If you're tired of the same old White Elephant or Secret Santa gift exchange this holiday season (and really, who wants another "Ho,Ho,Ho" coffee mug?) consider having a Wine Exchange instead. These swaps are perfect for anyone who received a too-dry-for-them red as a gift, the oenophile who can't wait to share their newest find with the group, or just a great squad who loves their bubbly.

Send invitations to your guests, requesting that they each bring 2-6 bottles of wine that aren't to their taste. As guests arrive, they can place their bottles on a display buffet or table. Everyone can then mix and mingle with each other, enjoying finger foods and house wine (not the exchange bottles). As guests circulate, they can "browse" the wines displayed.

There are a few ways to trade. Guests can draw numbers (one chit for each bottle they brought) from a basket and, in order, pick a wine. The guests can then either keep the wine they have or swap with another guest who has already made their selection. This works like a "Chinese Auction" gift exchange, with "house rules" rules stating how many times each bottle of wine may be traded before it stays with its new owner.

Alternatively, guests can wrap their bottles, and then randomly select a new one. Or the bottles can stay unwrapped, giving each guest the chance to select new-to-them wines to bring home, according to their personal preference. How you set up the rules for who takes home which wine are up to you, the host – just make sure that you include a brief description of the game, and what to bring.

Wine Exchanges can be a fun time for you and your friends this holiday season, and a great way to tactfully re-gift your wines of Christmas Past. If you love all the wines in your home fridge or cellar, it's also the perfect opportunity to select a crowd pleaser from your local wine merchant.