It's as if Mother's Day was yesterday, and now Father's Day draws near—the time is now to act on gift getting. And we’re not talking about the age-old pair of socks, golf balls, or “World’s Best Dad” coffee mug. (Though, we have no problem with these—all worthy gifts that we bet your loved one already has!) So what should you get your wine-loving Dad this Sunday? Our wine experts—fathers themselves!—give their advice. 

 

“Ideal gift for a wine-lover on Father's Day?,” asks Neal Martin. “Inside my father's day card would be two things: firstly, a ticket for Arcade Fire at York Hall on 5 July. Secondly, a return flight to Barolo as I’ve never been there. If they really loved their dad, they would arrange it for me to fly to Barolo with Arcade Fire. In reality, I'll probably get a pair of socks.”

"Our staple gift for my father-in-law is a Rhone sampler case," says Lisa Perrotti-Brown. "He tends to like Rhone wines, so I'll select a couple of nice Northern Rhone bottles and a few great Châteauneuf-du-Papes, with the rest of the case containing good value commune wines like Gigondas, Vacqueras, Crozes-Hermitage and Cotes-du-Rhone, along with a couple of whites. (He tends to prefer reds though.) I think this hand-selected touch makes it a little more personal and he likes discovering the new wines that he hasn't had before."

 

Liwen Hao suggests matching Dad’s birth year with a vintage: “Do you still remember your father’s vintage? I am sure you know it, and then you could try to find a bottle. Though some old vintage wines may cost you a fortune, such as 1945 Château Mouton Rothschild, many are affordable. Don’t forget to search fortified wines—they will give you a lot of options, and not on the expensive side! At the ages of my boy and girl, I don’t think they have enough knowledge to pick a bottle for me as my gift. And as a father, I don’t expect to receive any gifts from my children. But we could open a bottle together at dinner table, my son will be curious enough to ask me lots of questions about this wine, while my two-year-old daughter will just try to seize the glass in my hand and drink it. That’s best gift I would like for!”

 

And there’s always the gift that keeps on giving—the Robert Parker Wine Advocate Subscription. Get the inside scoop on your new wines from Martin, Hao and the rest of our experts! 

 

From all of us at The Wine Advocate, cheers and have a very happy Father’s Day.