Friends don’t let friends do without fine wine during the holidays. Here are a few of our favorite ideas for gift-giving oenophiles who are long on goodwill but short on time.
First think about the recipient. Does he or she live far away? Then perhaps a local premium wine—a taste of our own terroir—would be apt. Is this person notoriously difficult to please? Consider a well-known brand that will allow bragging rights as well as a great pour. Is this a jaded aficionado who has tasted everything under the sun? Then do some legwork and look beyond the obvious. For diehard chardonnay drinkers, a touch of riesling might be a welcome change. For utilitarian cabernet fans, something in the key of syrah or sangiovese might prove as effective as mistletoe.
“Special” doesn’t necessarily mean pricey. Look for dessert wines that are both unexpected and beautifully packaged. No one doesn’t enjoy a sweet complex bit of voluptuous liquid after dinner. Bonny Doon Vineyard’s enchanting Le Vol des Anges is the ultimate honey-and-apricots New World sauternes. Golden-hued and kissed by the “noble rot” that encourages profound depths of flavor from this white Rhône variety roussanne grape, the half bottle makes a superb gift for your finicky friends and lovers. Look for 2006 or 2007 if you can find them. Beauregard Vineyard’s consummate 2009 Late Harvest Riesling—also packaged in the slender split—will make magic with after-dinner walnuts and Stilton.
If it’s an Old World vintage you seek, and the recipient is one of your nearest and dearest, consider one of the hallowed names of Bordeaux—Pomerol—in the form of a supple and generous wine from Chateau Le Moulin 2000 ($95). Or impress someone important with a rich, sweet, mellow Tokaj from Disznoko, Hungary, 2000 ($81). If Santa is feeling generous, he might even consider giving a bottle of the fabled Montebello Bordeaux blend 2005—a spectacular vintage priced in the $140 range. Pick up a crisp, dry riesling to help convert a reluctant chardophile, perhaps an Alsatian riesling from Domaine Remy Gresser 2007 for a mere $24. This exquisitely perfumed dry wine exudes flavor transparency unimpaired by oak. My personal favorite riesling is the Hirsch 2006 from the Kamptal region of Austria ($50). It’s truly memorable. Soif has a substantial range of rieslings, from affordable to up-market and from ultra-dry to lusciously sweet. Just consult with wine director John Locke or wine shop manager Luke Kamman.
For California wines that are sure to please, look for Ridge, arguably the elder statesman of California wineries. For those who enjoy sampling the gifts of our own central California varietals, the delights of the new 2009 Birichino Malvasia Bianca Monterey County ($15) are as affordable as they are delicately piquant.
Available at all enlightened emporia, Windy Oaks’ quartet of 2007 Pinot Noirs epitomize the soft, Burgundian style of extraordinary and complex red wines, expressing the terroir of the southern end of our appellation ($30-$55), while some of the top wines nearer the summit are made by Zayante (especially the syrah) and Santa Cruz Mountains Vineyards (look for the Branciforte and Vine Hill vineyards designations, $24-$48.) From La Honda Winery comes a disarming blend of sangiovese and cabernet sauvignon ($25). Elegant spin-offs from the much-praised Varner clan may be found under the Spring Ridge and Foxglove labels.Among Santa Cruz regional vintages, Kathryn Kennedy wines make a good choice. Consider the 2007 Lateral, 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon “Small Lot” and the 2009 Sauvignon Blanc.
Other goodies: win the heart of a serious wine aficionado with the ultimate Chateau Laguiole corkscrew, the Rolls Royce of bottle openers, made of hand-forged metal, luxurious carved horn and exotic woods. In its own leather storage pouch it runs $170-$185. And for a few dollars less (only $19) consider the more utilitarian version of the mighty Laguiole—same glorious design, but less hand-crafting. And yes, it comes in its very own little wooden box. Salut!
