Episode 34: Wine Lover Gift Bonanza!

Episode 34: Wine Lover Gift Bonanza!

Have no fear, we have some spirited banter this week packed full of ideas and resources that will make you a rock star with the wine lover in your life. We’re thinking outside the bottle this week with gift ideas that range from silly to practical and geeky to extravagant … and some are not what you’d expect … kind of like some of the comments in this episode. The factoid will be a surprise for many of you as well. What’s “simply fabulous?” You’ll have to listen to find out. Happy December and let’s raise a glass to stress-free holiday gifting!

Val:  Welcome back Wine-Two-Five listeners! Thank you so much for joining us for Episode 34! I’m Val, and I’m here with Steph and this week we’re talking about gifts for wine lovers.

Steph:  Yes, we are in the holiday spirit today, and have a packed show but before we dive in…what are you drinking Val?

Val: L’Argentier Vieilles Vignes de Cinsault 2010, IGP Pays d’Herault, France by Elisabeth & Francois Jordan at Chateau L’Argnentier (translation: the silversmith) in the Languedoc. This wine is produced from 72-year old vines, and this wine is actually best drunk with some age on it. Like now. Like right flippin’ now. Price? $16.

Steph: 2014 Prix Fixe Vin de France Red Wine – only 12.8% alcohol. I don’t know exactly what’s in the blend. It is mostly Syrah, but the rest is a mystery. This is the first time I’ve had this wine, and my first impression was, “Now this is a Thanksgiving wine.” It is a France-Napa creation, meaning a French winemaker and a Napa winemaker collaborated on this project. The wine is from France, but was blended and finished in Napa. Under $20 is a crowd-pleaser. It also benefits from time in the glass … or alternatively, might express itself better after 24 hours. I’ll test it out tomorrow 🙂

Discussion

Val:  Gift giving for the wine lover can be intimidating. Sometimes people develop an overwhelming sense of fear when faced with the thought of purchasing a bottle. Trust me. Wine lovers are very easy to buy for, so we’re here to help you think outside the bottle.

First, The Wine Enthusiast Catalog is loaded.  Everything from books to bottles to accessories to clothing items. Personalized gifts are a cool thing they do. My picks? Wine jammies or the Fusion Stemware (personally tested – and broken – by yours truly. They replace them for 10 years, but really are hard to break and have become our go-to stems).  If you have a wine-loving friend that’s still drinking out of mason jars, or you’re one of those people who feels you have to BYOG – good gawd, get some nice stems. You deserve better. So does your wine.

The ultimate wine-gift list from the Reverse Wine Snob, however, has you covered from books to gadgets to bottle carriers. (Of course some of his own gratuitous plugs were included, as it should be – because his new book really would make a great gift!  Love that guy!) My pick from the list would also be this book – it’s $16. The Curious World of Wine: Facts, Legends, and Lore About the Drink We Love So Much by Dr. Richard Vine. He’s a (former, retired) professor of Enology at Perdue University. I’d say he’s fulfilled his sir name’s destiny! It is also loaded with interesting and surprising stories about wine, some funny. You never know … our next factoid could come from this book. I previewed this book. You want this. Seriously, if you’re looking for great ideas, Reverse Wine Snob has you covered. I know, we sound like a commercial but we wouldn’t endorse what we don’t think you’ll love!

Wall art by Leanne Laine.  Her wine art so joyful and inspiring and much coveted.  Leanne also told us that she has free shipping (that’s HUGE) to the USA and Canada through her website, which we have provided below. 

(In fact, we love her so much we became one of her affiliate partners immediately after this episode! We hope you’ll enjoy her beautiful art as much as we do!)

Bottom line – even if you don’t know wine, chances are you know your wine lover – gifts can be fun or silly or classy. The important thing is the thought.

Steph:  From the Wine Spectator, spakling-wine themed gifts for the Champagne, Prosecco or Cava lover in your life. My favorite on the list is the Magisso Champagne Cooler ($110, Magisso.com). It is big enough for a magnum of bubbly and looks sleek, cool and bad-ass.

Plus, there’s a bonus on this website. At the bottom is a reference list of 15 more holiday wine articles, including gift ideas. That’s really helpful… and I plan to go back and take a peek.

Now Val, what’s on your wish list? Anything exotic, or are you wanting something every cork-dork wants like a Durand? …

Val: A piece of Leanne Laine’s art is my most coveted item. What about you??

Steph: I’m always wanting a wine experience – either a trip to wine country, just about anywhere there’s vineyards and fine wine, or the simple experience waiting inside a bottle. Bottles of wine as gifts are just about the best, that is, in my opinion. Even though my dad is not a wine drinker, he’s does an amazing job finding me bottles of wine as gifts. Bravo, pops!

Val: BUT: If you are giving bottles, then Wine Enthusiast (again, I really don’t work for them, but do buy their stuff!) does give tips for keeping your bottles in gift-giving condition: http://www.winemag.com/Web-2015/Cool-and-Collected/ Remember: temperature, humidity, light and motion – an excess of any of these are enemies of fine wine … letting a bottle roll around in the trunk of your car is also not a good plan.

However,  we would be remiss if we did not mention the Albarello Luxury Hand Soap for Wine Enthusiasts , also great for chefs, foodies and people who live in dry climates. You can now buy it on Amazon! “Experience the wine and not the soap!”

Steph:  Recently, Justin and I bought ourselves a couple new wine gifts. I posted a photo on our W25 FB page to show everyone.

— Flying Wish Paper – with a bottle of bubbly on the cover! “Write it. Light it. Watch it Fly!” for $20 Find out more on www.flyingwishpaper.com

— New set of 14 wine charms with “Cheers!” in different languages.

 

Don’t forget that most wine enthusiasts appreciate artisinal oils, salts, cheeses and cured meats. They make great gifts too!

Val: One more plug here for a favorite olive oil from LuceroOliveOil.com. These are my latest scores, with the Coratina almost making me weep it’s so fresh!

This Week’s Factoid:

Gewurztraminer (spicy grape) actually originated in the Alto Adige region of Italy. It is also known as Sud-Tirol. This region belonged to the Austro-Hungarian empire from the middle ages until 1919, just after WWI when it was annexed to Italy. Most of the population still speaks German, and the road signs are in both German and Italian, as are the wine labels. The grape is believed to have originate in the village of Termeno (Tramin).  Most folks don’t think of Gewurz from Italy, but the whites – and reds – from this extremely mountainous (99% mountains) region are quite stunning.

Shoutouts:

Steph: Chef Chris Camp at Cook Street in Denver. He is starting his own pop up supper club calling it Pop Gourmet. Chris was a great chef instructor and managed our rowdy group with class. He’s also Albarello’s latest fan! Contact Chris at chris.camp82@gmail.com  https://cookstreet.com/

First pop up is setup for the 19th of December.  It will be a five course dinner with amuse bouche, a glass of bubbly and 3 glasses of wine for just $75 per person.  

Menu

Butternut Squash Soup with bourbon glazed chestnuts, creme fraiche and pickled ginger

Eggplant and Chevre Tortellini with confit tomatoes, basil nage, and garlic chips

Pan Seared Bronzino “Cassoulet” with cannelini beans, fennel, and parsley oil

Braised Oxtail with baby beets, horse radish parsnip puree, gremolata and dijon sabayon

Eggnog Panna Cotta with brandied berries and sage crisp

Val: Thank you to our latest reviewer, CO Photobug for the five-star love on iTunes!  He writes: Simply fabulous!  “Do you enjoy wine and spirits but wish you knew more? Val and Steph’s entertaining, bubbly style will increase both your knowledge and enjoyment of wine. These ladies have serious industry credentials and will not lead you astray. They are a joy to listen to, so do yourself a favor and check out their podcast! Cheers!”

Wino Radar:

Steph:  Japan Is Going Crazy for French Wine Baths  Japan is now the seventh largest consumer of wines worldwide. One Japanese spa’s website reads “Bathing in wine is a rejuvenation treatment for the body, and it has been said that the Queen of Egypt, Cleopatra loved to bathe in wine.”

Val, I’ve changed my mind… I’d like a wine bath for Christmas now!

Val:  Backstabbing in Beaujolais, a new winemaker detective mystery series by Jean-Pierre Alaux & Noel Balen.  Released the same day as the Beaj Nouveau on 19 Nov, and translated into English by New York-based publisher Le French Book.  And oh by the way … a great gift idea for the wine-lover and reader – or traveler – in your life!

Next week: Guest: Jeff Eckles from We Like Drinking Podcast

You may remember this blind tasting Val & Jeff did earlier in the year. Or not. But it does show you how we go through the process of elimination to identify a wine and he did promise to visit us at Wine Two Five. So get ready for a fun episode next week!

Meanwhile, you can listen to the entire episode (which includes things not mentioned in the notes, as we got silly. Again) here: Episode 34: Wine Lover Gift Bonanza