Gifting the group during a meeting that incorporates California’s wine or beer is a snap for planners, as most wineries and breweries have gift shops featuring lovely items, from bottle openers to wine glass charms.
At Napa Valley’s Rubicon Estate Winery (707.968.1156), for instance, there are plenty of gifts for planners to choose from, including delicious bottles of wine, a six-piece leather coaster set and a wood wine gift set that features a corkscrew, bottle stopper, pour spout and drip ring.
At San Diego’s Ballast Point Brewing Company (858.695.2739), planners will find a variety of items attendees can take home after a tour and tasting. Among the options are T-shirts, baseball caps, pint glasses and a selection of "do-it-yourself" beer-making supplies ranging from starter kits to advanced brewing systems.
Also in San Diego is Stone Brewing Company (760.471.4999), where gifts include Arrogant Bastard Ale golf towels and socks.
Beyond individual winery and brewery gift shops, there are online portals to find all manner of gifts and gift baskets for attendees to enjoy at home.
At WineEnthusiast.com (800.356.8466), planners can choose from gifts at various price levels, including under $50. Options in this range include sets of two wine glasses or two champagne glasses, iceless wine bottle chillers, neoprene wine bottle tote bags, corkscrews and coasters. Among the promising gift bundles available is one called "cheeseboard complete," which comes with a wood cutting board, French-style cheese spreader, Merlot cheddar cheese, garlic beef summer sausage, crackers and California pistachios.
For the beer crowd, there’s BeerGifts.com (888.862.8375), whose gift baskets include one called Microbrew Times, which comes with three bottles of beer such as Anchor Steam and Red Tail (San Francisco- and Mendocino-based, respectively), cheese biscuits, salted pistachios and seasoned pretzels.
Another site is TasteYourBeer.com, where planners will find a beer tasting and hop appreciation kit, and T-shirts with fun phrases like "Make Beer, Not War" and "Real Women Drink Beer."
