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Holiday Gifts For Wine Enthusiasts
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Published: December 12, 2008
As you head out shopping for presents, don't forget the budding oeneophile in your family. Everyone enjoys a gift of wine and there are gadgets and books galore to make your gift special this year.
Of course, everyone appreciates a good bottle of wine - the obvious choice for wine enthusiasts. Don't buy just any wine, but give a particular wine you discovered recently or an unusual wine. For white wines, how about a grüner veltliner from Austria, an albarino from Spain or a picpoul from France? If red is your choice, consider a tannat wine from France, malbec from Argentina, brunello di montalchino from Italy or a charbono from California.
Are you buying wine for the woman or man of the family? Can't decide? Buy a wine for both. We like Flora Springs Soliloquy ($27) - made up of sauvignon blanc from Oakville - and Flora Spring Trilogy ($65) - a magnificent blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc. These are two extraordinary wines that are fun to drink, but you will have to work out who gets which wine.
You won't go wrong with champagne either. A Gruet ($14) sparkling wine from New Mexico is always a nice surprise - would you ever think this state could produce excellent sparkling wine? - or the real thing from France is great, if you have the money to spend. Nicolas Feuillatte, Ployez-Jacquemart and Taittinger are reasonably priced.
Here are a few other options:
•Vinturi ($32). This device is more than a gimmick. It aerates a wine that is poured through its air holes. You can hold it over a decanter or just a glass of wine. We experimented with a before-and-after glass and was surprised by the difference in the taste of the wine. Of course, you could achieve the same result by decanting the wine for 30 minutes, but why wait? This is a great gadget for the stocking or for the wine enthusiast who has almost everything.
•The Widow Clicquot: The Story of a Champagne Empire and the Woman Who Ruled It, by Tilar Mazzeo. This is a delightful book about the woman who became a legend after rescuing the champage house - now known as Veuve Clicquot - after her husband's early death. It's an enjoyable story and gives good insight into the early development of France's luxurious wine industry. Add a bottle of Veuve Clicquot and you have a very nice gift for the lady of the house.
Dinner Gifts
If you intend to bring a bottle of wine to a dinner gathering, remember that the hostess is not required to open it. And, don't prod her to do so. Most hostesses have carefully paired the wines with her dinner. Put your name somewhere on the label so that she will know who brought it when the wine is eventually opened.
Here's what we're bringing this year: Thorn-Clarke Shotfire ($15) or Josephine Dubois Grand Reserve Bourgogne ($12).
Statement Wines
A neighbor recently called to ask for a wine recommendation that costs between $80 and $100. It was going to be a gift of appreciation to a client and he wanted to make a statement. If that's your mission, here a few to consider:
J. Davies Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 ($75). Black cherries dominate this exclusive Diamond Mountain wine from the owners of Schramsberg Vineyards. Tobacco and currants round out an extracted, richly textured delight.
Duckhorn Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 ($65). Black currants and black berry flavors with a hint of mint highlight this well-balanced reserve wine from the respected Duckhorn house of wine.
Louis M. Martini Monte Rosso Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 ($85). Monte Rosso is one of the most historic and renown vineyards in Sonoma County. Planted originally in 1938 by the man whose wine bears his name, the Monte Rosso exudes plum and dark berry notes with a classic earthiness that gives it an old-world character. Anise and tobacco aromas and full body.
Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 ($70). Generous blackberry and chocolate aromas explode from the glass, followed by equally rich flavors of black berries, cassis and fine tannins.
Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 ($58). Rich, complex flavors of black cherries, cassis and chocolate with big tannins and a hint of violets in the generous bouquet. Wow, quite a wine from the Alexander Valley.
Tom Marquardt and Patrick Darr have been writing a wine column for 20 years and have traveled to the West Coast and Europe to meet countless wine luminaries. "Wine Guys" will guide you through the maze of intimidating jargon, introduce you to winemakers h
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