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The holidays always present the problem of finding presents for people you love. Not for the wine lover, however. There is always yet another good but unknown bottle of wine to impress friends with, or a new wine glass, or just a glass you know someone would love but doesn't yet have. Above all else wineglasses are useful gifts. Not only will they will be enjoyed and used for years in some cases, but giving a good wine glass to a friend can even help elevate his or her appreciation of wine forever.
Although there are other wine glasses that look good, overall there is nothing that compares with the best series of Riedel glasses ever made, the Sommeliers series. However, for a more modest sum I would recommend the Riedel Vinum series, which I have used in every restaurant I have ever worked in.
If you want a fun party "glass" that won't break by the pool or on the lawn in a season when people can run barefoot outdoors, then try Govino, which makes stemless Bordeaux-style, tulip-shaped tasting glasses out of a food quality polymer. They can be reused, but they should be hand washed, and they are recyclable. Decanters also make impressive gifts, especially the recent creations of the younger generation of the Riedel family. Maximilian Riedel's Amadeus, Eve, Cornetto, Swan and "O" Magnum are beautiful and functional. And as another piece of advice, if you or your friends want to read about wine and friendship, learn about the camaraderie of the sommelier profession, and discover from insiders how to select wine, you must absolutely get Rajat Parr and Jordan McKay's new book, Secrets of the Sommeliers (Random House, 2010).