Holiday Gift Guide 2021: The Best Gifts For Europhiles

Take a grand tour around Europe with these luxury gifts from Italy, Greece, Scotland and beyond.

Greece

Launched in September, Crabtree & Evelyn’s newest collection of home and personal accessories was inspired by Greece and crafted in collaboration with local Greek artisans from the island of Kefalonia and beyond. There are plenty of items to choose from, including silk sea sponges; olive wood pestle and mortars; and small-batch olive oil, but these pom-pom slippers, a nod to the traditional Greek military uniform and made in the Peloponnese, make for a charming and practical present.

Italy

For the Italophile, sweet tooth, or home chef in your life, there’s La Vita è Dolce, a charmingly illustrated and photographed cookbook of Italian desserts by food writer and pastry chef, Letitia Clark. Based in Sardinia, Clark delights with over 80 sweet recipes including chiacchiere (fried pastries); peach and almond biscotti with ricotta; and gorgeous Sardinian capigliette tarts.

Romania

Romania is an up-and-coming travel destination with so much to offer, like pristine nature, storybook castles, and quaint villages that seem all but forgotten by time. The food and drink scene is also a major—and largely underrated—draw, and as an emerging wine destination, Romanian wine makes for a creative holiday gift for oenophiles who are looking for something new. Impress wine-loving friends with a Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Fetească Neagră blend by Davino, or for good-value, casual gifts for neighbors and acquaintances, dole out bottles of the extremely affordable wines by Romania’s largest exporter, Cramele Recas.

England

Christmas crackers are a key component of any festive feast in England. Order yours from the quintessentially British Claridge’s hotel, where each of the six Art Deco-inspired Claridge’s Crackers come packed with a “stylish surprise” and a gold or silver paper crown.

Spain

Hand-carved Iberico bellota. Crispy and sweet tortas de aceite. Creamy pastura cheese with truffles. These are just a few examples of the kind of mouthwatering artisanal treats on offer by Brindisa Spanish Foods this holiday season. Filled with gourmet treasures sourced from all over Spain by Brindisa founder Monika Linton, one of these generous Spanish food hampers will delight any foodie.

Scotland

Balvenie’s newly released Twenty Five single malt is the gift that keeps on giving, with notes of honey and spiced vanilla oak on the nose; ripening fruit and autumn spices on the tongue; and a long, smooth finish. While a bottle of Balvenie is luxurious enough in its own right, go over-the-top by also gifting the Scotch super-fan in your life a tour of the Balvenie distillery in Speyside.