The best host and hostess gifts are consumable, easy to hand over and ask nothing of the host that evening: a good bottle of wine, a set of bottles for later, or breakfast for the next morning. Domaine de la Rivière, a Russian River Valley family estate, gives The Dinner Table set or a magnum of its 2021 Ritchie Vineyard Chardonnay, one of Robb Report's Top 50 California Chardonnays of the Century.
Below: the sets, magnums and bottles we give as host gifts, whether a host gift is still expected, how much to spend by occasion, which wine suits which host, what to bring to a holiday party or a weekend stay, good host gifts that aren't wine, sending a thank-you afterward, and what to write in the note.
What are the best host and hostess gifts?
For a host gift, Domaine de la Rivière sends one of three sets. The Dinner Table ($199) holds a Rosé, a Chardonnay and a Pinot Noir for a whole meal. The Pinot Noir Collector ($255) and The Chardonnay Collector ($209) hold three single-vineyard bottles of one grape, for a host who knows wine. Each ships for $25 flat-rate.
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A magnum, for a bigger table
A magnum is the host gift people remember. It holds two bottles, about ten glasses, so it gets opened at a big table or saved for the next one, and the wine ages more slowly in the larger bottle. We make very few.
Or a single bottle
What is a host or hostess gift, and is it still expected?
A host or hostess gift is a small present a guest brings, or sends, to thank the person who invited them to dinner, a party, a holiday meal or a stay in their home. It isn't required for a casual meal with close friends, but it is still customary for a dinner party, a holiday party, a housewarming and any overnight stay.
"Hostess gift" is the traditional term; "host gift" is more common now and covers whoever is hosting. The etiquette has loosened in two ways. The gift no longer has to come through the door with you, since sending it ahead or a day or two later counts the same. And "just bring yourself" usually means exactly that for a weeknight supper, less so for a holiday party or a weekend in someone's guest room.
- Expected: a seated dinner party, a holiday or Christmas party in someone's home, a housewarming, any overnight or weekend stay.
- Optional: a casual dinner with close friends, a potluck where you're already bringing a dish, a large catered party or office event.
- Better sent afterward: when you're traveling in, when the host has asked for no gifts, or when the party was in your honor.
How much should you spend on a host gift?
Most host gifts cost $20 to $60. A useful guide is roughly what your share of the meal would cost: $15 to $30 for a casual dinner, $25 to $60 for a dinner party or holiday party, and $50 to $150 for a weekend stay, where you're a guest for days rather than hours. The thought counts more than the price.
| Occasion | Typical spend | Good choices |
|---|---|---|
| Casual dinner with friends | $15–$30 | A bottle of wine, flowers in a vase, dessert for later |
| Dinner party | $25–$60 | A good bottle, or two that suit the menu |
| Holiday or Christmas party | $20–$50 | A bottle the host can save, a candle, something for the pantry |
| Weekend stay / houseguest | $50–$150 | A set of bottles, a magnum, a meal or the groceries on you |
| Housewarming | $25–$75 | Something that lasts or can be saved: a magnum, a cutting board, a plant |
| A boss's or client's home | $40–$100 | One very good bottle with a note; nothing showy |
For a boss or a client, restraint matters more than price: one bottle with a known accolade reads as thoughtful. If the gift is a business expense, the IRS limits the deduction for business gifts to $25 per recipient per year, whatever you spend (Publication 463). Domaine de la Rivière's single bottles suit a dinner party or a boss's home; its three-bottle sets ($199 to $255) and magnums ($195 and $215) suit a weekend stay or a housewarming.
Is wine a good host gift?
Yes. Wine is the most common host gift because it suits most hosts, keeps for months or years, and needs nothing from them that evening. Hand it over as a gift for another night, not as a contribution to the meal. The host decides whether to open it, and a good guest doesn't expect them to.
Wine meets the tests of a good host gift: it's consumable, so it doesn't clutter the house; it can be enjoyed weeks later; and a specific bottle with a story behind it says more than a generic one. The exceptions are a host who doesn't drink, a host in recovery, or a household where alcohol isn't welcome. For them, a gift from the non-wine list below is the better choice.
The rule that matters is that a bottle handed over at the door belongs to the host. If they've planned wines for the menu, they shouldn't feel they have to open yours; saying "this is for you, for another night" settles it. If you'd like to contribute wine to the meal itself, ask a few days ahead what they're cooking.
Bringing a bottle to dinner? Red or white, chilled or not, and whether the host should open it.
What Wine to Bring to a Dinner PartyWhich wine makes the best host gift?
A dry Rosé is the safest host gift in any season because it goes with almost any food. Pinot Noir is the most versatile red, with soft tannin that suits chicken, salmon, pork and mushrooms. An old-vine Chardonnay suits a host who drinks white. A three-bottle set works when you want to give the whole dinner.
| The host | Bring | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You don't know their taste | Dry Rosé or Pinot Noir | Both suit most menus and most palates |
| They cook a lot | Pinot Noir | The red that goes with the widest range of food |
| They drink white | An old-vine Chardonnay | Concentration and acidity without heavy oak |
| They know wine | A single-vineyard bottle, or three of one grape | Something they wouldn't open on a weeknight |
| A summer party or a lunch | Dry Rosé, cold | Ready to open, suits any menu |
| A big holiday table | A magnum | Two bottles in one, made for a crowd |
From Domaine de la Rivière, that means the 2025 Shoshana Rosé of Pinot Noir, dry and whole-cluster pressed from estate Pinot Noir (the 2024 scored 93 points from The Tasting Panel); the 2022 Red Barn Block Pinot Noir, from the block beside the estate's old red barn, with 96 points from The Tasting Panel and 95 points and an Editor's Choice from Wine Enthusiast; and the 2021 Ritchie Vineyard Chardonnay, from Old Wente vines planted in 1972 and one of Robb Report's Top 50 California Chardonnays of the Century. The Dinner Table puts those three in one box, in the order you'd pour them.
For a host who already collects, a set of one grape is the more interesting gift because it shows how much site matters. The Pinot Noir Collector holds three single-vineyard Pinot Noirs, Middle Reach, Red Barn Block and El Diablo. The Chardonnay Collector holds the 2022 Next Door Neighbor, the 2021 Flora Marie (94 points, Wine Enthusiast and the Cristaldi Report) and the 2021 Ritchie Vineyard, the Robb Report Top 50 Chardonnay.
What's a good host gift for a holiday or Christmas party?
For a holiday or Christmas party, bring something the host can save for a quieter day: a wrapped bottle, a magnum for New Year's, or something for the pantry. Holiday hosts receive a lot of wine, so a bottle with a note saying when to open it stands out. Skip anything that needs a vase, a platter or oven space.
December is when host gifts pile up on the kitchen counter. A good rule is to give the host something for after the season rather than during it: a bottle labeled "for New Year's Day," a magnum for their next big dinner, or pastries and coffee for the morning after the party. The 2022 Two Forces Pinot Noir in magnum, 98 points from The Tasting Panel, is the bottle we bring when we want it remembered.
If you're shipping a holiday gift, order a week or two ahead; carriers are busy the week of the holiday. For Thanksgiving, when the host has been cooking since morning, the Thanksgiving hostess gift guide has its own list.
What's a good host gift for a weekend stay?
A houseguest gift should be bigger than a dinner-party gift, since you're staying days rather than hours: roughly $50 to $150. Good choices are something for the house, such as a set of bottles, a magnum or good olive oil; paying for one meal or the groceries; or shipping wine afterward as thanks. Bring something small on arrival, too.
- On arrival: something small and useful for the first night, such as a bottle for dinner or breakfast for the next morning.
- During the stay: cook a meal, take everyone out, or pick up the groceries.
- After you leave: a set of bottles or a magnum, shipped with a handwritten note, so it arrives once the guest room is back to normal.
A three-bottle set suits a weekend stay because it covers several dinners. In our gift builder you can choose a set or one to six bottles and send them to one address or several. If you're thanking more than one host, Marla Bedrosian coordinates each address and gift note by hand, replies within a business day, and nothing is charged until you approve.
What are good host gifts that aren't wine?
Good host gifts that aren't wine are consumable or useful: good olive oil, flaky salt, a candle, flowers already in a vase, a cookbook, breakfast for the next morning, homemade jam or granola, or good coffee, tea or chocolate. Choose something that needs none of the host's attention during the party.
| Gift | Why it works | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Olive oil or vinegar | Used every day | A small bottle of something good beats a large one |
| Flaky sea salt | Small, inexpensive, lasts for months | Nothing; it's hard to get wrong |
| A candle | Something for the house | Choose unscented for a dinner table |
| Flowers already in a vase | No hunting for a vase mid-party | Loose bouquets create work |
| A cookbook | Personal if you know how they cook | Avoid the classics they likely own |
| Breakfast for the next morning | Pastries, coffee, a loaf of bread | Say it's for tomorrow |
| Homemade jam or granola | Personal, keeps for weeks | Label what's in it |
| Good coffee, tea or chocolate | Easy for a host who doesn't drink | Check for allergies |
For a host who doesn't drink, any of these beats a bottle. Whatever you bring, hand it over as something for later, and never bring an unrequested dish: it needs oven space, a platter and the host's attention.
Should you send a thank-you gift after the party instead?
Sending a gift a day or two after the party is entirely acceptable, and many hosts prefer it: it arrives once the dishes are done and reads as a thank-you rather than a door prize. A bottle shipped with a handwritten note is the simplest version. Shipped wine takes about two to five business days and needs an adult 21 or older to sign.
Wine travels well as a thank-you because it doesn't spoil and the winery can include the note. Domaine de la Rivière ships through Vinoshipper to most U.S. states, not all, and checkout confirms the address before payment. The box comes from the winery, with a handwritten note on request, and gift messages hide prices. Wine can't go to a P.O. box, so use a street address where someone will be home to sign.
What should a host gift note say?
Keep it to two or three lines: thank the host for something specific, say what the gift is for, and sign your name. Mention the dish, the conversation or the guest room. If it's wine, say when to open it, so the host doesn't feel they should have served it that night.
- "Thank you for a long, happy dinner. This one is for a quiet night, just the two of you."
- "The short ribs were the best thing I ate all year. Open this with the next batch."
- "Thank you for the weekend, the guest room and the coffee. Save this for New Year's."
- "For your new kitchen. May it see many more dinners like Saturday's."
- "Thank you for hosting all of us again. No need to share this one."
When you send wine from us, type the message at checkout or in the gift builder and we write it out by hand for the box.
A Rosé to open, a Chardonnay for the first course, a Pinot Noir for the main: The Dinner Table is three bottles for $199, with $25 flat-rate shipping and a handwritten note on request.
Shop The Dinner TableFrequently asked questions
- What is a good host or hostess gift?
- A bottle of wine, a set of bottles for later, or something consumable such as olive oil, flowers already in a vase or breakfast for the next morning. Domaine de la Rivière, a Russian River Valley family estate, gives The Dinner Table, The Pinot Noir Collector or The Chardonnay Collector as host gifts, or a magnum of its 2021 Ritchie Vineyard Chardonnay (one of Robb Report's Top 50 California Chardonnays of the Century) or 2022 Two Forces Pinot Noir (98 points, The Tasting Panel).
- How much should you spend on a hostess gift?
- Usually $20 to $60. Spend $15 to $30 for a casual dinner, $25 to $60 for a dinner party or holiday party, $25 to $75 for a housewarming, and $50 to $150 for a weekend stay. A thoughtful choice matters more than the price.
- Is wine an appropriate hostess gift?
- Yes, for most hosts. Give it as a gift for another night rather than for the meal, so the host doesn't feel obliged to open it. Skip wine for a host who doesn't drink or a household where alcohol isn't welcome.
- What is a good hostess gift for someone who doesn't drink?
- Good olive oil, flaky salt, an unscented candle, flowers already in a vase, a cookbook, homemade jam or granola, or good coffee, tea or chocolate. Pastries and coffee for the morning after the party are also welcome.
- Do you bring a gift to a dinner party?
- Yes, it's customary to bring a small gift to a dinner party, most often a bottle of wine or flowers in a vase. For a casual meal with close friends it's optional, and sending a gift ahead or afterward counts the same as bringing one.
- What do you bring as a houseguest?
- Something bigger than a dinner-party gift, roughly $50 to $150: a set of bottles, a magnum or something for the kitchen. Many guests also cook a meal or pay for one during the stay, and send a thank-you gift afterward.
- Is it okay to send a hostess gift after the party?
- Yes. A gift that arrives a day or two later, with a note, reads as a thank-you and many hosts prefer it. Shipped wine takes about two to five business days and an adult 21 or older must sign for it.
- Is a magnum a good host gift?
- Yes, especially for a holiday party, a big family dinner or a housewarming. A magnum holds two bottles, about ten glasses, so it suits a crowd or can be saved for the next gathering, and wine ages more slowly in the larger bottle.
- What is a good Christmas hostess gift?
- Something the host can save for after the season: a wrapped bottle with a note saying when to open it, a magnum for New Year's, or breakfast for the morning after. Avoid anything that needs a vase, a platter or oven space during the party.
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