The Vinous 2021 Holiday Gift Guide

BY ANTONIO GALLONI | DECEMBER 07, 2021

With the holidays fast approaching, Vinous has you covered for that perfect gift for the wine lover in your life. You will find plenty of ideas in this curated list of the season's most intriguing books, glassware, openers, maps and more.

Zwiesel - Sensory Glass

Roberto Conterno has established himself as more than just an elite winemaker. In just over a dozen years, he has expanded his family's estate in Serralunga by adding significant holdings in the Cerretta and Arione crus. He then purchased the historic Nervi winery in Gattinara and gave it a huge face lift, which includes a new restaurant. He has done all of that while also raising the quality of all his wines. Along the way, Conterno also found time to create the Sensory Glass in collaboration with his son, Gabriele, a trained engineer who took his father's designs and created the first computer models for a glass that has quickly become a favorite of those in the know. I have mostly used the Sensory Glass with Piedmont reds and Burgundy reds and whites, and have found it to really accent a wine’s aromatic presence and persistence. The Sensory Glass makes for a great splurge this holiday season. ($99).

For the past six years I have had the opportunity to collaborate with Alessandro Masnaghetti on a number of projects. During that time, I have seen his attention to detail first-hand, on a nearly daily basis. What Alessandro has done for Barolo and Barbaresco in mapping the vineyards and geologies and collecting all sorts of historical data is truly groundbreaking work that forms the core of what will one day be regarded as one of the most important legacies in wine. The significance of his contributions to our field can't possibly be overstated. 

Barolo MGA Vol. II by Alessandro Masnaghetti - Includes a Free Annual Subscription to Barolo 360