Holiday Gifts for the Wine Lover
Wine, Wine Books, Wine Travel Accessories for Your Favorite Aficionado
Every holiday I am asked, “What wine should I give as a gift for friends, colleagues, or customers?” The answer: “Give the gift of their favorite wine, an iconic wine, a wine travel accessory, or a wine book.” Always ask preferences. “Will it be a sparkling domestic wine, a Champagne, a famous Napa Valley or Sonoma wine, a specialty Italian or Spanish Wine, or a traditional Bordeaux red or Provence Rosé?” “How about a celebrated wine book?” Depending on your budget and their preferences, here are some suggested wines and new wine books for the wine lover on your holiday gift list. Or give the gift of Wine Wanderings newsletter to your favorite wine lover!
Sparkling Wines and Champagne
Louis Roederer Cristal Brut with Gift Box, 2013
Vintage Champagne, France, Wine Spectator, 96 points, $299
Tasting/Gifting Note: This Champagne was created in 1876 for Tsar Alexander II for his personal use with its clear stylish bottle, designed to prevent his poisoning. The 2013 Vintage is a crisp balance of ripe fruit (nectarine and candied orange), hazelnut, and a texture that make it alive and bright. As it matures, it will deepen and become more intense.
Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label & Viski Hammered Ice Bucket, NV
Champagne, France Wine Spectator, 90 Points, $110
Tasting/Gifting Note: This is a tight, racy wine with spicy underpinnings of poached pear, grated ginger, and pink grapefruit zest. The hammed stainless-steel ice bucket makes a beautiful gift wrapped in festive cellophane.
Mumm Napa Brut Rosé, NV
Napa Valley, Wine Enthusiast, 91 points, $21
Tasting Note: A hearty 80% Pinot Noir grapes dominate in this sparkler, and it is rounded out with 20% Chardonnay. With a pink-salmon hue, it offers peach and wild strawberry aromas with flavors of succulent plum. Quite the gifting bargain.
Napa and Sonoma Wines
I want to encourage you to support your favorite Napa or Sonoma winery. The current vintages released are incredible.
Shafer TD-9, 2017
Stags Leap AVA, Napa Valley (a Bordeaux-style blend), Wine Spectator, 92 Points, $69
Tasting Note: This wine is powerful and finely textured with concentrated dried cherry, roasted plum flavors, and a lively minerality. Richly spiced! One of the iconic Stags Leap/Napa producers.
Joseph Phelps Insignia, 2018
Iconic Red Blend with 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, Wine Enthusiast, 98 Points, $274
Tasting Note: Aged for 24 months in 100% new French oak, this wine features an inky/purple color (8% Petite Verdot), gorgeous nose of blueberry and blackberry liquor, graphite, dusty cocoa, and saddle leather aromas. The wine has a tremendous potential for aging… a fantastic gift for the wine lover. One of the original Napa Bordeaux-style blends.
Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc, 2019 – half bottle
Russian River, Sonoma County, Wine Spectator, 94 Points, $35
Tasting/Gifting Notes: One of the best half-bottle gift choices. Merry Edwards brings out the best in this varietal with notes of mango, papaya, and flavors of white peach, nectarine, and Meyer lemon. Hints of minerality, crème brûlée, and toasted hazelnuts add to the sophistication. By far, my favorite Sonoma SB.
Specialty Italian and Spanish Wines
Antinori Tignanello, 2017
Super Tuscan blend, Tuscany, Italy. Wine Spectator, 93 Points, $149
Tasting Note: A black currant thread winds through this dense red wine, with cherry, leather, earth, and mineral flavors…a blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink through 2029.
Clos Mogador, 2018
Red Blend, Priorat, Spain. Robert Parker, 98 Points, $105
Tasting Note: A celebrated Spanish wine from the renowned Priorat region, this is an old-vine blend of Garnacha and Carinena grapes with a touch of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. I have interviewed the owner and Priorat pioneer, René Barbier, at his wonderful winery in the Montsant Mountains of Priorat, Spain. This plush red wine delivers alluring flavors of cherry, kirsch, licorice, espresso, and mineral with well-integrated tannins and vibrant orange peel acidity. A wonderful growing season for this exceptional wine. Give this to your most special friend.
French Wines
Tour Saint Christophe, 2018
Red Bordeaux blend from St. Emilion, “Right Bank,” France. Decanter, 90 Points, $44
A blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, aged for 18 months in oak, 49% new barrels. Spicy with a long finish. Great value Bordeaux.
Chateau d’Esclans Rock Angel Rosé, 2019
A Rosé from Côtes de Provence, France. James Suckling, 92 points, $40
Tasting Note: This rosé is a lightly oaked Esclans with fresh, bright strawberry and white raspberry fruit, rose water notes, and a hint of pepper. More intense than its brother Whispering Angel.
Wine Books for the Wine Lover
The 24 Hour Wine Expert by Jancis Robinson, MW, $9.50
My favorite wine expert, Jancis Robinson, wrote this book that I often give as a gift. This book helps wine drinkers who wish they knew more about wine, without having to understand every nuance.
Around the World in 80 Wines by Mike Veseth, Hardcover $17, Kindle $15
The journey starts in London as Mike Veseth follows Phileas Fogg’s Around the World in 80 Days journey to France and Italy and then diverts to some of the most fascinating wine regions of the world. Mike offers a special ending to this journey.
Wine and the White House: A History by Frederick J. Ryan, Jr
Early subscribers (March 2021) of Wine Wanderings will remember that I detailed a brief US Presidential wine history in “Wine and the Presidents: Try These 3 President’s Wine Selections.” This newsletter discussed Presidents Thomas Jefferson, Ronald Reagan, and John Kennedy state dinners and wine preferences. Also mentioned: Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton, and many Founding Fathers. This book gives you a comprehensive look at the Presidents and wine….a beautifully detailed book.
The Wine Bible by Karen MacNeil, Hardcover, $25 (signed by Karen)
Karen MacNeil, my Culinary Institute of America professor, and one of the foremost wine experts in the United States, offers her latest edition of this famous wine book. Her storytelling about the making of wine in many of the world’s most famous wine regions keeps the novice and the wine connoisseur alike engaged.
Her unique voice notes: “In the great years, Pétrus is ravishing, elegant, and rich – Ingrid Bergman in red satin.”
Karen is the creator and Chairman Emeritus of the Rudd Center for Professional Wine Studies at the Culinary Institute of America, Napa Valley, which has been called the “Harvard” of wine education. I was fortunate to study there.
Helpful and Chic Wine Accessories
6-Bottle Waxed Canvas Weekend Wine Bag, Unpersonalized $70, or Personalized $90
Never leave home for a wine weekend without something to store and cool your wine. Many a friend has gone to Napa Valley for the day, only to let their expensive Cab “cook” during their lengthy lunch at Bouchon. Comes with a large ice pack.
Vino-Voyage 2.0 TSA-Approved 6-Bottle Wine Suitcase, $199
Shipping wine from wine regions can be so expensive. One or two trips will pay for this suitcase. In a rugged yet stylish Bordeaux red color
A Very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Healthy New Year to all my subscribers!
Wine Wanderings Editorial Calendar
Gruet Winery: French Champagne Heritage, New Mexico Surprise
A Wine Club Anniversary Event: Summit Lake Vineyards and Winery, Howell Mountain, Napa Valley
The Surprising Mixologists of Napa Valley Cocktails
2nd Half Review: The Most Popular Wine Wanderings Newsletters of 2021
Traveling to Napa Valley: Wineries, Sports Activities, Shopping, Where to Eat, Where to Stay
The Restaurants of Calistoga, Napa Valley
The Heritage of Hall Winery, Napa Valley: Tour and Tasting
1881 Museum Napa Valley: A Transformation of the Oakville Grocery
What Constitutes a Great Bed & Breakfast? Recipes, Service, and Amenities
America’s Exceptional Wine Country Adventures: States to Consider
The True Cost of a Cocktail with the CEO of BuzzBallz, Marilee Kick
Tour Tuscany like a Pro
Left Bank vs. Right Bank Bordeaux: Taste the Difference
Wine Castles of Sonoma County
Smashing Winter Cocktails: The Best of Gin and Bourbon
2021 First Half Review: Most Popular Wine Wanderings Stories
Interesting
Once again , Tricia, great thoughts! I may not comment often but enjoy each post. I, too, have a sad ending to a few bottles while traveling- did not think of possibility of the wine freezing in trunk!