuses lace, silk, chiffon, floral motifs, and sequins in her creations. The Atina Collection is a testament to the belief that fashion is not just about clothing but crafting a narrative of beauty, strength and self-expression.