5 Gift Ideas for a Wine Lover (and 5 to Avoid) – Part 2.
December 14, 2011Following on from yesterday’s post, here are my 5 gift suggestions for a wine lover:
A Good Wine Opener
Every wine lover needs a decent wine bottle opener! It doesn’t have to be anything crazy; I know there’s a bunch of electric and even gas powered gimmicks on the market, but I personally like to keep it fairly simple!
If you’re looking for a quality opener that combines form, function, and practicality, I recommend a Screwpull (pictured to the left). They do tend to be a little pricey, with an average one setting you back at least $100, but they’re guaranteed to get the cork out of the bottle quicker than any other method. They also come with a decent manufacturers warranty, which is useful because working in a wine bar, I normally only get 6 months (at the most) before I break any lever-style bottle opener . To be fair though, in that amount of time it’s probably opened as many wine bottles as most people will consume in 2 lifetimes!
If you’re searching for something a little more traditional, Laguiole are without question one of the finest “waiter’s friend” style of corkscrews that money can buy. I don’t own one. I’d lose it within a week…
Wine Aerator
Out of all five categories, this is the only one that I have a strong personal interest in, mainly because I actually use it almost daily.
I’ve never been a fan of wine gadgets, but the fact of the matter is the Soiree works (as I’ve tested it on various people in blind tastings). It functions as a bottle-top wine aerator, and unlike other products on the market which require the use of 2 hands, all you need to do is snuggly fit the Soiree into the top of the bottle, and away you pour! Perfect for quick wine aeration, with the other side bonus being that it looks really cool when it’s in action!
Wine Glasses
A quality set of wine glasses should never be underestimated, but of course their fragility is a big concern. Who wants to spend $70+ on a single premium wine glass, only for it to potentially fall victim to a tragic kitchen-sink accident!?!?
I’m currently using oversized Bordeaux and Burgundy glasses from the William Yeoward Olympia line (featured in all my videos), which I make sure to hide from any house guests so as to avoid hearing <SMASH!>….”Oh, I’m sorry. Was that expensive?”.
The rest of the time (i.e. for guests), I’ll just pull out the cheap knock-offs from World Market.
5 Gift Ideas for a Wine Lover (and 5 to Avoid) – Part 1
December 13, 2011With Christmas being just around the corner, it seems that I’ve been getting asked daily as to what I would deem as a “good gift” for a wine lover.
I originally started writing this article as just “5 Gift Ideas for a Wine Lover”, but then I realized that what’s even more important as what not to buy for a “wine aficionado”.This article is therefore a 2-parter. First, here are my suggestions on 5 wine gifts to avoid. It’s worth pointing out that, just to make this even more poignant, these are photos of actual gifts I’ve received over the years (not that I’m not grateful)….
Funny Bottle Stoppers
This should be a no-brainer, but I can’t tell you how many ridiculous wine bottle stoppers I have filling my kitchen drawer! Pictured is just one of them!
Boone’s Farm et al
I know this may seem like a no-brainer, however it may come as surprise to tell you that I have a full case-worth of Boone’s Farm sat on my wine rack right now! None of which I’ve purchased myself, but have in fact accumulated over the past few years worth of birthdays and Christmases.
The first few years it was hilarious! After the seventh or eighth time, the joke had worn ever so slightly thin.
This year, I have decided to empty my shelf by re-gifting all those bottles back to the people who bought them for me in the first place! :) Sante!
Posted in Facts, Funny, News | Tagged Wine Gift Ideas | Leave a comment //
A Public Service Announcement
December 13, 2011
Please, take care of yourself out on the roads this holiday season!
A recent joint study conducted by the Department of Health and the Department of Motor Vehicles indicates that 23% of traffic accidents are alcohol related.
This means that the remaining 77% are caused by a**holes who drink bottled water, Starbucks, soda, juice, energy drinks, and other crap like that. Therefore, beware of those who do not drink alcohol. They cause three times as many accidents.
This message is sent to you by someone who worries about your safety! :)
Posted in Funny | Leave a comment //This Week in Wine – 12/11/11
December 11, 2011
Wine Critic’s Representative Defends Deals
The Spain-based representative for an influential Baltimore wine reviewer defended himself Wednesday amid accusations that he asked wineries for money in exchange for a visit from the critic.
The wine world has buzzed for days over news that respected oenophile Jay Miller, former co-owner of Bin 604 in Harbor East, had resigned from The Wine Advocate after accusations that his Spanish contact had strong-armed payments from local wineries in exchange for his visits.
But Pancho Campo, president of a Spanish wine organization called The Wine Academy, told The Baltimore Sun on Wednesday that neither he nor Miller ever took money from a winery.
"Jay Miller has visited almost 100 wineries in Spain, and not one winery has ever had to pay for the visit or tasting the wine," Pancho Campo told The Sun. "Never."
The wine blog Jim’s Loire, based in London, recently reported that Campo attempted to arrange a deal whereby struggling winemakers would pay 20,000 euros, about $26,800 by current exchange rates, for a two-day visit from Miller. The blog published a series of emails between Campo and a trio of Spanish wine executives sent in early June.
Click here for the full article.
My Thoughts
Maybe I’m missing something here. I just don’t see it as a big of a deal as everyone is making out. It’s long been known that money changes hands (whether it be straight cash, or advertising $’s) in exchange for reviews (and not just in the wine world)!
I’m not saying it’s right. Not at all. It’s just a fact of the world that we live in, and I’m surprised people are so surprised!
Australian Shiraz Wins ‘World’s Best Label’
A small-production Australian Shiraz has earned global renown by being named the world’s best label in 2011 by the World Label Awards Association.
The label of Alpha Crucis Shiraz 2008, produced by Chalk Hill Winery in McLaren Vale, was named best in Australia before taking on and beating the best from Europe, the US, India, Japan and New Zealand in the global final.
The awards are recognized as the peak competition for printing and label associations around the world.
The clean, minimal label, curved at the top, focuses on the constellation of the Southern Cross, in which Alpha Crucis is the brightest of five stars.
Explaining the thinking behind the design, Alpha Crucis says: ‘The ellipse or partial parabolic arc over the top of the label reflects the shape of the celestial night sky, with the Southern Cross constellation identified by a dotted line as they were in star maps from the last century.
Click here for the full article.
My Thoughts
Not that I want to downplay this award, but I’ve seen better wine labels, that’s for sure! I think a label that stands out on a retailer’s shelf (for the right reasons) should be more highly recognized than a relatively run-of the-mill label.
Posted in News | Tagged Australia, Jay Miller, Kendall Jackson, OpenTable | Leave a comment //HeartSmart “Great Dane” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California.
December 10, 2011
Grape
100% Cabernet
Facts
- Peggy Rowan is the visionary behind HeartSmart. This Cabernet was inspired by her love for animals, and specifically the Great Dane breed.
“They’re big, bold and beautiful—which happen to be the same qualities I love about Cabernet Sauvignon.” says Peggy.
- The 2008 Great Dane won the Gold Medal at this year’s San Francisco International Wine Competition.
- Ann Ruth, is the remarkable artist behind the HeartSmart wine labels. Suffering a spinal cord injury in a gymnastics accident at the age of five that left her paralyzed from the neck down, Ann finds time for painting, for which she uses a mouth stick. (in between her full-time job as manager of a computer forensics company),
- Part of the proceeds from the sale of the Great Dane Napa Cabernet help to support the Rolling Dog Farm in New Hampshire, a rescue center for disabled animals.
- Click here to check out the HeartSmart wine website., and click here to join them on Facebook.
Posted in Reviews | Tagged California, Coombsville Vineyard, Dog wine, Godspeed Vineyard, Great Dane, Great Dane wine, heart smart wine, HeartSmart wine, Napa | Leave a comment //
The R Word.
December 9, 2011
According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (BAFT – United States), the word “refreshing” can’t be utilized when describing alcohol beverages.
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