You’ve found the perfect bottle of wine for a housewarming gift, promotion present, or hostess offering. Don’t settle for that flimsy, disposable gift bag. Present the bottle in a gift bag that the wine-loving recipient will use again or proudly re-gift! Better yet, get two — give one away and keep one for yourself. We’ve reviewed loads of gift bags for giving wine as a special present. This article details our top picks.
Why Use a Gift Bag for Wine?
The purpose of a gift bag is to show the recipient that you not only put some thought into the selected wine, but also that you cared enough to pair the packaging to the recipient’s style. Often, the selection available for wine gift bags does not match the style of the wine or personality of the recipient. For example, you don’t want punny wine sayings “It’s time to wine down!”) plastered on a bag containing a Bourgogne Grand Cru. Another consideration is that many paper gift bags simply end up in the trash heap without being re-used.
A higher-end, reusable wine bag not only impresses the giftee and makes the wine seem more special, it also serves as a discreet way to carry that special bottle. This is convenient in the event that you plan to bring the gift into an open office setting without making it obvious to your colleagues that you are gifting a bottle of wine.
Finally, the wine bag can serve as more than just a festive ornament. You may want to consider a wine bag that keeps the wine cool while you travel a long distance, or even help the recipient go the distance by selecting a wine bag that attaches to their bike!
Decide How Many Bottles
Is more always better? Not always. Our research found that wine gift bags overwhelmingly hold just one bottle of wine, which aligns with how we typically gift wine.
Still, you may want to consider a two-wine gift bag if you think the recipient likes to start a meal with a sparkling or white wine and transition to a red wine for the meal. Or perhaps you want to offer one dinner wine and one wine that works well with dessert. A two-wine bag is also great when you want to carry one wine and one 750 mL bottle of sparkling water. Some two-wine bags can even hold magnums (1.5 L bottles). Wine bags can also be used to gift craft beer bombers and many whiskey and craft spirit bottles.
What is the Best Wine Gift Bag for the Recipient?
Consider the recipient and their interests and hobbies. If you are unsure, take a look at their social media platforms, like Instagram or Pinterest. Their posts should give you a good idea of their style, interests, and perhaps even color preferences.
Here are some questions to consider when selecting a bag for the recipient:
What colors does the recipient like?
Is the recipient up on trends or more traditional? Are they minimalist or extravagant?
Where will the recipient use the bag?
Will they use it indoors, outdoors, or both?
Might they use the bag for travel?
Is the recipient a leather lover or would they prefer vegan materials?
Keeping these considerations in mind, we found the following five bags to be our favorites.
Wine Tote by Viski
After just one look, we wanted to be seen carrying this classy bag to our favorite beach restaurant. We love the minimalist design. This gift bag differs from a lot of bags in that it does not look like a lunch bag. Also, the faux leather makes it a good selection for vegan friends.
Pros: We liked the easy-to-clean faux leather. The modern design is refreshing. The magnetic stainless steel closure gives it a luxurious appearance.
Cons: There is no strap, and the metal closure might not be comfortable for carrying a long distance.
Premium Insulated Wine Carrier Bag by OPUX
This wine bag looks like it came from of a high-end outdoor provisioning store. Riding on the current athleisure trend, it mixes sport, outdoors, and travel. The robust strap makes it ideal to carry some distance, and the brighter color options make it appealing for pool parties and housewarming gifts. The construction has some padding to help keep wines an appropriate temperature, however not so much as to make it bulky. The free corkscrew is a nice addition.
Pros: There’s an included divider to prevent bottles from clinking against each other. The bag comes in a wide selection of bright and dark colors. It is not heavy and can be reused as a lunch cooler. Great design for concealing wine. The removable strap and standard handle make it easy to cover. There’s a small loop inside the lid for storing the corkscrew. The pocket does not have a zipper, making it handy to slip in a map, small booklet, or card for the recipient.
Cons: Don’t fill bag with ice directly as melted water will leak out. Best for standard wine bottles as it is hard to get oversized, tall, or odd-shaped bottles in the bag.
Shintop Jute Wine Bags
This bag is our pick for bulk gift giving, let’s say for a bridal party or for a handful of favorite clients. Perhaps you would also like the option to personalize the bag for the recipient. This is also our pick for covering up wine bottles when hosting blind tastings. The Shintop Jute Wine Bag can also be used for storage or regifting items in addition to wine.
Pros: We like that this eco-friendly bag is composed of burlap from natural jute. Unlike rough box store craft burlap, this burlap is silky and has no foul odors.
Cons: While each bag comes with an attractive drawstring, the bag is not convenient for carrying to restaurant.
Fyxation Leather Bicycle Wine Carrier
If your wine gift recipient uses a bike for running errands — and those errands include picking up a wine or a beer bomber — this leather minimalist holder fits the bill. It’s perfect for wine country tours as well! Please bike responsibly!
Pros: Trendy and impressive. Made in USA of high quality full-grained leather.
Cons: Can be difficult for some users to figure out how to get a wine bottle in the carrier when it is attached to the bike. Use caution when inserting the bottle so you don’t rip the bottle label. Not vegan. Higher price point than other options.
Kato Insulated Wine Carrier Tote
This bag is perfect if you don’t have time to do research on the recipient’s preferences and simply want a clean, timeless look. Any recipient will appreciate an easy-to-carry bag, especially if it comes with a free corkscrew!
Pros: We liked that the bag has three layers — durable polyester, foam, and aluminum. The divider keeps bottles from bumping against each other. The strap is removable and has a metal buckle. The bag features sturdy handles and a small zippered pouch on the outside to store a corkscrew.
Cons: Some users report that the item does not include the corkscrew as indicated at time of purchase. It’s triple layer construction also means that if it is squished during delivery, it can take some time for it to return to its normal shape. This might put gifters in a bind if the item does not go back to its original shape between unpackaging and gifting. Like all the other bags reviewed, this one is not leak proof.
Conclusion
When it comes to wine gift bags, there are a lot of options out there. These are just a few of the great gift bags currently available. We like that these gift bag options are reusable, unlike the flimsy, disposable wine gift bags you find in grocery stores.
For us, the winner was the Premium Insulated Wine Carrier Bag by OPUX. In fact, we snagged one of these ourselves for a hostess gift. We like the durability and the range of colors. The black and grey options are timeless, and the brighter colors are great for those who like bold colors. The bag keeps wine cool while transporting to parties, and packs well in checked luggage. When not in use for carrying wine, it doubles as a weekday lunch bag.
Finally, if you multiple wine lovers on your shopping list, check out our ultimate guide to gifts for wine lovers!
Cheers!