With the Holiday season upon us, how many times
when you are out shopping for a gift for that special
someone do you ponder “What do I get for the
person who has everything?” When it comes to that
certain “Wine Nut” on your list, it can be an equally
troubling task.
When it comes to buying a bottle of wine as a gift,
many people feel quite intimidated. Am I paying too
much or too little? Is it the kind that they like? Do
they already have this wine? These are only a few of
the many questions that you may ask yourself. And
when it comes to accessories for the eonophile, a
crystal ball or a physic might not even be of much
help.
This month, we’re going to help you break that cycle,
and give you plenty of gift ideas that may help you
select that absolutely perfect present for the wine
lover on your list.
Glasses: The right stemware and a great bottle of
wine is a match made in heaven. Certain wines
benefit from the correct style bowl of a glass to
accentuate it’s finest qualities. A Cabernet style
glass differs largely from a Chardonnay style, as does
a Pinot Noir style from a Port one as well.
There are many quality glassware makers on the
market, most notably Riedel, Spiegelau, Symphony,
and Fushion to name a few. They offers many
different shapes, styles, and sizes that will surely
enhance any wine drinking experience.
Stay away from colored glasses or those adorned
with cutesy painting. Your stemware should be
crystal clear to help visualize color and clarity of the
wine.
Depending on your budget, prices range from as low
as $5 per glass up to $200 Remember, the right glass
can transform a mere vessel into an instrument of
pleasure.
Decanters: As I have stated in past columns, a
decanter can have varied uses. Older vintage bottles
not only benefits from it’s use, but younger wines,
with an hour or so of aeration, can help maximize
their flavors as well.
Look for one that allows the most amount of air to
come into contact with the wine. A wide bottom
style with a narrow top is the most popular but many
other styles work equally as well. Once again, prices
vary depending on quality and style.
Aerating Funnel: This devise filters out unwanted
sediment while you are pouring your wine into a
decanter. They are simple to use and easy to clean.
The brilliant color of a wine as it flows through the
funnel and sprays out over the sides of the decanter
is a wonderful sight to behold.
Wine bag: These travel carriers allow you to take a
single or multiple bottles of wine with you where ever
your wine destination may be. They come in hard or
soft shell varieties, assorted colors, and insulation
allows you to keep your white wines chilled and your
red wines at good cellar temperature until you reach
your destination.
Corkscrews & Openers: Many different style are on
the market to choose from. Just be aware of each
one’s good and bad points. We critiqued many in
detail in our September newsletter. Critics choice was
the Double Fulcrum Waiters Friend model.
Art: A framed wine photo or a colorful painting to
hang on the wall will beautify any wine lovers home
or office.
Artist Thomas Arvid specializes in high quality photo
realistic wine paintings that are as beautiful as they
are collectable. Go to www.arvid-artist.com to view
some of his spectacular work. Also, many home good
departments at various stores sell a wide variety of
prints and framed wine art at a wide range of prices.
As the saying goes, “You Gotta Have Art!”
Magazine Subscription: Your wine lover will reap the
benefits from a subscription to his favorite magazine
all year long. I highly recommend The Wine
Enthusiast, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
Newsletter, Wine & Spirits, Food & Wine, Decanter,
and The Wine Spectator to name but a few choices.
Plate’s & Napkins: If you look hard enough, wine
theme plates, napkins, coasters, and towels are
available through wine catalogs or at any number of
department stores.
Cork Trivets: How many readers out there have
saved their corks from countless bottles of wine they
have opened over the years and swore that one day,
they would do something with them. If you are the
creative type and want to give a personalized
treasure, here is your chance.
Used on a table as a hot plate or hung on the wall as
a work of art or bulletin board, this can be a truly
special gift.
You can purchase a number of different size pre-
made wooden frames to get you started easily on
this project, or if you prefer, build your own frame. I
have done a number of them in various sizes and
styles, though sometimes challenging, when finished,
they are quite rewarding. You can do the typical 2 by
2 method (2 across then 2 down) or try the harder
yet more stylish herringbone pattern. With the
vintage and winery name on the corks, this is a gift
that will bring back a life time of memories of wines
shared and special celebrations.
Books: Titles abound when it comes to the print
media on the subject of wine. Red, White, French,
Italian, Napa Valley, What is, How to, When to,
Where to, Wine for Dummies, the list goes on and on.
I am currently enjoying The Wine Bible by Karen
MacNeil, also Wine with Food, and Discovering Wine
both by author Joanna Simon. Look also for coffee
table books with splendid photographs on the various
aspects of wine.
Wine Away: Ever spill red wine on your white carpet
or heaven forbid, white clothes? No problem anymore
as there are a number of solutions on the market to
remove said stains. Wine Away and Wine B’Gone are
the two most popular and they work pretty well. For
a major carpet stain, always remember to use
everyday table salt, it will do the trick just as well.
Wine: The best advise I can give to you about
buying wine as a gift is to ask one of our in store
wine experts for assistance in helping you find that
perfect bottle. With literally thousands of wines to
choose from, making the right choice is our specialty.
From hard to find gems from every corner of the wine
world, in every price range to meet your gift budget,
we will help you in every way possible to please the
palate of the lucky recipient.
Gift Baskets: These lovely arrangements can be a
virtual all in one party. Filled with a wide assortment
of delectable’s from wine, cheese, crackers, nuts,
candies, and novelties, it’s hard to go wrong with this
choice. Come browse our large assortment of
specialty creations on display at Champanes Wine
Cellars. Or visit www.champanesgiftbasket.com to
view the different arrangements available to order
online.
Various: Over the years, I have received such wine
theme gifts such as Wine Crackers, a great way to
cleanse the palate while tasting. Wine tags that fit
over the neck of the bottle to record vintage and
varietal information, a decanter cleaning brush, the
board game Wine-opoly, wine racks, a vacuvin to
preserve open bottles by pumping out the air inside,
label removers, and many untold duplicates that may
have been regifted.
If money is no object, consider an unordinary gift
such as a wine tasting party, a trip to any of the
wine area’s throughout the US or abroad, a wine
refrigerator to store any large volume of collectable’s,
or if none of the above ideas strike your fancy, the
old reliable gift certificate will always do the trick.
Which ever gift you may elect to choose, let
Champanes Wine Cellar be your one stop shopping
destination. Not only do we carry the largest and
finest selection of wines in the State of Michigan, our
large assortment of wine accessories and gift baskets
are sure to please everyone on your Holiday gift list.
