Wine Outlook

While the Vinturi wine aerator has been flying out the door at Rosenblum Cellars, I had something else in mind for a Christmas gift for Kenny G. He’s actually the reason we even have the Vinturi for sale (at $45, 10% off for club members) as he brought one to work after getting it in at Domaine Carneros. After enough people asking if it was for sale, we started carrying the gadget that really does make a difference in young, tannic wines. Especially Cabernet, Syrah, Petite Sirah, and the like. It forces air into the wine, noticably softening the tannins.

If you’re not sure, we can do a side-by-side demonstration, though the best time to note the difference is when the bottle is just opened.

Many people have been buying them for presents or as stocking stuffers, and true, it’s a good idea. But for Kenny G, who loves the Vinturi more than anyone else I know, I had to get him a holster. Meg and I were thinking about getting him a tool belt, but we didn’t think he’d wear it often enough. Instead, from Pagano’s— the local hardware and more store— I picked up a four-pocket pouch that can either slide on a belt or clip on. Throw in some gold glitter spelling Kenny G style, and you’ve got one happy guy. He was showing customers all day, whipping the aerator out as if it were a pistol in a show-down.

I’m just glad that the gift went over so well.

Vinturi, wine aerator

When Aura asked me to put the Christmas tree up at work a couple of weeks ago, I protested quite a bit. After all, it wasn’t even Thanksgiving yet. But our Open House was soon approaching and she wanted everyone to get into the holiday spirit, so I gave in. Plus, she’s my boss. After Sean went out and bought one of those pre-lit fake trees (since it was too early for a real one), Meg and I set to the task of decorating. I might have gotten into the spirit a little more easily if we’d been sipping on some egg nog, but there will be time for that later…. And not the non-alcoholic kind because, after all, this is Rosenblum.

We, of course, went for a wine-themed Christmas tree. Making use of our excess of corks–cork ornaments:we pierced them with paper clips and hung them sporadically. Celeste’s idea (the Healdsburg tasting room maven) was to put old wine labels back to back. Then I was struck with inspiration (more…)

wine-themed Christmas tree, cork ornaments

A fellow 451 blogger–Scott over at Pit Stop Report– wrote me and asked if I’d be interested in reviewing something he’d made: a wine balance, which I just received. It’s made from small sections of barrel staves containing the bung hole, the opening which was once used to pull samples from the wine or to add more, topping it off, and is now used to hold a bottle of wine by its neck, resting nearly horizontally in the air.

This one is covered with pieces of blue, red, and gold colored mirror or glass, neatly grouted in light grey. I like how they catch the light from different angles. And while I’m too nervous to leave a bottle suspended for very long, it’s a fun was to display a bottle for a home winetasting or to spice up a public tasting in one of those sterile warehouse settings.

wine accessories, bottle balance

Last night was all about wine. And seeing one of my best friends (the sommelier) for the first time in ages. With her, it’s always all about wine. I told her it’s funny that living in California I still haven’t found anybody to drink wine with how we used to drink wine together.

While we were eating, she pulled out her little journal, in which we would record tasting notes and reactions to bottles. For every entry there were at least 2 or 3 bottles that were consumed in restaurants, at someone else’s place, or when we were just too drunk or busy to put pen to paper.

Here are some of my favorites: (more…)

While I want Le Nez du Vin, that delightful kit of essence oils that represent different aromas in wine, I doubt I’ll be getting one anytime soon. (Yes, my blatant one last attempt at a hint).

It was the most fun when I borrowed the 2 sets (for whites and reds) from the cellar rat at work and tried them out with a visiting artist friend and his Canadian pal. And it really does help you pick out the scents and flavors in the wine. I remember we had a Gewurztraminer from 1989 that night and were smelling the bottle marked honey as well as a jar of actual honey in order to compare both to the wine. By the way, I think he did a great job taking that picture; you’d almost think it was an advertisement.

Seeing as how I don’t have my own kit, the other night I was making dinner and taking spices from the cupboard,then began smelling each one, trying to expand my aroma associations. Smell has the strongest link to memory, but if you’ve never had contact with a lychee, how can you know how it smells? So there I was, sticking my nose in cinnamon, cumin, black pepper, etc. in the hope of committing each one more fully into my brain. One day I plan to make my own little set-up, putting different foods and spices into glasses, somewhat in the style of Kevin Kline in French Kiss.

I’ll keep smelling randomly– out of the fridge, in the grocery, the person’s plate at the next table. Unless of course, someone comes through.

Le Nez du Vin, smelling wine, gifts, Josh Hailey

photo credit: Josh Hailey

I started writing another post about what wine gifts I want for Christmas, but I decided to dash off this one first for two reasons.

1. The other will take longer, and I’d be late for work.
2. This one makes me look less selfish.

My mom always makes stockings for us and hardly ever has one herself. So since I’m flying home and have limited room, I thought it would be fun to fill her stocking as one of her presents from me.

Aside from a few non-wine items, I included some Wine Away, which works wonders at getting stains out, dark chocolate drops with a view of the vineyards on the lid (they go great with big reds and port), a marble magnet with a wine label, and a corkscrew.

You can take the theme even further if you’ve got a big-time wine fan in your life. Some wine guides are nice and slim–the perfect stocking size. You can also include wine charms, those little tags for cellaring bottles, or one of those hand pumps and stoppers for preserving wine. (Other ideas were in one of my first posts.)

Of course, the idea is to have fun: putting it together and watching the person enjoy it. I just hope my mom is busy and doesn’t read this before Christmas.

wine gifts, stocking stuffers, Christmas

I find it hard to wrap my fingers around the Riedel O. Maybe that’s because I hate getting fingerprints all over the glass, constantly check for smudges, and attempt to wipe away the ones I find. Another reason to hold by the stem is to avoid changing the temperature of the wine. You don’t want to warm up your white too much, or your red for that matter.

BUT. Riedel O’s are quite sturdy. I dropped one and it rolled onto a concrete floor and it didn’t break. With stemmed Riedels, that would be a definite kiss good bye. And the O can safely go into the dishwasher, whereas regular Riedels require special handling. I once destroyed one by washing it (carefully, mind you) when the stem simply snapped in my hands. (more…)

Scared to buy your friend the enophile a bottle of wine for fear he or she will thank you but mock your choice later with more wine-savvy friends? Many options are out there other than the actual beverage.

My friend Val gave me a Built NY bag that holds two bottles. I love to use it when going over to someone’s house for dinner or to a party. (The problem is remembering to take it with you when you leave.) Insulated bags like those help keep the bottles protected and chilled, if need be. Or to help cool down that bottle in a hurry, pick out a wine chiller, available in many fun designs. It stays in the freezer and once wrapped around, the bottle will be ready to drink in 5-10 minutes. A decanter is another useful gift, especially a nice one by Riedel.

A nice surprise might be to find out your friend’s favorite winery, go to its website and order a T-shirt, hat, or other such product bearing the logo.

If you have plenty of cash to spare or it’s a really good friend, think big. One of my going-away presents was a Laguiole, a fancy French corkscrew. Mine is handmade from juniper wood, but it also comes in olive, maple, oak, etc. Problem is, it’s so expensive (around $150) that I hesitate to use it at work, where it could get wine stains or worse.

The next present idea is a great one for the wine lover hoping to identify flavors and aromas more easily. It’s at the top of my wish list. (Any friends or family reading this?) Though there are other aroma kits out there, Le Nez du Vin seems to be the ideal choice. The various collections contain small bottles, each representing various aromas found in wine. These help focus the senses, but it’s fun to test friends in relation to wine-drinking or just to test their sense of smell in general.

www.wineaccessory.com/aroma.htm

Many more accessories choices, so I may revisit the subject later…closer to the holiday season perhaps.

Built NY, wine chiller, Laguiole, Le Nez du Vin, wine gifts, wine accessories