A Shalach Manos Basket for Purim is built from two components: one bottle of kosher wine and three bags of Grub Company biltong, one bag each of Original, Peri Peri, and Loaded Garlic. Shalach Manos, also spelled Mishloach Manot, is the Purim tradition of gifting food to friends, family, and community members, typically at least two types of ready-to-eat food, and Grub Company's basket is built around exactly that structure.
What You're Working With
Every basket variant includes the same core items: a 375ML bottle of Covenant wine, either Covenant Red C 2021 or Covenant Blanc de Blancs 2022, plus three biltong bags in either 1oz mini or 3oz regular size. That's the full contents of every variant, wine plus three biltong flavors, regardless of which of the four price points you choose. Knowing that in advance makes assembly straightforward, there's no guesswork about what's actually in the box.
Choosing Wine to Match the Biltong
Covenant Red C 2021 is a red wine, Covenant Blanc de Blancs 2022 is a white. Since both bottles come alongside the same three biltong flavors, the pairing is really about what your recipient prefers to drink alongside a savory, seasoned snack. Red wine tends to stand up well against bolder, spicier flavors like Peri Peri and Loaded Garlic, while a lighter white like the Blanc de Blancs can sit more comfortably next to the milder Original biltong. This is a general serving suggestion based on how red and white wines typically pair with savory, seasoned meat snacks, not a claim from Grub Company's own product copy, so treat it as a starting point rather than a rule.
If you already know your recipient's wine preference, that should override any pairing logic. The basket includes all three biltong flavors regardless of which wine you pick, so there's no version where choosing red or white limits which biltong flavors show up.
Presentation Ideas
Since the basket arrives as a wine bottle and three separate biltong bags, a little arrangement goes a long way if you're presenting it in person rather than shipping it as-is. Standing the wine bottle upright in the center of a basket or gift box, with the three biltong bags fanned around the base, keeps all four items visible at once rather than stacked and hidden. If you're using a basket rather than a box, a strip of tissue paper or a cloth liner underneath keeps the bags from sliding around during transport.
Grouping the three biltong flavors together rather than scattering them separately also signals, at a glance, that the recipient is getting the full flavor lineup, Original, Peri Peri, and Loaded Garlic, rather than a single flavor with the wine. A simple ribbon around the wine bottle neck is enough to tie the presentation together without needing anything elaborate.
Putting It Together for Purim Specifically
Because Shalach Manos is a Purim-specific tradition, timing the delivery around the holiday itself is the main thing to plan for, more than any specific wrapping style. A neighbor exchanging baskets with a few families, for instance, might choose the Mini variant at $56 or $60 to keep the per-basket cost manageable across multiple recipients, while someone bringing a single gift to a Purim host might choose the Regular variant at $86 or $90 for a more substantial presentation. Either way, the contents, one wine bottle and three biltong bags, one of each flavor, stay consistent, it's the bag size and wine color that flex to fit the occasion and budget.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which wine pairs best with the Loaded Garlic biltong?
As a general serving suggestion, red wine like the Covenant Red C 2021 tends to stand up better against a bolder, garlic-forward flavor than a lighter white. This isn't a formal pairing claim from Grub Company, it's a general guideline for pairing red wine with bold, savory snacks. Both wine options come with all three biltong flavors in every basket variant, so you're not limited to one flavor based on wine color.
Do I need to do anything special to present the basket, or can I just hand it over as shipped?
You can hand the basket over exactly as it ships, since it already includes a wine bottle and three biltong bags together. If you want a more finished presentation, standing the bottle upright with the bags arranged around it in a basket or box, with a ribbon or tissue paper, takes just a few minutes and makes the gift feel more assembled for an in-person Purim exchange.
How many biltong flavors are in the basket, and do I need to arrange them a specific way?
Every basket includes three biltong bags, one each of Original, Peri Peri, and Loaded Garlic. There's no required arrangement, though grouping all three together near the wine bottle, rather than separating them, makes it clearer at a glance that the recipient is getting the full flavor lineup rather than a single flavor.
Is the mini bag size appropriate for a Purim basket presentation, or does it look too small?
The mini bags are 1oz each, three bags total, alongside a full 375ML wine bottle, the same bottle size used in the regular variant. The overall basket still includes the full wine bottle plus all three biltong flavors, so the presentation reads as complete even with the smaller biltong portion. It's a matter of scale, not completeness.
Can I build a basket with just biltong and no wine for someone who doesn't drink?
Grub Company's Shalach Manos Basket product is structured as wine plus biltong across all four variants, so if you need a wine-free version, you'd source the biltong separately from Grub Company's standalone biltong listings rather than through the basket product. This guide covers assembling the basket as sold, which includes wine as a core component.
Does the wine need to be served immediately, or can it be part of the gift for later?
The wine bottle is meant as part of the gift, not something that needs to be opened right away. Covenant Red C 2021 and Covenant Blanc de Blancs 2022 are both 375ML bottles intended for the recipient to enjoy on their own timeline, alongside or separate from the biltong, whenever they choose.
