Since the holidays are upon us and travel has slowed,I wanted to take a little break from wine country advice and offer up some suggestions for holiday gifts perfect for your favorite wine enthusiast. Most people like to give wine as a gift, which is fantastic if you are privy to exactly what the recipient enjoys; otherwise your bottle could end up as a much dreaded re-gift or a shelf warmer. If you are uncomfortable giving wine as a gift or desire to give something a little more imaginative, I have compiled the list below of 10 items that are
sure to wow any wine lover this holiday season.
- Vinturi Essential Wine Aerator
Aerate your wine in the amount of time it takes to pour a glass. Within seconds,
reds and whites are mixed with precisely the right amount of air, delivering a better taste. Wines breathe instantly and result in a better bouquet, enhanced flavor and smoother finish. This item can be found at Target. | Price: $39.99
- Subscription to Wine Spectator Magazine
Give someone you love the most reliable and useful guide to wine anywhere. Each
issue contains more than 500 wines in all price ranges which are rated and tasted. Winespectator.com. | Price: $49.95 (annually)
- iTunes Gift Card With A Thoughtful List Of Must Have iPhone Wine Apps.
This is a clever gift for the Oenophile who is an iPhone user. Apps are a wonderful
and useful tool and there are many that are essential for wine enthusiasts. iTune
Gift cards can be purchased at various stores such as Target, Albertsons & The
Apple Store. Gift cards can be used online at the App Store (apple.com)
Must Have Wine Apps:
*Winery quest pro
A wine tasting app that offers information about wineries in whichever region
you are visiting. Features include, tasting fees, operating hours, architecture,
ambiance, dog friendly and more. | Price: $7.99
*Memorable Wines
An elegant app quickly recording, remembering and sharing your favorite
wines. | Price: $7.99
*Cellar: Manage your wine cellar
A phenomenal way to manage your personal wine cellar. Offers space to
enter intricate information about your collection. It’s like browsing the real
thing! | Price: $4.99
*Wine Search
Allows you to compare wine prices quoted on restaurant wine lists with
the actual retail price tag. | Price: $1.99
*Wine Pocket Pro Acts not only as a wine and food pairing guide but also educates you on wine style definitions and how to appreciate wine properly. | Price: $3.99
4. Wine Bottle Cork Cage An unforgettable clever gift! The wine bottle cork cage is a fun and innovative way to keep and cherish all of your wonderful wine memories. Beveragefactory.com | Price: $25.00
5. Vacu Vin Stainless Steel Vacuum Wine Saver This wine saver is a valuable tool for anyone who likes to savor their bottle over a period of days. With the sound of a simple click, the Vacu Vin stainless steel wine saver is a vacuum pump, which extracts the air from the opened bottle. wineenthusiast.com | Price: $29.95
6. Push Button Electric Blue Cork Screw A wine opener as entertaining to watch as it is easy to use! The blue light Allows you to view the progress in the cork removal as it shine through the action window. This extractor removes corks smoothly, and promptly from your bottle. Wineenthusiast.com | Price: $29.95
7. Wine Label Lifter & Label Album Combination Gift
A great way to document favorite wine!
Oenophilia Label Lift (50 pack):
Wine Label Saver removes wine labels easily from bottle and creates a laminated label to place in your wine album. Can be purchased from amazon.com | Price: $19.95 Wine Label Album This leather embossed binder offers an organized way to treasure your most memorable wines. This binder holds up to 50 wine labels as well as wine ratings and other information you need to remember. Can be purchased from wineracksuperstore.com | price: $34.99
8. Arrange A Private Tasting At A Winery Many wineries offer private tastings for a fee that include benefits such as barrel tastings, vineyard tours, tasting of reserve & library wines, vertical tastings, food & wine parings. Prices & benefits very per winery. For a list
of wineries visit oenoventures.com
9. Tickets For A Local Wine Event
Each California Wine region participates in wine events sponsored by the local chamber of commerce or vintners association. Events can typically be purchased in advance and include benefits such as unlimited wine tasting at participating wineries, barrel tastings, food & wine pairing, discounts, drawings and more. Prices and benefits vary per event. For information on wine events oenoventures.com
10. Intelli Scanner Mini
You will enjoy this portable barcode reader, and innovative wine
management software to manage, track, and search your wine collection.
Just scan the barcode on a wine label and the scanner will automatically
download detailed information on your wine like the winery, vintage, type,
and varietal -- no typing necessary! intelliscanner.com Price: $279-$329
I hope my suggestions are helpful and I wish you all a wonderful holiday season!
