Thanksgiving is that unique time a year when millions of Americans set aside their squabbles, busy lives, crucial studies or paltry excuses to finally spend time with family. Unfortunately, it is not always an easy moment. The stress of cooking up a feast mixes with tensions swept under the rug to create a perfect storm of drama now infamous across movies and television. Finding the right gift can go a long way towards breaking that ice, getting the festive occasion started with the right atmosphere.
This year things promise to be even more complicated than usual, with the pandemic restricting travel. Many families are forced to make difficult decisions, reduce gathering sizes or take additional precautions, while others may cancel entirely. But all this is only likely to add to the stress of the holiday, and make that gift even more crucial. Yet it also has to be one that can be delivered…and enjoyed, remotely. And that’s why I have settled on a blind wine tasting kit.
Before I delve into my choice, however, let’s take a moment to break down the qualities needed by a perfect gift on Thanksgiving, with or without the pandemic.
The role of the perfect Thanksgiving gift: a peace offering with a purpose.
Thanksgiving is often an exercise in jigsaw puzzle-solving, except not all the pieces fit, or are even from the same puzzle. My vegetarian brother has to sit at the same table as my carnivorous husband while my mother and her brother eye the plates to see whose cranberry dish is the bigger crowd-pleaser. Imperfect individuals force or find themselves thrust together, and must coexist as pleasantly as possible.
While you can bring food, most do, most of the dinner plans are scheduled far ahead of time, and every family member has their role. Bringing the food you are in charge of is not a gift, it’s the bare minimum, and bringing any other dish…is a deadly insult to whoever was supposed to. If you want to show goodwill, foster family bonding, and be allowed to taste the pie, a gift can go a long way. Whether you are hosting, and want to entertain your guests, or whether you are visiting and wish to show your gratitude, a gift is optimal.
So why, of all things, did I choose to offer wine as a Thanksgiving gift?
What are the characteristics of the perfect Thanksgiving gift?
Perhaps your family doesn’t drink alcohol ever, or you don’t think wine would go over well, then the principles below are still good guidance for picking an ideal gift out for Thanksgiving.
Firstly the gift should provide a distraction, an activity which takes the focus of sources of tension, political/election fallout, pandemic stress, or in far too many cases this year, empty chairs at the tables. It should provide a topic for conversation, an activity that can be engaged with while everyone is gathered. I considered a board game, but knowing how competitive people in my family can get, it was struck off the list.
Secondly, the gift should fit in with the themes of Thanksgiving. You want it to add too, not detract from, the atmosphere of gratitude. It should be a symbol of natural plenty, the rich wealth of the land which, through human nurture, provides its ample bounty. The wrong gift might clash too much: electronic gadgets or toys might be enjoyable, but would feel out of place. Save those for under the Christmas tree.
Finally, it should be affordable yet memorable. The ideal Thanksgiving gift will make no one feel uncomfortable due to its extravagantness. While at the same time, standing out enough to be remarked, appreciated, and remembered. Not because I want acclaim, but because every positive memory created over that weekend is one more stone in the foundation of a happy family.
Why does blind tasting wine make the perfect gift for Thanksgiving.
Some of you might be asking, hold on, wine is not part of our Thanksgiving tradition, or worse, it already is! That is part of the appeal, it is easy enough to integrate (it can be enjoyed before, during, or after the meal) without already being a staple at the table. And for those who do already have wine on Thanksgiving, a blind tasting kit is exactly the kind of thing that can spice it up while pleasing the traditionalists.
Wine offers a number of advantages as a Thanksgiving gift. As a mild alcohol it can contribute to relaxing the atmosphere without leading to any unpleasantness. It provides a subject for conversation that is safe, yet deep; from travel to taste, wine will take you many places but few of them are the dreaded Thanksgiving taboos: religion or politics.
Yet the advantages are doubled if you bring a blind wine tasting kit. Now the wine is an activity, it will help pass time while also deliberately structured to draw people into conversations by sharing their opinions. You don’t have to worry about finding the perfect wine for each palate at the table (which would be impossible) instead of counting on diverse opinions to animate the event. It can be enjoyed in one night for those in a hurry, or drawn out over several for those who need to fill the time. Best yet, it can be done virtually.
Which wine tasting kit to get for Thanksgiving: Palate Club
There is certainly no shortage of choices when it comes to wine tasting kits. From pre-packaged assemblies by large wineries to ‘everything but the wine’ build-your-own tasting kits available on Amazon, there are a wealth of options. I considered many, but settled on Palate Club.
They are a relatively new start-up out of the bay area, whose prices are attractive enough without being cheap. They work with small-scale or artisanal wineries across the US and the world, which I figured would make for more interesting and varied wines. Their tasting kit comes pre-prepared for a blind tasting, which means minimal effort in preparation. They also have an app for rating the wines, which then tells you about your wine preferences. It was this in particular which convinced me, as I could then compare the taste with other family members and, taking notes, get better wine for them, and me, in the future!
Finally, however, the advantage of such a gift is that it can be ordered and delivered, meaning that, while my cousin’s family is stuck halfway across the country, we can still enjoy the experience together. Zoom may not allow us to share the turkey, but it can certainly let us enjoy a fine sip of Thanksgiving spirit together, more so if you take the time to order the perfect gift now!