UNCORK THE ISSUE: What wine should I give my boss for the holidays?
SPILL THE JUICE: "It depends on who your boss is and what he or she likes," says Stephanie Caraway, the southwestern regional manager at Terlato Wines International. We press her for a wine gift guide broken down by industry... we all have to settle for stereotypes sometimes, right?
NOTE THE COMPLEXITIES: Health workers, give a bottle of Oregon Pinot Noir. "It's an upcoming region doing some very cool sustainable growth," Caraway says.
All you store santas, i.e. people in retail, pick up a classic Chardonnay for your manager. "Or try Prosecco for something more fun that's still in the budget," Caraway suggests.
Advertisers should go big: Caraway recommends Bollinger Champagne.
Media? Legal? Academia? Service? Corporate? Find out what to buy your boss after the jump.
According to Caraway, media people are hip, fun, and savvy. (Score one for us!) "Get them a Garnacha or something else exciting coming out of Spain," she says. "It's new, hip, and fun!"
If you're in the legal field and work for a lawyer "get a very inexpensive wine," says Caraway. "All the lawyers I know drink cheap wine!" she laughs. But seriously, Caraway recommends seeking out a value wine: one that gives you bang for your buck.
Students, if you're looking to up your final grade, try bribing thanking your professor with a Barolo, an interesting Pinot varietal out of Northern Italy, says Caraway.
Service industry employees, look for a good French wine, like a Côte Rôtie or a Châteauneuf-du-Pape from the Rhone River Valley or a classic Burgundy. "And in this case, vintage matters," Caraway cautions.
If you slave away in corporate America, buy your boss a big Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley, says Caraway. "Or a single-malt scotch."
GET THE GOODS: And how much should you spend? "It depends on how closely you work with your boss," Caraway says: The closer your relationship, the bigger your budget should be.
"Spending $30 to $40 on a bottle of wine is sound, but if you work closely with your boss and do well, spending $100 is not unheard of."
SWALLOW THIS: Caraway recommends gifting a bottle of wine you would enjoy with your boss, anything more (or anything less) should be out of the question. Hey, it's the thought that counts right?!
Come back for class next Wednesday and leave your questions for our wine gurus in the comments below, no hand-raising necessary.