Wine & Spirits Holiday Gift Guide
December 3, 2010 What are the holidays if it's not peppered with a few celebratory drinks here and there? Here are several wine and spirits gift ideas for those who enjoy slinging back a tipple or two. These also make awesome hostess gifts.
Known for their playful nature, JAQK Cellars has a deluxe 4-bottle Napa/Sonoma gift set ($202) that will impress any wine drinker. Along with the beautiful packaging you get one bottle each of their 2006 High Roller Cabernet Sauvignon, Black Clover Merlot, Soldiers of Fortune Shiraz, and 2007 Pearl Handle Chardonnay. A deck of JAQK Premier Edition Playing Cards are included.
Bols Genever has an elegant holiday gift set ($38.99) that includes two tulip glasses and a 750 ml bottle of Bols Genever. Great for parties, the tulip glasses are used in the popular and traditional Dutch ritual of Kopstootje (a beer and a shot).
Chalk Hill Estate has a gorgeous 2006 Estate Vineyard Selection Botrytised Semillon ($45, 375 ml). Pressed into a thick nectar, it is fermented slowly in barrel for two months. Its intensely honeyed aromas and flavors are absolutely divine - ripe pear, apricot, mango, caramel, vanilla bean, and toasted almond. Whoever drinks this will be thoroughly charmed.
Wesley Ashley Wines is offering a three-bottle set of its Intelligent Design Wines ($110). Mix and match from the fruit forward 2007 Intelligent Design Cuvee and the minerally Intelligent Design Cuvee Blanc. Presented in a hand-made wooden gift box, the set is engraved with the Wesley Ashley logo. Both wines will pair extremely well with food and have smooth, long finishes.
Tailored for the wine nerd, legendary sommelier Rajat Parr and wine journalist Jordan Mackay present a fascinating portrait of the world’s top wine professionals in Secrets of the Sommeliers ($32.50). Exploring Parr's extensive wine knowledge, the authors interview the sommelier community as well as share useful strategies for securing hard-to-find bottles at a good price.
Lusting for something with a Latin flair? As Mexico's most popular choice, the premium Tequila Don Julio Reposado ($47.99, 750 ml) is aged for 8 months in American white oak barrels. The slightly smoky nose opens up to hints of dark chocolate, vanilla and light cinnamon. For something more intense the fragrant Tequila Don Julio Añejo ($49.99) is aged for 18 months and has a complex blend of honey, cherry, strawberry, vanilla, cinnamon and black pepper.
As the first ristretto liqueur in the US, Galliano L'Autentico ($34.99, 750 ml) is a 100% natural liqueur that's commonly consumed in Italy as a pre-dinner digestivo. With nearly 30 botanicals used in the recipe, the liqueur (350 ml) is presented in a holiday gift set with a traditional Wallbanger glass and recipe.
The 2008 Earthquake Cabernet ($26) from Michael-David Winery opens up with a pleasing blend of blackberry, coffee, cinnamon, and cloves. This full-bodied wine is balanced and smooth with a dry finish. The flavor is a mild blackcurrant with notes of coffee, bacon, and milk chocolate, making this a great choice for a dinner party.
For editorial consideration, review samples were provided for this post.
Reader Comments (3)
Raj Parr is such a great sommelier. He's turned me on to so many good and little known wines.
The wines we had at Bourbon Steak were so amazing. We wanted to buy a bottle of a rare German wine but alas, they only had very limited quantities.
Jaqk cellars is a great gift idea! They have a poker chip on one of the poker bottles, if you know anyone who likes gambling.
Another great gift idea is an etched wine bottle from personalizedwinebottles.com. I got my dad one for his bday and he loved it! It's an easy, personalized gift to give.
Thanks for these ideas!