I was thinking through what I'd tasted, and read, and heard about, and so on through the course of 2009, and it seemed like a good idea to recap a few highlights as possible gift ideas. After all, there's still time left—and even if the holiday season passes, why not give a few more gifts to people? The wine business—in fact, the entire U.S. economy—will thank you!

10. Evan Williams Three-Ounce Flask ($13.50) Long flight? The cagey folks at Evan Williams are there to keep you from having to drink rotgut from a cart; this stainless steel flask holds only three ounces, which makes it OK for airport security. You could fill it with, just on a whim, the latest release of Evan Williams Single Barrel Bourbon ($26), the lightly spicy, supple 2000 vintage. As usual, it's a great deal in a single-barrel Bourbon. 

9. Wine from Italy's Lazio region  I had the interesting pleasure of running a tasting recently of wines from Lazio, the region that surrounds Rome and is bordered by Umbria and Tuscany to the north. Lazio tends to get overlooked, because the vast majority of the wine it produces is utterly forgettable white Frascati that flows in a vast river into the glasses of Rome's countless trattorias. But there's a hidden realm of ambitious small producers in the region, making some fantastic wine. I'm particularly fond of the in-your-face fragrant 2008 Cantina Sant'Andrea Oppidum ($24, try contacting the importer), a dry Muscat that smells like a fistful of flowers and tastes of citrus fruit with a nut-skin edge, as well as the dark cherry-and-silk 2005 Damiano Ciolli Cirsium ($40, ditto), made from the local Cesanese grape variety. Cool wines. Unfortunately, both a bit hard to find.

8. Easier to find: The 2007 Twenty Bench Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($19, find this wine). This is a stupidly good deal in Napa Cab, so much so that when I used it in a blind tasting on the CBS Early Show the other morning, it bested a 2006 Bordeaux from a second-growth property (admittedly a bit unfair, as '06 Bordeaux aren't exactly user-friendly at the moment). 

7. Even easier to find: The 2008 Foxglove Chardonnay ($16, find this wine) I don't know what sort of deal Jim & Bob Varner cut with the infernal forces to be able to keep producing such a good Chardonnay for such a modest price, but whatever it was, wine drinkers owe them some thanks. 

6. The One wine glasses ($50 for four)  Andrea Immer, Master Sommelier & general wine-authority-about-town, designed these glasses with the specific thought in mind that (a) you would only need one red and one white glass, and (b) you could dishwash the darn things without breaking them. I've tested them out; they work. Nice glassware is a good thing. Alternatively, you could buy someone the Riedel stems that I've always used as my go-to all-purpose glasses, the Riedel Vinum Chianti/Zinfandel glass (model 6416/15, about $40 for two). I know, doing this defeats the whole point of Riedel glasses, but hey, I'm a journalist, not a millionaire.

5. For Pinot Noir fanatics, winemaker Ross Cobb is making some of the best Sonoma Coast Pinot I came across all year. I didn't get a chance to write about them in the magazine, because they're small production and fairly expensive, but they're truly impressive wines. My favorite was his 2007 Cobb Coastlands Vineyard ($68), which had lovely floral and balsam aromas, gorgeous wild berry fruit with a hint of white pepper, an orange peel note to the acidity, and a taut, streamlined structure. Just terrific stuff. You have to sign up on the website to receive an allocation, but from what I can tell it's not sold out yet.

4.The Food & Wine Wine Guide 2010. Great stocking stuffer. Almost as good as a subscription to Food & Wine.

3. What the heck. While I'm at it, why not give someone a gift from the Food & Wine Wine Club.

2. The Macallan 57 Year Old ($15,000) OK, it's a little pricey. But I did get a chance to taste this stuff, and, whether it's worth fifteen grand or not, I can definitely say that it's truly gorgeous whisky. It isn't remotely dried out (a common problem with extremely old whiskies), gives off whiffs of caramel, sweet spice, tobacco and peat, and tastes of orange rind, spice drop, rancio, and dried fruits; it's tremendously complex and also lovely, with a rich viscosity. Plus, it's bottled in a fancy-pants Lalique decanter, of which there are exactly 400 total for the world. But, if you don't feel like trading your child's college fund for a bottle of hooch, you could instead pick up the nifty new half-bottle size Macallan 18 ($80), which is exactly the same Macallan 18 as in the traditional 750ml bottle (extremely good, in other words) but smaller. Really great stocking stuffer.

1. Champagne  The Champenoise are having a tough time this season, people are holding onto their shekels & not shelling out for the pricey tête-de-cuvées they once did, but hey—as far as I know, no one is ever unhappy to be given Champagne. Why would they be? It's festive, it tastes great, it's fun, and even if you're one of the weird anti-fizz minority and don't like the stuff, it's eminently regiftable. There's plenty of good Champagne out there, but I'm particularly partial at the moment to the chalky, aromatic NV Henriot Blanc Souverain (about $50, find this wine), a graceful—and findable—blanc de blancs bottling not to be confused with the similarly named (and also quite good) Henriot Brut Souverain.

On the 12th Day of Wine Bags my true love gave to me, a tote made from an old sleeve.

Hooray! We've made it the twelfth and final bag in this holiday wine carrier spectacular! I've had a fun time tracking these things down, and it's been exciting to see the endless design possibilities for carrying a bottle of wine.

Which brings me to today's wine-bottle gift-bag: Ontario designer Lori Norwood of North Wood Blanket Co. repurposes the sleeves of old sweaters, turning them into vibrant, cozy, little wool bags that will hug your wine just like a sleeping bag.

Now, what to go in these bags? This time of year I gravitate toward Loire Valley Cabernet Franc for the herbal qualities it takes on—when it's good—and for the brambly berry notes it almost always has. Lately, I've been particularly into the rosemary-scented 2007 Charles Joguet Cuvée Terroir Chinon ($18, find this wine), perfect for holiday roasts and sipping by the fire.

Last Friday, I finally made it to the bar at the new Breslin at NYC's Ace Hotel (you know, the newest place from the Spotted Pig cohorts Ken Friedman and F&W Best New Chef 2007 April Bloomfield) I was really lucky to get there on the early side because by 6 p.m., the place was packed with fashionable folk clamoring for Pimms Collinses and scrumpets and expertly fried, thrice-cooked chips. The pubby feel of the Breslin practically demands that you have a beer, so I chose a cask pour of the Breslin's very own Aberdeen Scotch ale, made exclusively for the restaurant by Brooklyn's superstar brewery Sixpoint Craft Ales. Cask-conditioned ales are served a little warmer than the average draft pour and have nice soft bubbles so that you're able to fully take in all of the flavors and aromas of the beer. The Aberdeen is incredibly round with some caramel notes and perfectly balanced malts and hops.

What does this have to do with 12 Days of Wine Bags, you ask? Well, while sitting in the Breslin waiting for my friend, I was able to really investigate all of the little details of the place—including the excellent little red tartan plaid lampshades, which reminded me of these terrific plaid wine totes from the Container Store. Plaid seems to be a pretty big fashion fad these days, and these let you take your wine in style, too. I'm mostly opposed to paper and plastic bags but these are sturdy enough to be gifted and regifted over and over again. And for a mere $4 a pop, you can outfit all of your colleagues in the office with them.

Today's wine bag (10 of 12) is the Rolls Royce of the whole bunch. It's luxurious, classic, well-fashioned, a little boxy and incredibly pricey. Did I mention that it comes with a wool picnic blanket? Certainly not for the novice wine-lover, this tote is designed with the ultimate connoisseur in mind. Handmade by designer Tyler Mckenzie at Teal and Gold Workshop (through a process that takes 20-some hours to complete) these Bent Walnut Picnic Wine Totes are made to order. Odds are if you order one today, it won't make it for the December 25th deadline that so many are operating under these days. But I say, wrap up an equally exquisite bottle of wine—like the rich, driven 2006 Numanthia from Spain's Toro region ($57, find this wine)—and print out a photo of the walnut wine tote goodness that's to come. The person you bestow with this one-of-a-kind gift will be delighted and will have a nice surprise some time in January. 

Okay, today's wine bag might be a little over the top, but while some people simply bring a bottle of wine to a party, this bag makes it so that you can bring the party to the party. Holding a whopping nine bottles (how appropriate for my 9th installment of the 12 Days of Wine Bags), reisenthel's Bottlebag is a pretty, eco-friendly way to load up on wine, seltzer and mixers for your next dinner party without having to deal with a bunch of lame, wimpy plastic sacks.

This super-hip tote from Hero Bags, one of my favorite finds of the year, has a home in our December issue's gift guide. Nevertheless, I'm excited to present it to you again (just in case you missed it the first time around) as the 8th bag in my string of 12 Days of Wine Bags. Hero Bags, started by San Francisco designer Susanne Maddux, prides itself on being an all-American company, making its products by hand in California with sustainable, organic cotton grown in the States. Hero also makes a bunch of other cool totes and lunch bags, as well as a single-bottle wine carrier.

Combine this bag with a bottle of crisp, peachy 2008 Kung Fu Girl Riesling ($12, find this wine) from American Wine Awards-winner Charles Smith and you have a slam dunk gift for under $30.

Confession: I'm a little bit obsessed with everything that Roost makes. Whenever I'm on the hunt for anything tabletop- or home-related, I usually start with the Roost catalog and go from there. So, when I set out to find 12 days' worth of wine bags, Roost was my natural point of departure. And voilà! It once again came through with not only one excellent wine tote, but two! Today's (you'll have to wait ‘til next week for the other one) carrier isn't so much a bag as a wine tube. These scrolled carriers are made from birch and tie with a simple leather cord. They come in a variety of different styles, but this time of year, the snowflake-stamped wine cylinders loaded with a nice bottle of sparkling wine are a perfect pairing.

Early Saturday morning winter crept into New York City and from past experience, I'm pretty confident that it's not going anywhere soon. What better to cozy up to during these frigid winter days than a brightly-colored merino wool wine carrier and a mug of glögg? Day 6's bag (yes, there are still six more on the way!) is the Cameo bag from LA-based designer Gräf & Lantz. They come in four different colors and have a sturdy leather strap that will last many more winters to come.

Today's installment of my 12 Days of Wine Bags finishes off this week with great big wine-bag fireworks! Some of you may argue that this isn't exactly a wine bag—and you're right. But I have a feeling that if you show up on your best pal's doorstep with one of these gorgeous wine slings all loaded up with three stunning bottles, no one would mind that it's not a bag. Plus, this carrier can be hung up on the wall and refilled over and over again, making it a super chic wine rack. The leather slings are handmade in Argentina by a company called Gattorna. And the really cool thing about the company selling the slings, Lavish Giving, is that if you make a purchase over $100, 10 percent of whatever you spend will be donated to the charity of your choosing. (The slings are only $95, but I'm sure you'll be able to find something else you like.)

Here are three of my favorite bottles that I've tasted this year to help you load up your slings:

2006 Domaine Catherine Auther Vin d'Alsace ($14, find this wine) For folks who are into wine esoterica, this white's the one. Made with the Pinot Auxerrois grape, the wine's ridiculously balanced considering everything it has going on-from nutty aromas to citrus and apple flavors. Makes for great winter white drinking.

2008 Roagna Dolcetto d'Alba ($16, find this wine) I fell in love with this wine at a Louis/Dressner tasting and haven't stopped hunting for bottles since. Dolcetto is superb with food because it has easygoing tannins that won't overpower, alongside nice subtle fruit. This bottling has all that and some intriguing earthy notes.  

2008 Vinos de Terruõs Siete 7 ($12, find this wine) This Garnacha-Tempranillo blend from Spain's Navarra region is the sort of wine that you don't want to stop drinking. It's like delving into a farm stand basket of blueberries, blackberries and black cherries at the peak of the season, with enough acidity to keep the wine vibrant on your tongue. And the truly wonderful surprise is that it costs less than $15.

Bob's Your Uncle's witty wine bags aren't new, but they make me smile every time I see them, making them the pick for Day 4 of my holiday gift-bag journey. These silver-pressed kraft-paper bags poke a nice dose of fun at what we wine folks try do every day—come up with inventive (and admittedly sometimes silly) ways to describe how wine tastes. For a mere $14 you get six bags, each with a different description—for instance, "Vigorous Well Constructed Even a Little Bosomy." And they offer a fun challenge: to find wine that fits the statement on the bag. So if anyone determines a good bosomy wine, let me know.