Another heady gift basket that can bring smiles is the gourmet wine gift basket.
A sure-fire hit with boss, family, friends or business associates, they toast any occasion with élan and encourage the art of hedonistic living! Weddings, Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Year's, housewarming or birthday, get-well-soon wishes - all are appropriate occasions for these generous gift baskets.
Elegant gourmet wine baskets offer interesting wines with a snack or food combination that heightens dining pleasure.
You can select your own match or pick a ready-made basket according to your budget or preference, and the occasion.
Usually, light wines work with easy snacks and heavy wines for heavy food.
Highly spiced foods restrict your choices, as the alcohol in the wine can clash with the spices on your palate.
It's all about trusting your taste buds while experimenting, as well as looking at the region's favorite combinations.
These baskets usually cater to universal tastes, with red, white or dessert wine or champagne accompanying crackers, cookies and chocolates.
Interesting packages can also be created with assorted nuts, tortillas, chips, pretzels, smoked salmon, gourmet sausages, cheese, jelly, savory breads and dips.
Other medleys include sauces,purees, extracts, syrups and spreads, exotic coffee or tea, oil and vinegars, herbs and spices, ethnic food ranging from Indian and Japanese to Spanish and Italian, or desserts and sweets.
Ready-made meals with that perfect wine can be presented as a surprise gourmet wine gift offering.
Soups, salads, grilled or cooked meats, casseroles, fondues, pies, pastas, desserts and an accompanying wine or two can instantly lighten up an evening.
So a Chicken Picata with Chardonnay or Kung Pao chicken with a cool Gewurztraminer, chocolates with port or apricot custard with Sauternes can bedazzle your friends like never before! The baskets can be elaborately decorated with ribbons and satin trimmings.
They can even include hand-painted glasses, wineglass charms, hand-carved wine art, wine ceramics or other wine accessories to give it that exclusive touch.
Delectable, divine or plain sensational, you can never go wrong with a gourmet wine basket unless it is bequeathed to someone who abstains from alcohol or whose religion forbids it.
Check your foreign business contacts' cultural background before presenting something that should ideally cheer and uplift.
Light up the candles; lay out the charm, soft music and gourmet wine basket magic -that taste of wine offers a taste of Heaven!