2017 Holiday Gift Guide

"Champagne: The Essentail Guide to the Wines, Producers, and Terroirs of the Iconic Region" by Peter Liem is a book you will be proud to give your favorite wine and party lover. $80 at barnesandnoble.com.

Jazz can look as beautiful as it sounds, as French photographer Jean-Pierre Leloir proved in the 1950s and '60s. American jazz musicians — as well as their French counterparts — thrived in Paris, and Leloir documented their triumphs onstage and private moments off. Thus, in this sumptuously produced volume, we see Louis Armstrong during the making of the film "Paris Blues," Chet Baker sipping a beverage backstage, Dave Brubeck silhouetted at Salle Pleyel, Miles Davis relaxing at the beach, and Billie Holiday singing in a jazz club. $59.99, amazon.com

Here's a gift for the cinephile in your life, and for anyone curious about what gives films their specific visual personalities. A subscription to American Cinematographer is just the ticket to getting smarter about how and why films look the way they look. One-year subscription, digital or print (I recommend print), $29.95, store.ascmag.com

The 12-month calendar features scenes from the Comedy Central show starring Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer and marks notable dates such as Weed Queen Day and Jaime's Citizenship Anniversary. The calendar also reminds you of important birthdays, including those of Oprah Winfrey and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Yas kween! $14.99, chroniclebooks.com or at amazon.com.

The handle on this Fini Cutlery 8-inch Chef's Knife forces the wielder to hold it correctly. Despite appearances, the handle size fits all, although it may be more comfortable for people with smaller hands. $75 at finicutlery.com.

From Quirk Books out of Philadelphia comes this eccentric eyeful illustrated by Andrew DeGraff with A.D. Jameson's text. Ever wondered what the precise geographical and cartographical layout of "The Wizard of Oz," "Fargo" (blood trails in the snow!) or "Raiders of the Lost Ark" might look like? Wonder no more. $29.99, quirkbooks.com or amazon.com.

Every jazz lover ought to own this, the greatest jazz feature film ever made. Legendary tenor saxophonist Dexter Gordon poetically plays the lead role, a character loosely based on the struggles of expat pianist Bud Powell and Gordon himself. The brilliance of the jazz performances, the glow of the film's cinematography and, above all, the truthfulness of Gordon's work in front of the camera make this 1986 movie the most persuasive portrayal yet of jazz on film. $10.92, amazon.com