⚡ Read This Before Christmas Dinner

5 Power Moves for the Family Holiday Gathering

1. Bring Two Backup Gifts. Someone always shows up unexpected—aunt's new boyfriend, cousin's fiancée, your brother's friend who "had nowhere else to go." Keep two universally solid gifts in the car: quality candle, premium coffee, artisan chocolates.

2. Compliment Something Specific. Your host is overwhelmed. Guaranteed. Find one detail to call out: "That centerpiece is killer—did you make it?" or "This playlist is perfect for the vibe." Something generic like "everything looks great" gets lost in the noise. Specificity shows you were actually paying attention.

3. Bring the Ingredients for One Signature Cocktail. Show up with everything to make Old Fashioneds or margaritas—spirits, bitters, garnishes, the works. Offer to make a round mid-party. You're not just drinking the host's liquor, you're contributing. You know what you’re doing, make a statement. Need some Cocktail inspiration? Check out these 3 killer holiday drinks.

4. Stay 15 Minutes After Everyone Leaves. Help clean. Load the dishwasher. Take out the trash. Hosts remember who stayed and who bailed the second dessert ended. Be a holiday hero.

5. Send a Handwritten Thank You Note. Mail it the next week. Three sentences, handwritten, in an envelope. Nobody does this anymore. That's exactly why it works.

Own the room. Set the tone.

Regifting isn't rude. It's strategic resource management.

Every December, you get gifts you'll never use. A candle that smells like a Pinterest board threw up. Golf balls when you don't golf. Another wireless charging pad. Someone spent money on these—throwing them out is wasteful. Letting them collect dust in a closet is pointless.

Here's how to regift without looking like an amateur.

The Three Rules

Rule 1: Never regift in the same circle Your neighbor gives you gift. Don't give it to your other neighbor. That's how people compare notes and you get caught. Cross-pollinate social groups only.

Rule 2: Remove all evidence Cards, gift receipts, store tags, etc. Check everything. Twice. Get caught regifting once, you’ll never hear the end of it.

Rule 3: Match the gift to the person Don't give whiskey stones to a wine drinker. Don't give a fitness tracker to someone who hates the gym. The gift should make sense for them, not just clear space in your cabinet.

What Not to Regift

The Bottom Line: Regifting saves money and reduces waste. Just don't be sloppy about it. Do it right or don't do it at all.

We've been to every type of wine festival. They're all the same—Cab, Chard, Pinot, repeat. Boring.

Festival of Undiscovered Grapes is different. 60+ boutique wineries pouring lesser-known varieties only. No Cabernet. No Chardonnay. Just varieties like Tempranillo, Chenin Blanc, Albariño, Grenache, Tannat, Nebbiolo, Vermentino, and dozens more you've probably never tried.

Why it's worth going:

1. Small producers from serious wine country. Paso Robles, Sonoma, Santa Barbara, plus underrated regions like Lodi and Livermore Valley. Small producers making interesting stuff.

2. Winemakers pour the wine. Ask questions. Learn what you're drinking. Talk to the people who made it.

3. You can actually buy what you taste. Most wine festivals force you to buy six-bottle cases for shipping. Here, you mix and match bottles from any winery and ship for one flat rate. VIP ticket holders get free shipping.

Dates

Limited deal this week: $120 for two tickets (NorCal only).

If you’re in California and you're tired of tasting the same wines at every festival, this one's different. Actually different.

Worth the trip.