Choosing gifts for the wine lovers in your life can be a minefield, as passions among oenophiles can sometimes run as high as those in the most spirited political or religious debates. To avoid a dreaded, "Oh, you shouldn't have," we offer two gift ideas that are sure to stimulate and surprise even the most jaded winelover.

Our vote for book -- and gift -- of the year goes to "A History of the World in Six Glasses," by Tom Standage, technology editor at The Economist and contributor to Wired magazine.

Philosopher Carl Popper stated that, "There is no history of mankind; there are only many histories of all aspects of human life." Standage certainly has taken this advice to heart, explaining, "Just as archaeologists divide history into different periods based on the use of different materials -- the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, the Iron Age, and so on -- it is also possible to divide world history into periods dominated by different drinks. Six beverages in particular -- beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea and cola -- chart the flow of world history."