Wine all the Time: Give the gift of wine with presence

With the gift-buying season hard upon us, many are mulling over what to buy for family and friends who enjoy wine.

Wine, of course, is the simple answer; however, if you want to change it up a little, there is always wine-related paraphernalia which can merit consideration – wine glasses, corkscrews, decanters, aerators, etc.

I read a number of wine magazines and on-line blogs. The products suggested are usually high-end and directed at those with significant disposable income, to put it mildly. What comes to mind for me is more “middle-of-the road” and generally affordable.

Wine glasses come in all shapes and sizes. Crystal may be a bit more appealing, in that those glasses have thinner rims than regular glasses, but that shouldn’t be a deal-breaker. A clear bowl allows you to see and appreciate the appearance of the wine itself. Generally red wine glasses have a bigger bowl, allowing the wine to open up.

Purists may insist on wine glasses with stems, so that when you hold the glass you aren’t obscuring the wine, or causing it to warm up as you hold the bowl. Frankly, I’ve never had wine sit in the glass that long that the temperature from my hand would have made a difference.

Day-to-day, I often use stemless glasses –convenient and less tippy. You can find decent glasses at stores such as Think Kitchen and Home Sense, and even such stores at Rome’s Independent Grocers. At Think Kitchen and Home Sense, Riedel crystal glasses can generally be found at about $40 for a set of 4. Riedel is one of the best known manufacturers, and are famous for designing glasses suited to different grape types. Spiegelau is another of their brands.

I have often mentioned the virtue of letting red wines “breathe”, exposing them to air before drinking them. This holds true for inexpensive wines as well as more costly examples. To that end, an aerator or decanter could be a welcome gift.

An aerator is a device that ”agitates” the wine as it is poured through, opening aromas, releasing flavours, and bringing harmony to all the elements, particularly when the wine is being poured into a wide-based decanter.

The Master Chef Wine Aerator, available at Canadian Tire for $11.99, is efficient and inexpensive. It includes a mesh filter to remove any sediment that might be found at the bottom of the bottle. Considering that on Amazon.ca, virtually the same aerator is offered at prices from $18 to $61, I would be shopping at Canadian Tire!

When it comes to decanters, you want one that has a broad flat base so as to maximize exposure of the wine to air. You also want one that will pour efficiently. The Trudeau glass wine decanter is at Canadian Tire for $14.99, and pairing it with the aerator would be a good option.

The Rainbow Wine Decanter at Think Kitchen would also be a good choice. The base appears slightly more stable, and it is currently priced at $20, down from S25.

At the Mill Steakhouse, they will happily decant any wine for you. The decanter they use is intriguing, as it incorporates an aerator in the design. The empty decanter is inverted and snugged on to the wine bottle. Then it is set upright with the wine bottle balanced perfectly on top, and it empties the wine seamlessly through the aerator into the decanter. The bottle is removed, and you are ready to pour. The Luxbe aerating decanter is $55 at Amazon.ca. One caution –there is no filter here for sediment; however, most wines don’t throw much, particularly in their first year of two of release.

All in all, it is a pretty nifty concept.

If you are concerned about sediment, Amazon also offers the Luxbe Decanter with an Aerator pourer lid for $58. It doesn’t offer the same hoopla with the inverted bottle, but it performs equally well, if not better because of the filter.

In terms of corkscrews, Amazon offers dozens, from as little as $7.50 for one - or $18 for 4 - of the efficient and dependable double hinged waiter’s corkscrews with Teflon coated screws, to various lever types that lock on to the bottle’s neck and in two motions drive the screw into the cork and pull it from the bottle. This type of corkscrew can be had for as little as $18 to over $60, and you don’t necessarily know which one is better.

The self-pulling “twister” that you place over the neck of the bottle, and keep turning as the screw penetrates the cork and then extracts it, all the while being turned in the same direction is also effective and less expensive than the lever types.

I am less confident in the “winged” examples, with which the wings open up as the screw is inserted, and then you fold the wings in to extract the cork. Unless it’s very sturdy, it can get wobbly rather quickly.

A wine preserving pump with re-usable neoprene ‘corks’ is useful, particularly when you don’t intend to finish a bottle. It pumps out air creating a vacuum, and helps to keep the wine from oxidating. They aren’t perfect, but they do help keep a wine drinkable for at least a few days. They are available from $8 and up, and it is best when they come with a few more stoppers.

If the person you are shopping for is already well equipped, there is always wine! Here are some suggestions from the December releases, as well as the regular list.

Dessert

Masi Angelorum Recioto Della Valpolicella Classico, $38.95 for 375 ml., is a rare treat for fans of Amarone and Ripasso. In this case, we have grapes that dry for more than six months before being vinified, with fermentation stopped to create a rich, spicy and delicious wine with 85 grams of sugar per litre.

Taylor Fladgate 20-Year Old Tawny Port, $71.95, has consistently high reviews, with the Tasting Panel describing it as “silky smooth and toasty with nuts, spice and firm acidity; elegant and complex; long and perfectly balanced; bright and exquisite.” – 95. It is commonly suggested you pair it with a blue cheese or dark chocolate, but it would also be a perfect match with a slice of dark Christmas cake or Christmas pudding.

Sparkling

Mionetto Brut Prestige Prosecco is a very good example of the friendly Italian bubbly from the north. Currently $2 off at $16.95, it is an easy choice for either a Christmas brunch, where you could enjoy it on its own, or use it to create a Mimosa or a Bellini.

Jackson-Triggs Entourage Grand Reserve Brut Sparkling 2017, $34.95 can be found at the Wine Rack stores. A solid sparkler made in the traditional double-fermentation method, it has earned the praise of writer Michael Vaughan, who appreciated its complexity, long finish, and “fine effervescence.” – 91.

Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Reserve Champagne is a good choice if you wish to enjoy a wine that is from “ground zero” for sparkling wine, Champagne itself. Currently $5 off at $56.05, it scores consistently in the 90’s from many respected wine writers. It has all the characteristics a champagne should exhibit – a creamy palate, crisp acidity, and notes of toasted bread or brioche.

Louis Bouillot Perle Rare Brut Crémant de Bourgogne 2018, $22.95, is a sparkling wine from Burgundy, and is made with the traditional grapes, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, but also includes Gamay Noir and Aligoté. The tasting panel at Journal de Montréal call it “refined and elegant” and racier than many more expensive offerings. It is fruity and fresh, with hints of red apples, biscuits, spices, dried apricots and orange.

White

Invivo X, by Sarah Jessica Parker Sauvignon Blanc 2023, $22.95, on the December 16 release earned #29 on this year’s Top 100 Wines for the Wine Spectator for the 2022 vintage. The 2023 should measure up. Writer Sam Kim finds it “intensely aromatic” with “excellent weight and persistency…refreshing acidity…and loads of delicious flavours.” – 94.

Kleine Zalze Vineyard Selection Barrel Vermented Chenin blanc 2022, $23.95, is a fine example of what has become South Africa’s signature white wine. This has oodles of flavour including ripe apple, spice, and pineapple, a wonderful creamy texture, and pleasing acidity on the finish. Drink now, or cellar it for a few years for even more enjoyment.

Bachelder L’ Ardoise Niagara Chardonnay 2021, $24.95, is sourced from a number of fine vineyards in the region and displays the winemaker Thomas Bachelder’s considerable skill. It has earned top marks from many writers. Sarah d’Amato of winealign.com who was raised here in Sault Ste. Marie, tells us it has “delightful balance, toasty oak, macadamia, chalky minerality, and ripe pear.” Good stuff!

Chateau La Nerthe Les Cassagnes de La Nerthe Côtes du Rhône-Villages 2022, $26.95, comes from a site 15 kilometres north of Chateauneuf–du-Pape. Michael Vaughan rates it highly, explaining that “this spicy blend of 40% Grenache Blanc, 30% Viognier, 22% Roussanne and 8% Marsanne comes from a rather hot vintage. It has a medium straw colour and an individualistic, spicy, gently floral nose with some gently complex, rather leesy, intense, melon-tinged, baked-apple fruit… flavours with a lingering, mouthfilling, somewhat minerally finish.” An exceptional wine, an exceptional gift.

Red

Chateau Hyot 2020, $15.95, is an inexpensive gem from Bordeaux; however, it needs time. Roger Voss of the Wine Enthusiast suggests waiting until 2025 to allow everything to come together to reveal this wine’s richness. – 92.

Domaines André Aubert Visan Côtes du Rhône-Villages 2022, $15.95, has the approval of Michael Godel of winealign.com with its massive loads of fruit that nevertheless are in total harmony “with the sneaky structure involved. Impressive and outstanding value”. – 91.

Bleasdale Broad-side 2019, $18.95, from South Australia is an interesting blend of Shraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. Winecompanion.com.au says “it’s succulent with all elements in unison. It’s also stupidly good value” – 92.

Fabre Montmayou Reserva Malbec 2021, $17.95, from Argentina, is “initially indulgent in the mouth, with good fat, volume and a velvety texture. The flavors are bold and full-bodied. This 2021 over-delivers at the price.” -  vinous.com – 92.

Neal Ellis Syrah 2021, $24.95, from South Africa is considered one of the top 20 Best Buys by winealign.com’s David Lawrason who calls it a great barbecue wine for its “core of black cherry fruit and amid layers of smoke, pepper and dried meat typical of the variety.” – 92.

Tenuta Setti Ponti Crognolo, $34.95 is a super-Tuscan red consisting of 95% Sangiovese and 5% Merlot. Decanter, the British magazine, has this to say: “So juicy and seductive on the palate, this has a depth which is beguiling, layering the dark fruit, herbal and salty flavours on the tongue - a sweet, sticky almost liquorice blackcurrant added to by a black pepper and minty aftertaste ” – 91.

Orin Swift Abstract 2021, $54.95, is a California red blend made by Dave Phinney, the original developer of the extremely popular The Prisoner red wine. With fruit sourced from many regions in California, the “2021 Abstract brings forth opening aromas of muddled blue and blackberries with a frame of dark chocolate brownie and seasoned leather. The wine enters with class, being soft and lush, with notes of ripe plum... The wine closes with pleasing sarsaparilla and blackcurrant.” –winemaker’s notes.

Renato Ratti Marcenasco Barolo 2019, $75.95. From Piedmont, Barolo is arguably the king of wine in Italy. Of this wine, the Wine Enthusiast writes, “this Barolo is defined by its purity of tart red fruits that interplay with more delicate aromas of dried flowers and savoury spices. The palate is sturdy and structured with a solid core of ripe cherries mixed with dried tea leaves finishing with vibrant acidity. Cellar Selection. [Drink: 2025-2042.] – 95.

There are obviously other wonderful options to consider, including the Clos de Los Siete 2019 from Argentina, the Chateau Tanunda Grand Barossa Shiraz from Australia, and many, many more

I am sure that you can find some special wine at every price point that can help you with your gifting, or just to enjoy yourselves with friends. Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year!