So, this is probably a time when you will have the boss over for dinner, need to bring a nice bottle to his/her place or order wine at dinner. Here are some options, that while still pricey, won’t quite break the bank as much.

It can seem like the holiday season is full of potential wine-related pitfalls when it comes to something like the correct bottle to give to your boss. So you’re expected to give your boss a holiday gift, a bottle of wine can be a good choice. But that’s a lot of pressure—what should you buy?

If you simply want to steer clear of embarrassment by assuming too much, we’d think you should bring a great bottle of well-aged, traditional Barbaresco, or a delicate-but-powerful white Burgundy (a little age, maybe 10 years for the Barbaresco and 5 for the Burgundy, will help bring the best characteristics of the wine to the fore.) They both have a sexy, well-recognized region attached to the wine, and hell, both wines are equally delicious.

We’d like to tell you that this is one of the few times that we recommend going for big names. Don’t sell yourself out completely, because this honcho could very well be into things like Barolo and Burgundy, and if so, they’ll think you have silly cubicle tastes…and in the cubicle you shall consequently remain. Think of established names making respectable wines that aren’t too readily available. Look for a classic importer. But don’t try to show off your esoteric sense. This is not your chance to educate your boss on the virtues of Teroldego. Bosses don’t care about Teroldego.

Or maybe you should give your boss something exotic? Like a bottle of Bandol. The best wines of Bandol in the South of France are soft, rich, and herbal wines—age worthy, and not too expensive. If your boss knows wines, your boss will know these and be impressed, if he/she doesn’t, he will be impressed that you know them.

It’s nice to give your boss a bottle of red wine that can be saved and is unique. I think it’s cool to do some research and find an interesting wine such as Bressan, Schioppettino from Friuli, Italy. Whenever you will pour that wine for your guests, they immediately are drawn to it. Also, thinking outside the box from the norm might be able to save a few dollars without skimping on quality.

There you have it, good “impress the boss” wines, most at half the price of the wine your boss is drinking and surely to all be a crowd pleaser.

Who knows, maybe the boss will take you on the next business trip because he thinks he will have a wine savvy employee to help get the next big deal done!

[Article by Federico Brandi]