Do you have that hard to find person that you rack your brain trying to find a great gift for every year? How about Bouteille Wine and Gift Merchant’s in Claremont on Tremont Square in Claremont? This store is just up the street from A Thyme to Cook and the Claremont Spices and Dry Goods Store, which I did a post on if you want to see other great speciality shops here.
Atmosphere
A highlight of the shop is its atmosphere. You’re welcomed by one of their official friendly greeters, Wilson or Rudy, who love people. You’ll find chairs in cozy spots around the store that beckon you to sit and take in the relaxing ambience. The store is set up for you to wander and explore with its layout of beautiful, well-lit displays.
What You’ll Find in the Shop
Food and Wine
Inside the store you’ll find wines from different regions: Europe, South American, Australian, and our own West Coast.
You can also find olive oils and vinegars. The pear champagne flavor really looked appealing to me; I bet it would be great to make a salad dressing with.
Around the store are local food products like caramel, truffles, and fun flavors of popcorn I’ve never tried. The maple bacon truffles really caught my eye; I thought it might be fun to try with that sweet and salty combination. Of course right by the cashier counter they have Red Kite caramels which are so creamy and delicious, a good spot for them for sure.
Jewelry and Accessories
The unique gifts don’t stop there. You can also find local jewelry. Marilyn Harris’ favorite, who co-owns the shop with Alison Raymond, was ABC Bead from Sunapee that uses granite to make beautiful jewelry. She said the Christmas ornaments each had a special story as to why they were made and symbolize something, like hope.
You can also find purses, scarves, cute socks, and other accessories – -even kids items.
Home Decor and Entertaining
I think this was my favorite section. They had fun cocktail napkins with silly sayings, and coasters I could just imagine making a friend’s day every time they saw it.
They also had other items I’d never seen like a perfume bottle that scents your house – creative and beautiful!
I felt as I was walking through I kept saying to myself: Oh that’s cool. I’d love to give that to someone.
Events at Bouteille
Wine Tasting
Maybe you’re like me and stare at the array of wines and pick the bottle with pretties label or the most tantalizing description on the back. How do you choose which wine you’d like without trying it first? It’s a guessing game for me; sometimes I just go by the price and hope people will like it.
Worry no more! Here you’ll find Friday night wine tastings at 5 pm.
Sip n’ Paint and more
They even do a sip and paint once a month for $35 from 5:30-8:30. Keep looking at their Facebook events page because you might also find a book reading and wine tasting or a meet the winemaker event.
So make sure in your holiday shopping adventures to check out Bouteille in Claremont and find that perfect gift for a loved one in your life.
