Coffee table wine book i.e. Around The World in Eighty Wines
A pound of luxury coffee i.e Esmeralda Gesha or El Injerto Peaberry
A sack of Dutch tulip bulbs, chilled from the importer
A variety of tasting salts; Saltverk has the BEST! https://www.saltverk.com/
etc. etc.!
Very interesting. I’ve never heard of those tasting salts. They look really cool.
People on CC seem to like spices, like Penzy’s as well.
You can send a nice flower arangement to be delivered just before you arrive.
When we say tea towels, I don’t think it means tourist sorts. Find a nice hand screened one that reflects something about your area.
Agree that wine can be tough- but are there other (good) specialty liquors in your area? A local brandy or some such, comon only in your area?
@psychmomma we hosted now DIL’s family (mom, 3 siblings and siblings significant others) a year ago when we had a “welcome to the family” party. Each family member thoughtfully brought us something from their locale (homemade BBQ sauce from a local vendor, chocolate covered cherries, and the cone from Chicago HAND CARRIED deep dish pizza! That was incredible! The thoughtfulness and a gift from each of their locales was greatly appreciated.
Can your S ask his GF what her parents might enjoy? Instead of something from your home area maybe they love something from the area where your S lives. There is so much good food in the Bay Area. Instead of sweets maybe good bread or croissants or bagels and smoked salmon. Or good cheese and crackers. Or fresh fruit from a farmers market. Nuts might also be nice.
I have sent Wolfermanns. You can pick from many options.
So many great ideas. I’d probably send a floral arrangement the day before I arrived or gift some “luxurious” hand soap or coasters.
The thought is what counts and regardless of means, I think extravagant gifts for first time meetings can be awkward.
Have fun.
@jym626 - S’s gf loved our deep dish pizza. We had it several times during their two week stay here at Christmas. And I gave the gf a set of Penzey’s Spices since she loves to cook.
These are all great ideas. We will be with our S before meeting the other parents, so will have time if I don’t come up with something here.
https://cuesa.org/eat-seasonally/charts If you have an interest in bringing something fresh the link is to what is available at Bay Area farmers markets. A basket or bowl full of mandarins would be a gift I’d like to get.
Actually, I think the one my friend has given me twice. (It was five years between towels, so she may have forgotten) are pretty much tourist towels. Nice off white with black drawings.
Another idea is handrolled beeswax candles. https://www.amazon.com/Hand-Rolled-Beeswax-Taper-Candles-Connecticut/dp/B01HPAZBEW/ref=pd_sim_201_1/144-0700749-3019643
My brother bought me this dish towel, “I am not bossy…I just have better ideas.”
Find out from son what might appeal most to the family. I would have zero interest in wine, candles, for instance, and I think my sons know that. Interesting food, treats, or good beer from your area, etc. , would be more interesting to me. If they own a winery and make olive oil they certainly don’t need that!
I had to look up a tea towel - had no idea exactly what that was! Now I’ll be totally prepared if any of you visit me and bring me one. 
Abasket, you are not alone. I had to look up what it was, too. We drink a lot of tea but have no special towels. My kitchen towels come in 12-packs from Costco, but I would welcome such a gift.
Agree that asking your son for input is ideal. And I would absolutely go for consumables, flowers or a plant. I truly do not want a gift that I would have to think about displaying/using in the future when these people come back to my house. I use solid black dish towels and wouldn’t use a tea towel. I don’t use candles and, even if I did use coasters (which I don’t), the chance someone I don’t know would pick ones that are to my taste is very low. I grew up with a true hoarder and I don’t like a lot of “things” around the house; I’m a minimalist so the thought of getting a gift like a towel, coasters, a coffee table book, etc. just makes me uptight.
Flowers/plant and taking them out to a meal sounds better all the time, to me.
Anything decorative is risky., coasters , decorative candles . Most people that have kids getting married already have more stuff than they know what to with. And have long established tastes in terms of their homes.
There is a great website that I use that does really nice personalized gifts, like a cutting boards, etc. Another I use does personalized thank you notes, etc. I used both often and the gifts are greatly appreciated. PM me (anyone interested) so I don’t look like I am advertising
The term “tea towrls” is a hangover from Victorian times, I think, when people used them at formal tea time. Nowadays, any light or linen can do it. Linen towels are great for drying dishes.
My favorites are a hand screened Lupine, from Maine. Not the state flower, but it ought to be. Another, from VA, has a cardinal, state bird. Nope, I dont use them, just have some out. But this is what I meant about not tourist. More artistic.
I wouldn’t want a photo book of your home area. Someone brought me one and after one look, that was it.
Are they a commercial vineyard, with tours and a shop? If so, some suggestions may be things they already have.