What to give the wine fan -- or the party host -- in your life who has everything? Look no further

As the holiday season approaches each year, many of us shift into serious worry mode about finding gifts for the favorite folks in our lives. Gift giving is rarely a snap, and it's a nearly impossible feat to pull off when those friends or family members are wine aficionadoes with hundreds of Parker-acclaimed selections -- and, possibly, a bottle of '61 Petrus -- stashed away in his or her EuroCave.

Likewise, when you're a guest at a holiday dinner party, you obviously want to avoid being the unfortunate soul arriving with a bottle of Woodbridge for your host, while everyone else has a small-production boutique offering that elicits "ooh"s and "ahh"s from the group.

Believe it or not, you can handle both scenarios with aplomb without busting your holiday budget. Here's a short list of an array of wines to entice oenophiles with all palates:

NV FERDINAND PIEROTH "PIEROTH GOLD" SEKT DEMI-SEC/GERMANY: $23.49 (A PRP WINE EXCLUSIVE)

One aspect of the numerous wine events I've participated in throughout this year never fails to break my heart: hearing many supposedly broad-minded wine fans tell me that they refuse to taste barely more than a drop of vino with even the faintest amount of sweetness ... not even port. That's too bad for them, because they miss out on one of the most enjoyable parts of wine tasting: enjoying the exquisite match of sweeter wines with salty fare, such as Port with Stilton, one of the saltiest cheeses on the planet. The same holds true for "Pieroth Gold," a Riesling/Trebbiano blend made party hearty with bubbles and 24-karat gold flakes. As with its twin "Edition Pieroth," this sparkler bursts with exuberant, bright scents and flavors of green apple, apricot, honeydew, and lemon; its clear, well-integrated mix of acidity and minerality make it a great match with creamier cheeses such as Brie and Gouda, in addition to crab dip, shrimp cocktails, and a wide array of light, fruity desserts. Make sure to have a case on hand at your New Year's Eve shindig to ring in 2010!

2008 FERDINAND PIEROTH KREUZNACHER ROSENBERG SPATLESE MULLER-THURGAU/NAHE (GERMANY): $22.99 (A PRP WINE EXCLUSIVE)

Although you'll likely be munching on turkey sandwiches or sipping turkey noodle soup for a while after Thanksgiving, you're probably thinking gobbler as a tasty entree for your holiday-season suppers. So which wine, you're no doubt asking, loves the satisfying saltiness of turkey? Hearkening back to my comments about the aforementioned "Pieroth Gold," you'll find that wines with a measure of light, refreshing sweetness are a natch with light, saltier (and spicier) fare, including Thai, Chinese, and Vietnamese cuisine. Enter your holiday bird in that category; it's ideal with this classic Muller-Thurgau, with its appealingly fresh nose and flavors of green apple, pear, and green grapes and notes of ginger and cinnamon on the middle palate and lingering finish. But don't stop with the holiday season for this yummy Spatlese: Introduce it to orange chicken, Waldorf salad, and a host of other sweet-and-salty dishes.

2005 GOLDEN GRAPE ESTATE PINOT NOIR/OREGON: $32.99 (A PRP WINE EXCLUSIVE)

To me, a wine grape should be allowed to show its natural characteristics, not manipulated into having a fuller body, a darker hue, or more alcohol than it would have on its own accord. Rather unfortunately, several domestic winemakers -- no, I refuse to identify the offenders -- seem to have no qualms about having their Pinot grapes harvested late, not to mention extracted, macerated, and oaked with the heaviest of hands. (In other words, why do these folks insist upon turning Pinot Noir into Syrah?) The benefits of letting a varietal be itself, on the other hand, are many, with wine of purity, clarity, and complexity at the top of the list. Case in point: the '05 Golden Grape Estate Pinot Noir. Featuring classic Burgundian delicacy and earthiness, this beauty features a dainty pale garnet hue with a faint touch of tawniness. Scents of dry, tart red cherry and strawberry, mushroom, cedar, and freshly tilled earth flow from the glass, leading to clear, compelling mid-palate flavors of tangy red cherry and strawberry, in addition to notes of eucalyptus, peppercorn, and sage. Pinot Noir's classically gentle acidity is showcased throughout the wine's ethereal mouthfeel, with its lingering, woodsy finish providing a haunting grace note. Pair it with a savory salmon filet, roast chicken, or even rare prime rib, and you'll be in bliss. (During a tasting early this summer, my husband sampled a glass of this exquisite Oregonian, and deemed it "as close to perfect a wine" as he's ever tasted.) A case of this gorgeous wine -- a steal, at $32.99 a bottle for a premium Oregon Pinot Noir -- is a must this year for the serious wine fan in your life!

2008 CONTE OTTAVIO PICCOLIMINI AGLIANICO IGT/SICILY: $14.99 (A PRP WINE EXCLUSIVE)

What to serve with a rich, satisfying holiday meal featuring a standing rib roast or classic roast beef, made piquant with a dusting of cracked black pepper? Offer a glass of this classy Sicilian to your dinner guests: a noble varietal known as the Aglianico grape. (Fret not if the name doesn't ring a bell; more than 1,200 wine grape varietals are grown in Italy.) Featuring lovely, supple aromas and flavors of plum, black cherry, cassis, and capers -- with accents of tarragon, oregano, freshly tilled earth, and ash (talk about the effects of terroir) -- and exiting with an ultra-long, rich back-palate finish teeming with herbs and capers -- the Piccolomini Aglianco is a natural for your holiday table. It's just as tasty with an array of comfort fare, including but not exclusively pot roast, meat loaf, heartier stews and soups, cassoulet, burgers, anything on the grill, pasta with meaty red sauces, or pizza. It'd be hard to imagine that a case of this affordable Italian classic would hold a wine fan throughout the next month or so!

2006 OLIGITUM CRIANZA (34% CABERNET SAUVIGNON/33% TEMPRANILLO/33% MERLOT)/NAVARRA: $21.99 (A PRP WINE EXCLUSIVE)

While little ones may have visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads this season, many oenophiles no doubt have fantasies of deeply hued, chewy, brooding reds filling their heads. If one of your friends is a wine fan who dreams of a red Christmas or Hannukkah, make that friend happy with a few bottles (or a case) of this lusty Spanish beauty. With its gorgeous inky-garnet color, as well as essences of ultra-ripe blackberry and currant, sage, tarragon, cedar, green pepper, nopal, and char dominating the nose and palate, this Crianza offers a rich, velvety mouthfeel and a long back-palate finish that offers an intriguing array of herbs, spices, and smoke. Perfect with peppercorn steak or a peppery rib roast, this sexy and moody red -- think Ava Gardner of the world of wines -- is a Navarra treasure, currently available in very limited quantities.