I especially enjoy sharing great wine discoveries this time of year. Tis’ the season for family and friend get-togethers! My favorite gift to bring over to the hostess of a party is a bottle of wine. It’s a nice gesture and who doesn’t love getting a nice bottle of wine?
When it comes to purchasing a good wine to bring as a gift, you don’t have to spend a fortune. I tend to stay in the $20-$30 range. Instead of spending $5 for a wine gift bag, tie a pretty bow of ribbon around the bottle and put that $5 towards a better bottle of wine! Another consideration for choosing a wine is whether or not the party you are attending has a theme. For example, if the theme is Italian, consider a Chianti or Montepulciano wine. Spanish Tapas theme? Consider a Tempranillo.
While choosing a bottle of wine as a hostess gift, you could go one of two routes: bring a wine you know they love OR bring a wine that you love the hostess may not know about; therefore introducing them to a new, fabulous wine. However, it is important to consider the tastes of your hostess. Does she prefer red or white wine? Or does she only drink sparkling wine?
When I bring a bottle of wine as a hostess gift, I go the new fabulous wine route. I have recently discovered three fabulous wines. This holiday season, I will be bringing one of these three wines to the hostess of every party I attend.
J Vineyards Russian River Valley Chardonnay: All of the J Vineyards wines are fantastic. The cool climate of the Russian River Valley helps to create this dynamic chardonnay. It has a beautiful golden color and has a nice balance of a creaminess and crispness on the palate. Any chardonnay lover would be extremely happy with this wine as a gift!
Talbott Logan Sleepy Hollow Pinot Noir: This is a delicious, fruity Pinot Noir grown in Talbott’s Sleepy Hollow vineyard. It is an excellent medium bodied, yet rich Pinot Noir. This is a beautiful bottle of Pinot that pairs well with filets, duck, pork tenderloin and yummy Red Velvet Cupcakes (which is what I ate while drinking this!). Beautiful, delicate and smooth…just like a Pinot Noir should be!
Forefront by Pine Ridge Cabernet: I love that Pine Ridge is making this delicious Forefront Cabernet. Pine Ridge has blended multiple varieties, using an open sourcing approach, which contributes to this wine’s complexity. By using multiple fruits from different appellations, Pine Ridge has created a full-bodied delicious cabernet. Not only is it complex and rich, it is smooth and has soft tannins. It is a silky and velvety cab that any cabernet lover would appreciate!
