Great Holiday Gifts for Wine Lovers

I have this theory you can tell how bad a gift is by the length of the response given by the recipient as he or she stalls to: A) figure out what the heck it is and B) avoid eye contact and try to come up with the correct words as to not hurt the gift giver's feelings. For example: a bedazzled holiday sweater made from recycled tires and scratchy felt will most likely result in a, "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh, wooooooooooow, geeeeeeeeeee this is reeeeeally grreeaaaaatttt!" Conversely, a really fabulous gift will result in a quick, short and often one word response: "Wow, cool, whoah, awesome!" Wine gifts often fall into the long response category. Believe me. I have an amazing collection of bad wine gifts that have been given to me over the years: all kinds of things made from corks, elaborate wine openers that can easily double as torture devices, wine scented scratch and sniff stationary, tacky silk scarves with horses and grapes on them and so forth. Don't get me wrong, I firmly believe that it's not the gift but the thought that counts but if you are going to go through the effort then why not give something that will truly be enjoyed and more importantly used. Here are my selections for great holiday presents for the wine lover in your life that are sure to be greeted with a short response!

The Billionaire's Vinegar: The Mystery of the World's Most Expensive Bottle of Wine by Benjamin Wallace. $24.95 at your local bookstore

In 1985 a 1787 Chateau Lafite Bordeaux—unearthed in a Paris cellar and supposedly owned by Thomas Jefferson—went for $156,000 to Malcolm Forbes. Rumors soon arose that the wine was a fake even though it was authenticated by the highly respected wine team at Christie's in London. This is a story of how a former manager of a German easy listening band punked the haute wine world, pouring common vintages into old bottles and passing them off as precious rarities. He was finally stopped by billionaire wine collector and energy tycoon Bill Koch but not after many people were tricked into spending thousands of dollars on rare bottles that turned out to be complete forgeries. This is a tale so juicy even Hollywood could not resist. Will Smith has purchased the rights to make it into a movie. Any wine lover - novice or experienced collector will enjoy this story of you don't always get what you pay for, especially when it comes to wine.

Wine & Stemware Tote - $15 at International Wine Accessories

I'm a big fan of BYOB restaurants but I HATE the glassware they provide. This wine and stemware tote is the perfect solution. It easily fits and transports two bottles and four wine glasses (up to 8" tall). Ergonomic handle makes the bags easy to carry. Made of black canvas, polyester lining and PVC backing. 17 1/4"H x 16 3/4"W x 3 1/2"D. You will never have to drink out of jelly jars ever again!

Luigi Bormioli Atelier Series Stemware - $6-$7 each

Glassware is always a great gift for any wine lover as you can never have enough because they always break. There are many choices when it comes to stemware and it can get very costly and confusing. I found this affordable series at Bloomingdale's and just love the feel and shape of them - especially for the price. Yes, there are those seminars given by a certain glassware company that prove wine will taste better if you drink out of their stemware but frankly if I put you in a quiet room under bright lights and tell you to pay attention you are bound to notice the difference. The truth is, this is not how we enjoy wine in a real world setting when you have distractions like screaming children, barking dogs and burning soup on the stove. Now I'm not saying any old glass will do - proper stemware is key but you don't have to buy the top of the line stuff to experience the benefits. Available at Bloomingdale's Home and Furniture Store & Macy's.

Decanter

A decanter is a must have for any wine lover. It can be used to aerate and soften younger wines or remove sediment from older selections. I will often serve inexpensive wines out of a decanter to add a little glitz and glam to an otherwise mundane bottle. There are many options to select from but when choosing a decanter keep in mind a shape that will allow for sheeting action. The one featured here is the Mikasa Cheers Decanter available at Macy's for $29 but other selections are available at International Wine Accessories in all price points. You can also add a funnel with a mesh screen for around $19.

Wine Cradle $35

This cradle is an elegant way to display wines at the dinner table. The New York International Gift Fair, featuring top designers from more than 2700 companies honored WMF with the "Best Collection" award this year. Available at Bloomingdale's Home and Furniture Store.

Fancy Screw Pull Wine Saver Set $30

Believe it or not but sometimes I can't always finish a full bottle of wine. If you push the cork back in, the wine will last up to two more days and then eventually start tasting like vinegar. With whites there is a little more leeway. Oxygen is the enemy for an opened bottle of wine so if you remove the air then you can get a little more shelf life out of the selection. The Screw Pull wine saver is designed to remove oxygen in conjunction with rubber stoppers. Normally the pump is made from white plastic but I love this fancy metal one. I use it at home on the rare occasion there is anything left in the bottle. It comes in an easy to wrap gift box. Available at Bloomingdale's Home and Furniture Store.

Winerd Wine Trivia and Blind Tasting Board Game - $36You don't have to be a total wine geek to have fun with this board game. Just as Monopoly teaches you how to become a real estate tycoon, Winerd can make learning about wine fun without the pretension. Using a minimum of at least three bottles of similar wine, you'll test your knowledge of fermented grapes by answering the most trivia questions and passing the most blind taste tests. For everyone from experts to novices, this game only gets better with age. Includes game board, 300 trivia questions, 12 challenge cards, four game pieces (that can be swapped for corks) and a blind taste test notepad. Wine not included. Available at Binny's Beverage Depot or an online retailer.

Waring Professional Cordless Wine Opener $40

Opening wine is hard enough but it is downright impossible if you have arthritis. My mother has a mild case of it in her hands and she recently confessed to me that she doesn't enjoy wine as much as she used to because it is too hard for her to open. I'm sending her this electrical wine opener this year to help make things easier for her. It's a cordless device where the you plug the base unit into the wall like a can opener. With a touch of a button, the screw inserts into the cork and then a reverse switch pulls it out. Of course, this doesn't work for screw caps! Available at Bloomingdale's Home and Furniture Store.

Alessi Wine Openers $54

Ok at $54, these are a bit of a splurge but they are from Alessi and they look like Parrots - who could resist? Aside from being adorable, they are double hinged which makes removing even the toughest corks a snap! Available at Bloomingdale's Home and Furniture Store.

The Grateful Palate Bacon of the Month Club $190 for six months (includes shipping and handling)

I know bacon is not wine but who besides vegetarians would not love this gift? I spent my first Christmas in Chicago with fellow Master Sommelier Joseph Spellman and his family. At the time, Joe was a member of the bacon of the month club and on Christmas day we fried up some peppered bacon and paired it with an old, smoky Cote Rotie (Syrah from France) and listened to Truman Capote on NPR. It's one of my most fond Christmas memories ever. The $190 is steep but it includes shipping and handling and it comes with all kinds of cool stuff including a, bacon tee shirt, recipes, information on each bacon and a rubber pig nose! Available from The Grateful Palate.

Mendoza - A perfect storm for growing wine grapes

Buenos Aires may the political capital of Argentina but when it comes to wine, the most important region is Mendoza. Located at the foot of the Andes and a 10 hour car ride from Buenos Aires, this high desert town of 1.6 million inhabitants is the 4th largest city in Argentina and is known as the epicenter of all things wine. Approximately 70% of all the wine produced in Argentina comes from this one area and most of the major producers are located here as well. Indeed there is something in the water that makes this area so great for grape growing but it turns out that very special water is hard to come by. Mendoza is in essence a desert which makes it one of the most perfect places in the world to grow grapes - especially Malbec. Yes, a desert! The combination of desert climate, high altitude and low rainfall combines to form a perfect storm for grape growing.

Mendoza's proximity to the Andean mountain range makes it a high altitude desert oasis. Grapes are grown at a high elevation - 2500-5000 feet above sea level with intense sunlight and little to no rainfall (less than 8 inches per year). The sunlight is much stronger at higher altitudes since the atmosphere is thinner. Grapes grown at higher altitudes will develop thicker skins in order to protect the seeds. Just think about how strong the sun light is when you go skiing at a high elevation - your skin will burn in order to protect your organs. Thicker skins result in wines with deeper color (polyphenols & anthocyanins) and structure.This is one of the reasons why red wines from Argentina are very purple and opaque in color. Believe me, I was working the SPF while I was out visiting the vineyards. By the end of the day we were all beet red - now I know what Malbec feels like. Higher alitude also leads to huge temperature shifts from day to night which results in longer hang time, increasing the color and flavor and forming a better balance of structural components. If you go to Las Vegas you will notice it is dramatically cooler at nighttime than during the day. This is typical of desert climate. Grapes will ripen during the day but at night cool off which in turn extends how long it takes for the grapes to reach full ripeness. This shift in temperature is why Argentine reds are so balanced when it comes to alcohol and acidity even though the grapes are cultivated in such intense sunlight. So - if this is the desert, where does the water come from? The only way farmers can get anything to grow in the very poor soils is with irrigated water that flows down from the mountain tops. The lack of water and careful control of irrigation stresses the vines which reduces yields and concentrates the flavor. With water, anything is possible. There are channels and aqua ducts dug throughout the area - you have to be really careful to not to fall into one. Calculating how much water a vine needs is a precise science - too little and the vine dies and too much results in bloated grapes and diluted wines. It is nearly impossible to replicate these growing conditions anywhere else in the world. Mendoza is truly a very special place that makes extraordinary wines.

Before irrigation

After irrigation

Vines receiving water from irrigation lines

Nets are placed over vines in order to protect them from soft ball sized hail, a common occurrence in this region.

Edgardo del Popolo from Dona Paula Winery giving us a lesson on the unique terroir of Mendoza. Notice the brambly brush in the foreground and lush vineyards towards the back.

Pedro Machevsky, the Godfather of viticulture in Argentina, offering his thoughts as well. Pedro is married to Susana Balbo, the President of the Wines of Argentina Association.

Flashy Yet Frugal Friday - Colosi Sicilia Rosso $10

I discovered this little gem yesterday and just can not get over how good it is - especially for the price. The Colosi Rosso is made from 100% Nero d'Avola grapes grown on estate vineyards in and around Messina, Sicily. Nero d'Avola is Sicily's most important red grape and can be characterised by it's juicy, foward flavors of ripe blackberries, figs, raisins, stewed fruits and pepper. This particular Nero d'Avola is extremely well structured and mouth filling yet soft, round and silky on the palate. I would pair it with braised meats, BBQ, hearty red sauce pasta dishes or you can enjoy it as is. It's a wine that I would recommend stocking up on. You won't be sorry! Available at Sam's, Wine Discount, Binny's, Famous/Forest Park, Howard's Wine Cellar, Cost Plus and Lake Bluff Village Market.

Messina, Sicily

Colosi vineyards

*please note prices will vary according to retailer

Trader Joe's Discovery - Altano Douro Red

We split our grocery shopping between several stores but Trader Joe's seems to be a particular favorite as there's something about the place that makes me feel like I'm shopping at an outpost or getting the scoop on some secret deal or ingredient. I imagine their head buyer is a Hawaiian shirt wearing, Mr. J Peterman meets James Bond like character who travels the globe to find the most exotic strain of green beans ever from some remote area and then purchases the entire allocation for the next 40 years just to sell it to us $2.99 a package. The staff at the checkout lane are also abnormally inquisitive and I find they are always commenting on my grocery selections and offering tips on how to cook or serve certain items or asking me what I'm going to with a certain ingredient, etc. I guess wearing a Hawaiian shirt and ringing bells all day can do wonders for your disposition with customers. Anyways - this cold weather is putting me in the mood for something spicy and hearty so I headed to TJ's to pick up some groceries to make a jambalaya-esque stew of chicken, chorizo sausage, shrimp and veggies.

I wandered down the wine aisle and found this bottle of Altano, a Portuguese red for $8.99 that I thought would pair nicely with the spicy flavors of the dish. Sure Trader Joe's is the home of Two Buck Chuck but I have also found some really decent selections at affordable prices here.

Vineyards in the Douro Valley - Yikes!

The Altano is made by the Symington Family, a legendary Portuguese family who have been making Port wines in the Douro Valley for over 350 years. Their amazing portfolio includes famous brand names such as Graham's, Warre's, Dow's and Smith-Woodhouse just to name a few. In fact Port wines were originally produced as dry reds but the Portuguese merchants soon discovered they needed to strengthen or fortify the wine with neutral grape spirit in order to survive the voyage to thirsty customers in England. In 1999 the Symington family decided to produce non-fortified red wines and Altano was born as a result. The Tinta Roriz and Touriga Franca grapes are harvested from breathtakingly high vineyards in Northern Portugal that are so steep it's hard to imagine finding anyone sane enough to work the land. By the looks of this picture, it's pretty easy to figure out where the name for Altano came from - as in alto or high. All this for only $8.99 a bottle. The biggest hurdle with Portuguese wines is that the grapes are not recognizable and are often hard to pronounce. This obscurity is good for bargain hunters as Portuguese wines are not at the top of the wish list for wine snobs therefore competition to purchase does not drive up the price.

When I first opened the wine, I found it was a little tight and had a bit of a short finish so I decided to throw it in a decanter to open it up and soften the rough edges. Decanting is like yoga for wine plus anything served from a decanter looks expensive. The wine was medium bodied and elegant with flavors of raisins, figs, prunes and dried cherries. It paired nicely with the chorizo and spicy flavors of the stew. It's a pretty decent drink and just what you need on a cold winter night.

Spicy Winter Stew

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed into 1 1/2 inch pieces
3 links pork chorizo sausage from Whole Foods, sliced diagonally
3/4 lb 26-30 count shrimp, shells removed but tails still on
4 slices bacon, diced
1 medium onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
4 ribs celery, diced
3 zucchini, diced
4 medium carrots, sliced into chunks
1 14 oz can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
1 1/2 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon crushed chili flakes
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Green Onions for garnish

In a large cast iron pot, on medium-high heat saute bacon until fat is rendered, add chorizo sausage and brown evenly on all sides, approx 4 minutes. Add chicken and saute until golden, approx 6-8 minutes. It's good to get brown bits on the bottom of the pot as this will contribute depth and flavor to the stew. Add Old Bay Seasoning, cayenne pepper, chili flakes, thyme, black pepper, onion, garlic, celery and both bell peppers. Cover pot and cook until onions and celery are translucent - approx 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, 3 cups of water, zucchini and carrots. Cover and cook for 20 minutes on medium heat until zucchini and carrots are done. Remove pot from stove, toss in shrimp. The residual heat will continue to cook the shrimp. Serve in bowls and garnish with chopped green onions.

Approx 6 servings

The strangest pizza ever

An Argentine winemaker told me how much Argentine people love their pizza and what a big deal it is down there. This made sense to me as many people from Argentina originally came from Italy. As a Chicagoan and a lifelong fan of pizza, I had to do my duty and give their version a try. While in Mendoza, we visited a local cafe that had been in business for over 50 years and pizza was their specialty. I saw the oven was very similar to the ones found in the famous pizza joints in New York and thought, hey I could be on to something here. For toppings we selected olives, anchovies, peppers and ham and voila this is what we got. Mind you the olives had pits in them. It actually was not as bad as it looks but I would not really call it a pizza as it was more of a cheese bread. The crust was very thick and slightly crunchy with a very thin layer of tomato sauce. Next came several slices of mozzarella cheese, a blanket of deli ham and well you can see the rest. If not good, it was certainly memorable and I just had to share.