Wine Gift Giving
Wineglas on KARE 11
Every Holiday season people give wine as gifts. The purpose of this segment is to make wine gift giving more simple and offer a variety of wine options.
I am featuring three price points to pick from for the upcoming Holiday season.
To purchase any wines visit: www.artisanvineyards.com/
or
These wine shops will have some of the wines listed below:
Haskell's
Surdyk's
Hennepin Lake Liquors
Big Top Liquors
South Lyndale Wines & Spirits
Video Link:
www.kare11.com/news/newsatfour/newsatfour_article.aspx?storyid=827341&catid=323
Under $15
These gifts can be given to friends, coworkers, or as house warming gifts.
2007 August Kesseler "R" Rheingau Riesling
*German Riesling is one of the most overlook wines on the planet. Make sure when you taste it that you move it around in your mouth for five seconds to hit all the taste buds.
2007 Rock Gully Western Australia Riesling
*The Rieslings from Australia are made mainly in a bone dry style and feature good acidity which will pair up well with a variety of seafood. They also boost consistent growing conditions.
2005 E. Guigal Cotes du Rhone
*This is a Grenache based wine from the Rhone Region in France. The 2005 was a great vintage and this should be drinking really well right now.
2007 Bodegas Atteca Old Vines Calatayud Garnacha
*The Rhone says Grenache the home of this grapes is Spain and it is called Garnacha. Garnacha and Tempranillo are the two well known reds in Spain. This is one of the best under $15 values in the world on a consistent basis.
$16 to $30
This price range is geared towards relatives, fellow wine enthusiasts, business associates and good referrals you receive throughout the year.
2008 Calera Central Coast Vin Gris of Pinot Noir
*Ten years ago a Rose would have screamed White Zinfandel but today Rose wines are on fire and great to drink year round. Rose wines are red grapes that see limited skin contact during the fermentation process. It is just enough time to give the wine the pink color. They are great in the summer or try with your Thanksgiving Turkey. Calera makes a great Pinot Noir Rose as they are known for their Pinot Noir wines.
2007 A to Z Oregon Pinot Noir
*Finding good Pinot Noir under $30 is not the easiest task but if it is from Oregon chances are it will be good. The A to Z Pinot is easy to remember and shows the classic character of Oregon Pinot featuring spice, floral and solid fruit.
2007 Bodega Lurton Reserva Mendoza Malbec
*One would think the Malbec grape is from Argentina but its origin can be traced back to the Bordeaux Region in France. Malbec has thrived in Argentina and is one of the best wines for the money in the world. Enjoy this wine with a burger or steak.
2005 Seven Hills Columbia Valley Merlot
*Ask me how I got into wine and I will say Washington State. I have been a big fan for well over a decade and believe it or not they have one of the driest growing conditions in the world for grapes. The Columbia Valley is the largest wine region in Washington and is home to Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Chardonnay and Riesling. The Seven Hills producers makes wines that are drinkable right now and enjoy this one with a big steak.
Over $30
These wines are perfect for the boss, your best clients or a business partner.
NV Henriot Champagne
*Sparkling wine to the rest of the world but the wines that say Champagne on the bottle are the best in the world! The majority of Champagne bottles will feature the NV (non vintage) on the bottle where the vintage label will certainly increase the price. Henriot is one of my favorite NV producers and in a given bottle there might be grapes sourced from over 40 different vineyards. Give this bottle to your best friend who loves bubbles.
2005 William Fevre Montmains Premier Cru Chablis
In the Burgundy Region the two main grapes are Pinot Noir & Chardonnay. In the sub region of Chablis it is 100% Chardonnay. These wines are lighter and feature lower alcohol than California Chardonnay. Enjoy with a variety of seafood dishes.
2007 Bergstrom Winery Bergstrom Vineyard Dundee Hills Pinot Noir
*It is rare that I taste through an entire line of wines and say, Wow! This was the case with the 2007 Bergstrom lineup. In 2007 there was more ran than usual but Josh Bergstrom waiting to pick the grapes and was rewarded with sunny weather which allowed a riper grape. This is a must gift for the important client or your boss who is really into wine.
2003 Gould Campbell Vintage Porto
*Port is one of the three categories of wine. You have table wine (most bottles), Sparkling wine (my wife's favorite) and Fortified wines (Porto, Sherry, Madeira). Port (Porto in Portugal) is a powerful wine made from red grapes. The key step with the Fortified wine category is the addition of a neutral spirit (often times Brandy) to boost alcohol percent and create a different style of wine. Ports are sweet and perfect with a chocolate dessert.
Pick of the Week
2007 Bergstrom Winery Cumberland Reserve Pinot Noir $34.95
*This is a great gift to the Pinot Noir fan. It is drinking really well right now and features cherry, raspberry and floral notes with subtle tannins.
Available at Haskell's (All Metro Locations) through October 31
Bergstrom Winery Oregon
A video from Josh Bergstrom in the vineyards:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovinGUFBiSc
Cheers,
John Glas
Wineglas