Wine About It October 2006

December 2006 - Vol. 1 - Issue 3

Wine About It

Wine Info With a Twist

Hello,

The holidays continue! Have you had enough wine yet? Of course not! Read on for some tips on creating your own holiday wine gifts, a quick review of a couple of North Carolina wines, the new Booze Clues, the re-unveiling of the fabulous Let’s Talk About Wine baseball shirts (sorry about last month’s technical glitch) and, hopefully, a few good laughs.

If you know anyone else who would enjoy Wine About It, please feel free to pass it along.

Wine Baskets R U

Tis the season to be completely stressed out and overwhelmed! It’s only natural to leave some holiday shopping until the last minute, and who wouldn’t love a gift that revolves around wine.

There are plenty of websites and stores that sell amazing gift baskets with bottles of wine, gourmet cheese and meats, and other snacks and trinkets. You could make plenty of people on your list happy with just a couple of clicks of your mouse and a credit card.

But you might hesitate to buy the pre-made versions because they seem a little impersonal. If that’s the case, personalize it and make your own gift. It’s not as hard as it seems. All it takes is a little knowledge of what the person likes, and a visit to your friendly local wine shop or grocery store. (All of this is easier to figure out if you yourself are enjoying a nice glass of wine)

Start with the person.

First step is to think about the person you’re making the gift for. Close your eyes and imagine them in everyday life. We know they like wine, or at least they should! Do they like to burn scented candles? Maybe they love to nibble on chocolate while catching up on their Let’s Talk About Wine newsletters. Do they like picnics with gourmet food or are they the type that loves to put squeeze cheese on a Wheat Thin?

Now get some wine.

Go to your local grocery store (Trader Joes is fantastic) or a wine store. Plenty of grocery stores carry a huge array of different wines and champagnes. If you have a certain winery you like or have heard of, grab a red and a white bottle. Or mix it up and throw in a bottle of Turley Zinfadel (from Paso Roble, CA) and a bottle of Jermann Pino Gris from Friuli, Italy. (Both vineyards are very popular right now).

Or get crazy and find some amazing Australian wines (a shiraz is a no-brainer). A nice bottle of a champagne or sparkling wine is always a hit. A good favorite is Veuve Clicquot. It’s a little pricey but shows your love. If you want to try something fun and hot right now, grab a bottle of Prosseco (Italian Sparkling Wine) like Soligo Brut from Veneto, Italy.

If those are too boring, don’t forget about dessert wines. Are they spending the holiday’s where it’s cold and snows? Try a bottle of Robert Mondavi Moscato D'Oro from Napa Valley to help warm them up.

Pull it all together.

Now it’s time to put everything together and make it look pretty. A basket would look professional, craft stores are a great place to find these. You could grab a gift bag or box and some different color tissue paper. Or buy a backpack and put everything in it. (Anyone up for a holiday wine picnic hike?) Another idea is to put everything in a cute wine bucket so they can start chilling their white wine right away!

Of course, the best addition to your wine gift basket is a Let’s Talk About Wine baseball shirt! You’ll be the most popular gift giver yet!

Happy Holiday’s and cheers!

Drink This!

Congratulations to Lynne Smith who was the first to correctly identify our Booze Clues from last issue as North Carolina. Enjoy the fruits of this region.

North Carolina ranks 10th nationally in grape production and 12th for wine production. Today, the state is home to 50 wineries and 3 vineyard-located tasting rooms. And the Biltmore Estates winery gets more visitors a year than any other winery in the country!

North Carolina wines are hard to find in most local stores (unless you’re in North Carolina). Most websites have an order form you can download, fill out and fax back or order directly on the site.

Be the first of your friends to try these great wines, and let us know what you think!

2004 Chardonnay, Round Peak Vineyards, Mt. Airy North Carolina On the nose you’ll smell crisp pear with a touch of tangerine. You’ll taste, oaky vanilla, citrus fruits and it has a little bit of sweetness. It pairs great with shrimp, seabass, pasta and any chicken dishes. $15-order from website.

2004 Zinfandel, RagApple Lassie Vineyards (the website is as fun as the name!), Boonville, North Carolina On the nose you’ll smell plum, blackberry and raspberry. You’ll taste black cherries, hints of chocolate and toasty oak and berry flavors. It pairs great with any pork dishes, spicy seafood pasta and grilled meats. $17-order from website

Booze Clues!
Win your very own Let’s Talk About Wine T-Shirt.

Follow the clues and guess where the January wine will hail from.

The first person to email the correct answer to Booze Clues wins a fabulous Let’s Talk About Wine T- shirt. Contest starts now. Get your emails in.

Never likely to become a major wine powerhouse, this entire area boasts only two wineries.
The high cost of land, water, shipping and supplies in addition to unique weather, insects and diseases makes one wonder why anyone would bother with wine here.
However, a local resort boasts a 4-day Wine and Food Festival that is now in its 23rd year.
The first grape product from one of the wineries was a Blanc de Noirs released in 1984. Its wines are classified as “Red, White, Sparkling and Specialty”. Pineapple and passion fruit are liberally used.

I know the answer!

Random Wine-ing

Madam Lily Bollinger's Advice on drinking Champagne:

"I only drink Champagne when I'm happy, and when I'm sad. Sometimes I drink it when I'm alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I am not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise I never touch it-unless I'm thirsty."

Please Drink Wine Responsibly