Everyone likes a surprise. Maybe she likes a good romance novel. Or she might swoon over chocolates. She’ll love a great wine. She will appreciate those fine bath products. Whatever her tastes or interests, there’s a great gift basket waiting.

Create your own private home spa with the fine products in a gift basket filled with essential oils, soaps and scents. Indulge in that long hot soak while using any of many fine ointments, then enjoy a soothing moisturizer at the end. A bath product gift basket is the perfect choice to celebrate that Sunday pampering yourself.

Who doesn’t like flowers? Fresh or faux, you can find a huge bouquet of roses or a mixed basket of daffodils, peonies and begonias. The basket itself can be an important part of the total package, delivering that bounty of color in a traditional wicker or a contemporary porcelain container.

Coffee is a great favorite to fill a woman’s gift basket. A big package of that fine gourmet dark roast can fill the container. Or, an array ranging from delicate Viennese to robust French can festoon a cannister. Sprinkle packets of raw sugar or delicate natural creams among the many beans waiting to be ground and brewed.

Prefer tea to coffee? Find a basket that has a year’s supply of her favorite Chamomile. Or get a selection of British Earl Grey, Asian Ginseng and African Rooibos. Top it off with a special tea spoon or strainer. Pack the tea in tins that will last a lifetime.

Wine will never go to waste. Get a basket that holds that brilliant ruby-colored Bordeaux. Or get a selection that runs the gamut of whites from a dry Chardonnay to a sweet Gewürztraminer. Pick a single standard-sized bottle to form the centerpiece, or arrange a series that can be tried one per month. Surround the wine with fine cheese or gourmet crackers. A winning combination!

Be a hero and give a gift basket full of jewelry. A woman’s gift basket could contain a single diamond ring at the center, surrounded by a hundred tiny scrolls with poems announcing your undying love. Or, you can scatter a dozen pairs of earrings among the straw that reminds you of your first trip to that Bed and Breakfast in the country.

Try some delightfully scented candles. With hints of fresh apricot or gusts of cinnamon, a scented candle can bring back memories. Create new ones by finding that special vanilla from Africa or a citrus from Mandalay. Surround the candles with chunks of wrapped chocolate and all the senses will come alive.

Whether you’re looking for that perfect birthday gift, or want something to celebrate that promotion at work, you’ll find a woman’s gift basket that is just right for the occasion.

Germany has hundreds of wine festivals every year. But to provide all that fun requires an even larger amount of hard work in its justly world-famous vineyards.

Baden

Nowhere is that effort more evident than Baden. At the southernmost tip of Germany’s wine regions, this slender strip of land extends from Lake Constance in the south to Heidelberg in the north.

Though third in size, Baden may well be the most renowned. Situated near the famed Black Forest area, the soils range from gravel and limestone, to clay and volcanic stone. The grapes vary correspondingly and include such common names as Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer and Riesling, but also the less well known Gutedel and Muller-Thurgau.

The region may also lead in consumption. Overall per capita consumption is 32 bottles per year. In Baden, the figure is 53 bottles per person annually.

Mittelrhein

Mittelrhein isn’t anywhere near the largest producer in Germany, but the village of Bacharach - named for the Greek god of wine Bacchus - has been among the premier producers since the Middle Ages.

The clay-like slate produces grapes of delightful acidity. Riesling, Muller-Thurgau, and Kerner are among the variety found in this region that stretches south from Bonn for 100km (60mi) along the banks of the Rhine.

Vineyards are often found on the steep, rocky slopes amid the grounds around medieval castles. From them comes a sparkling wine that is second to none.

Rheingau

Centrally located, Rheingau is among the oldest of Germany’s wine regions. Situated between Lorch near Mittelrhein and Hochheim on the Main River, the hillsides are topped by the forests of the Taunus Hills.

It is said that Botrytis was first put to use here, to help the world famous Rieslings of the region. But Pinot Noir, too, is cultivated here, lending itself to the spicy and full-bodied Spatburgunder.

Developed over centuries by the inhabitants of cloisters and monasteries, the region’s wines once graced the table of Queen Victoria. That knowledge has evolved to the point where oenological institutes here are recognized as among the finest in the world.

Rheinhessen

Bordered on the west by the Nahe River and to the north and east by the Rhine, this 1,667 square km (600 sq mi) region is second only to Pfalz in size.

Second in size, but second to none in quality. The communities of Bingen, Mainz and others of the area, benefit greatly from the many soil types and micro-climates. As a result they can produce a Portugieser red of great distinction. And the ancient Silvaner has long been the pride of vintners there.

Pfalz

Famed world-wide for its chalk, marl, and clay, Pfalz is Germany’s largest producer. Muller-Thurgau, Kerner, Silvaner, and Morio-Muskat are only a few of the grapes grown here. A relatively new red from the Dornfelder grown here produces a complex, full-bodied wine.

Shunting up against France on the south and west, and bordered by Rheinhessen on the north, the region stretches over 80km (48mi). Along this land, viticulture has reached a point that takes it’s rightful place at the pinnacle of winemaking.

But whether large or small, all of Germany’s winemaking regions are filled with vintners who take pride in producing wines that make those festivals popular with visitors the world over.

Australia’s wine efforts date back to the mid-19th century, but the industry languished until about 30 years ago. Since then, the country has grown to be a world producer with a variety of highly regarded whites and reds.

With climate regions similar to California, it’s not surprising that much of the product would mirror the popular varieties of that state. But the Australian’s ó true to their iconoclastic heritage ó add several distinctive varieties of their own.

Shiraz (or Syrah) is one of the most well-known recent products, but the lesser-known Durif would be a welcome guest at any table. Hailing from the Rutherglen, a small town in north-eastern Victoria, it joins the area’s unusual sparkling red to form a pair of unique offerings. Rutherglen also produces fortified wines, such as port, muscat, and Tokay that often make their way to other countries.

Victoria also boasts another world-class set of producers in the Pyrenees (not to be confused with the mountains along the French-Spanish border).

Under plant since the early 1960s, the region now holds over 30 vineyards with nearly 600 hectares (1458 acres) growing twenty-five varieties. Shiraz, Merlot, and Pinot Noir are among the reds, with whites represented by Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and others.

Once the home largely to apple orchards, the Mornington Peninsula has turned to winemaking in recent decades. With over 60 wineries, many open for public tastings, the area boasts a well-regarded Pinot Noir.

McLaren Vale, bound on the south by the Sellicks Hill Range and to the west by Gulf Saint Vincent. The area enjoys a Mediterranean climate with a dry summer south of the equator. Rarely suffering frost or drought, the long hot days and short cool nights are perfect for growing.

Some vines of the region are still producing more than a hundred years after first being planted. The soil and climate combine with modern methods to produce a wine with superior aging qualities. Widely acknowledged as one of the premier producers of Shiraz, harvest occurs from March to early April. With its noted smaller berries, vintners here produce a complex, intense wine.

But Shiraz isn’t the only excellent product of the region. Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache both are well reputed. The Grenache, similar to that grown in Spain, grows well in the distinctive soils.

Among the oldest regions, the Clare Valley is also one of the most scenic. Settled by the English and Irish in the 1840s, much of the architecture still reflects those early days.

The climate is continental, with hot summer days and cool nights. Some valleys enjoy altitudes as high as 500m (1640ft) with red soil over graveled rock.

Like much of Australia, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz dominate, but it also produces a Riesling which has garnered international awards.

After struggling back from phylloxera infestations, in the years since the 1970s the country has grown to become the world’s largest exporter of wine to the UK. It has earned its reputation as one of the world’s finest producers.