10 Hostess Gifts to Bring on Thanksgiving

Wine-
Perhaps the easiest and most standard hostess gift is a bottle of wine. Pick up a moderately priced varietal from a local wine shop.
For a red, select something versatile and smooth. We like Bone Dance Merlot ($25) by JAQK Cellars.
If you want a white, you can't go wrong with the 2008 Robert Mondavi Fume Blanc. Mondavi created the term Fume Blanc in 1966 to distinguish his dry crisp Sauvignon Blanc from sweeter varieties.
As for a sparkler, La Marca Prosecco ($13.99) is delightful, light, and perfect for toasting.

Spirits-
After wine, another common hostess gift is a bottle of alcohol. Absolut's limited edition holiday glimmer bottle ($26) is ideal for vodka aficionados, while St. Germain ($33) elderflower liqueur is a nice sweeter option. For the adventurous drinker, seek out Ilegal mezcal; it's smoky, smooth, and very sippable ($54).

Flowers-
A fresh bouquet of flowers is always a lovely gift, especially if you know what the hostess' favorite color and flower is. Cut and arrange the flowers in a vase, tie with a pretty bow, and give the whole thing to the hostess. This way she won't have to find a vase, fill it with water, and cut the flowers in the middle of her party.

Herb Growing Kit-
An herb growing kit with stand ($15) is ideal for an apartment dweller or someone who doesn't have a lot of outdoor space. This compact kit includes five pots and seed packets for basil, thyme, parsley, chives, and cilantro.

Gift Basket-
Sure, you can purchase an expensive gourmet gift basket, but it's really easy and more personal to make your own. Pick up a basket from a local craft store and fill with your favorite cheese (we suggest Cypress Grove's Midnight Moon aged Gouda and Humboldt Fog goat cheese), salami (Columbus has wine-flavored salami that is excellent), crackers, jarred olives, a bottle of wine, etc.

Box of Macaroons-
With their beautiful and delicate packaging, delightful texture, and assortment of delicious flavors, Sucre's macaroons ($23) are to die for. If a guest showed up with a box of these macaroons, how could you not be happy?!

Wine Charms-
A set of wine charms, like these rustic leaf charms ($10), can be used on Thanksgiving and at many parties to come.

Monogrammed Cocktail Napkins-
Customize cocktail napkins with the hostess's name or initials at For Your Party. This incredibly useful website allows you to select everything from the napkin shape and color to the font and size of the text.

Place Card Holders-
A hostess can never have too many place card holders and these round silver ones ($18) are a great base to start a collection. They can be used over and over again at everything from Christmas to Easter.

Apples to Apples-
Apples to Apples ($23), the game of hilarious word comparisons, is our favorite board game. Bring it to Thanksgiving and you can play a couple of rounds in between dinner and dessert.