Days 23 & 24 Gifts – Wine! Sokol Blosser, Kosta Browne, Sean Minor & Benziger

Days 23 and 24 are all about wine…whether as a hostess gift or something to serve at your holiday dinner, you will be in great shape if you pick up a few bottles from any of these companies:

Alex Sokol Blosser of Oregon’s Sokol Blosser was my guest on Episode 28.  Find out more at www.sokolblosser.com.

Michael Browne of California’s Kosta Browne Winery was my guest on Episode 29 –  www.kostabrowne.com

Sean Minor of California’s Sean Minor Wines was also a guest on Episode 29  –  www.4bearswinery.com

Chris Benziger of California’s Benziger Family Winery was a guest on yesterday’s show, Episode 30 –  www.benziger.com

Cheers and very Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Catherine

Day 22 Gift Ideas – Spice & Ice, Cabana Cachaca and the Perfect Puree

As we rapidly approach the holiday, a great idea for a gift or for your own cocktail library is a copy of “Spice & Ice” by Kara Newman, my guest on Episode 20. This is a great book if you like your cocktails a little on the spicy side – author of the High Spirits column for Chile Pepper magazine, Kara is the perfect coach for crafting beverages that bite. With suggestions for food pairings, facts about chile peppers, and tips on building a spicy liquor cabinet, Spice & Ice is a must-have for cocktail enthusiasts and chileheads! $11.45 on Amazon.

Find out more at www.karanewman.wordpress.com

Add to this a bottle of Cabana Cachaca…founder Matti Anttila was a guest on Episode 16. Cachaca is Brazil’s national spirit…Cabana has a delicate nose and a smooth finish, perfect in a caipirinha. It retails for approximately $35.

Find out more at www.cabanacachaca.com

Lastly, add a few flavors of The Perfect Puree’s Beverage Artistry line of mixers to the bag. Corporate Mixologist Dana Bruner was my guest on Episode 23.

The Perfect Purée of Napa Valley’s Beverage Artistry® capitalizes on the current trends in the beverage world, enabling even the most discerning beverage artist to exceed the limits of their palate imagination. Unique, balanced and iconic flavors provide a platform upon which creativity has no boundaries – every glass is a liquid canvas.  Some of the flavors to try are El Corazon, Mojito, Rum Runner and White Sangria. $25.

Find out more at www.perfectpuree.com.

Cheers,

Catherine

Day 20 Gifts – L’Espalier & Jordan Vineyard

Day 20 takes us to one of my favorite Boston restaurants, L’Espalier…I was so happy to have Sommelier Kate Moore (a fellow BC grad) as a guest on Episode 24. L’Espalier is in the heart of the Back Bay, adjacent to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Under Chef, Proprietor, Author and now Farmer Frank McClelland’s stewardship, L’Espalier has consistently been rated at the top of national and local best restaurant lists (Zagat, Boston Magazine, Frommer’s Travel Guide, Wine Spectator, among them), serving sophisticated and modern New England-French cuisine, with an emphasis on artisanal and New England ingredients.

A great gift would be a gift card to L’Espalier (prices vary), so that the giftee can go to lunch, dinner or to one of Kate’s “Top Shelf” Cocktail classes…add to that a copy of Chef  McClelland’s “Wine Mondays”, which features 130 recipes organized into four-course pairing menus by season, with accompanying wine notes and suggestions. All of the recipes come from the popular Wine Mondays program at L’Espalier—a weekly event created to make food and wine pairing accessible, fun, and affordable. ($24.95)

www.lespalier.com

To that, add a gift set of wine from Jordan Vineyards. I’ve long been a Jordan fan, and was thrilled to have CEO John Jordan as my guest on Episode 26. Since their inaugural 1976 vintage, Jordan wines have been renowned for their consistency and elegance. Tucked into the hills in Alexander Valley, just north of Healdsburg in Sonoma County, they are dedicated to winemaking, hospitality and the joys of the table.

A beautiful wooden box set of the 2008 Jordan Chardonnay & 2006 Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon would delight any wine lover on your list ($90). Include a beautiful Riedel Vinum Engraved Chardonnay ($24) or Bordeaux ($29) wine glass, so they can enjoy their gift in style.

Find out more at www.jordanwinery.com

Cheers,

Catherine

.

Day 19 Gift – A Margarita Basket – Tequila Avion & Combier Liqueur d’Orange

Our gift selection for Day 19 takes us to two of our entrepreneurial guests: Ken Austin, Founder of Tequila Avion (Episode 22) and Scott Goldman, President of Cadre Noir, importers of Combier Liqueur d’Orange (Episode 17).

If you have someone on your list who loves a good margarita, this would be a fantastic gift basket! First, a bottle of Tequila Avion Anejo, which is produced with only the finest Blue Weber Agave found in the highest regions of Jalisco, Mexico.  Made famous on the hit tv series “Entourage”, it’s now available in many states across the country.The Anejo, which is aged 2 years, has hints of vanilla, caramel, coconut and maple and fruity aromas of peach and cherry. It retails for approximately $50.

Find out more at www.tequilaavion.com

You can’t make a good margarita without triple sec, so add a bottle of Combier Liqueur d’Orange to the basket…created  in 1834, Combier is the world’s first triple sec, made from sweet and bitter orange peels from the West Indies, local spices from the South, alcohol from the North, and family-secret ingredients from the Loire Valley. Combier uses all natural ingredients, it’s 80 proof (40% alcohol by volume) and it’s triple distilled. Each bottle of Combier is produced, packaged, and shipped from the same Loire Valley location where it’s been made since the 19th century. It retails for approximately $35.

Learn more at www.combierusa.com.

Cheers,

Catherine

Day 18 Gifts – A Thirsty Girl and The Godfather

Day 18 finds us back in the wonderful world of wine. Leslie Sbrocco, founder of the multimedia company, Thirsty Girl, was my guest on Episode 22. I’ve been a fan of hers since seeing her at last year’s Boston Wine Expo, watching her on “The Today Show” and finally meeting her in person at the Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival in September. She was so much fun to talk to…I can’t wait for her to come back to Boston for next month’s Expo! She is an award-winning wine expert, and has two fantastic books that would be a great gift for the wine lovers on your list. “Wine For Women” and “The Simple and Savvy Wine Guide” are loaded with great tips and information about choosing, tasting and exploring wine.

“Wine for Women” includes shopping guides with hundreds of recommended wines, quick ideas for wine-friendly meals, and creative tips for sharing wine with family and friends. It’s organized into easy-to-manage sections, appeals to all levels of wine lovers. Leslie makes her enormous knowledge of wine entertaining enough for the serious wine lover and accessible enough so any novice can feel like an expert.

The “Simple and Savy Wine Guide” is packed with all kinds of glance-and-go lists for everything from what wine to drink with Thai take-out, to wines perfect for drinking in a bubble bath. Leslie also offers up an entire section based on her popular concept of wine makeovers, in which she takes an expensive wine and offers a similar tasting, less expensive version.

Each book is available for less than $10 (list prices $14.95 & $19.95) on Amazon.com.

Find out more at www.thirstygirl.com

To the books, add a few bottles of Ravenswood Wine. It was a thrill (and a lot of fun!) to speak with founding Winemaker Joel Peterson, “The Godfather of Zinfandel”, who was my guest on Episode 27.  His legendary career, in which he helped to put California Zinfandel back on the map, is being recognized with a well deserved induction into the Culinary Institute of America’s “Vintners Hall of Fame” in February.

Splurge on that special someone with a bottle of 2007 Ravenswood Icon, a Bordeau Red blend of  36% Carignane, 27% Petite Sirah, 25% Zinfandel, 12% Mixed Blacks. It has supple, delicious intensity and weight in the long, flavorful finish. Built for the ages, this wine has classic Sonoma mixed black flavors. There is nothing else like it in the world…only 1,000 cases were produced ($75.00/bottle)

Or, buy a few bottles of the 2008 Ravenswood Lodi Zinfandel. Ripe, rich and flavorful, Lodi fruit from this vintage was very nice, with the big blueberry quality that is one of the hallmarks of Zinfandel from that region. With the addition of 23% Petite Sirah, the wine is soft, round and full. Very pleasing to drink by itself and with food. ($15.00/bottle)

Go to www.ravenswoodwinery.com for more info.

Cheers!

Catherine

Day 17 Gift Idea – Simply Ming & Blue Ginger

I have long been a fan of Chef Ming Tsai and his fabulous restaurant Blue Ginger, so I was thrilled when he was my guest on Episode 21 in October. A great gift idea for the home chef in your life is a copy of Ming’s latest book “Simply Ming One-Pot Meals“. As someone who loves to cook, but not clean up, this is ideal! The book has 80 one-pot recipes that can be created quickly and healthfully, with relatively inexpensive ingredients….many recipes can serve 4 people for under $20.  Ming focuses on seven cooking methods: braise, wok, sauté, roast, high temp–which includes steaming and flash frying–soup, and toss. He offers preparation tips and drink suggestions, and each recipe is accompanied by a full-color photo.

List price is $29.95 ($19.77 on Amazon).

To this, add a gift card to Blue Ginger, his beautiful restaurant in Wellesley MA. Ming and his team create award-winning cuisine that harmoniously blends ingredients and techniques from the East and the West. The menu offers signature items including the Sake-Miso Marinated Alaskan Butterfish (my favorite) and the Garlic-Black Pepper Lobster as well as seasonal dishes. All breads, crackers, ice creams and desserts are made in-house by the pastry department. Blue Ginger also has a beverage menu that really complements their East-West cuisine. Signature cocktails include the Blue Ginger Gimlet and the Golden Goose, a ginger-infused vodka martini, and they have an extensive wine cellar.

You can buy online at www.ming.com

Cheers!

Catherine

Day 16 Gift – Back Lane Wineries & Ceja Vineyards

Day 16 takes us back to Tilar Mazzeo (Episode 12) who was noted as part of a Day 1 gift (Veuve Clicquot)….we’re mentioning her again because she also wrote two fabulous books called “Back Lane Wineries of Napa” and “Back Lane Wineries of Sonoma”, which would be perfect gifts for someone planning a trip to wine country in 2011.

It’s easy to Google ‘Napa wineries’ and end up with plenty of big name wineries with daily tours and souvenir shops. But what of those off the beaten path? Back Lane Wineries of Napa and its sister book for Sonoma are guides to small wineries making quality, hard-to-find handcrafted wines. These books take the reader off the highway to friendly, down-to-earth establishments where the wines are made by on-site proprietors. More than 70 wineries are profiled in each volume, as well as  Wine Tasting Essentials, Wine Shipping Services, an overview of the area, ideas about how to plan an itinerary, the etiquette of tasting, general prices, and much more practical information, all packaged into a perfectly sized volume.

List price for each is $19.95, but only $13.57 on Amazon.com.

Add to these a few bottles of delicious Ceja Vineyards wine, made by Amelia Ceja, President of Ceja Vineyards, who was my guest on Episode 20, and was featured in “Back Lane Wineries of Napa” (p. 253). Ceja Vineyards is a family owned winery which makes 10,000 cases per year of award winning wine, and Amelia is the first Mexican American woman president of a wine production company as well as host of the video series “Salud Napa Valley”.

They have a Holiday Trio which consists of Ceja 2006 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, Ceja 2006 Sonoma Coast Syrah and a Ceja 2006 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, which normally retail for $134, but are only $75 for the holidays.

Two great ladies, two great gifts.

Cheers,

Catherine

Day 15 – Fabulous Wine Festivals by Chef Daniel Bruce

A fun and fabulous gift idea for that person on your list who has everything would be tickets to an amazing wine dinner or tasting, no matter which part of the country they’re in. Chef Daniel Bruce, who was our guest on Episode 26 has lots of options for you to choose from.

As the founder of the internationally renowned Boston Wine Festival, the nation’s longest running food and wine pairing series, Chef Bruce lines up dozens of the top winemakers and producers over a four month time span. Due to the success of the BWF, he has also launched similar festivals in the French Quarter, Washington DC and Berkeley CA.

Some of the many events to choose from (prices vary) are Baron Phillipe de Rothschild, Cliff Lede Vineyards, Plump Jack & Cade Winery, Meritage Madness and Super Tuscans…you can find out more at

www.bostonwinefestival.net

www.frenchquarterwinefestival.com

www.capitalwinefestival.com

www.berkeleywinefestival.com

You could also give a gift card to Chef Bruce’s award winning restuarant, Meritage at the Boston Harbor Hotel, where he pairs more than 200 dishes each year with outstanding wines from around the world. Large and small plates are offered for each item on the menu, and matched with complementary wine flavors. Meritage has a 12,000-plus bottle wine collection which boasts over 850 different varieties.

www.meritagetherestaurant.com

Why not buy tickets for yourself while you’re at it…you’ve been good!

Cheers,

Catherine

Day 14 of Our Holiday Gift Ideas – Wente Vineyards

Wente Vineyards is California’s oldest family owned and continuously operated winery. Founded in 1883, the winery is now managed by the fourth and fifth generations of the Wente family. I was privileged to have 3 family members on Cocktails for Everyone this year. Carolyn Wente, CEO and a fourth generation winegrower, was a guest on Episode 1 at the Nantucket Wine Festival. Christine Wente, Senior VP of Hospitality and Karl Wente, Winemaker – both fifth generation winegrowers –  were my guests on Episode 10.

A lovely holiday gift would be a few bottles of Wente Vineyards’ 08 Riva Ranch Chardonnay Arroyo Seco…it’s a medium- bodied Chardonnay which has a rich, golden color and aromas and flavors of honey, graham, cinnamon and light floral notes. ($19.99). Add to this some of their Wente Vineyards Small Lot Pinot Noir Rose which has a brilliant watermelon color, and flavors of raspberry, melon, orange peel, mineral and honeysuckle. ($21.99).

 

To top it off, include a Gift Card which can be used at The Estate Winery and Vineyard Tasting Rooms, The Course at Wente Vineyards, The Restaurant at Wente Vineyards, The Grill and The Concerts at Wente Vineyards (denominations vary).

You can find out more info at www.wentevineyards.com

Cheers,

Catherine

Day 13 of our 25 Days of Holiday Gifts – The Art of the Bar & Square One

Our Day 13 Gift Idea takes us to San Francisco, one of the cities that has been at the forefront of the resurgence of well-made, classic cocktails. Jeff Hollinger & Rob Schwartz, my guests on Episode 5, were part of that movement when they ran the bar at Absinthe. Their book “The Art of the Bar: Cocktails Inspired by the Classics” is loaded with beautiful photos and great drink recipes. It’s $16.47 on Amazon (list price $25).

www.theartofthebar.com

To that, add a bottle of Square One Organic Vodka. Founder & CEO Allison Evanow, who is based in San Francisco, was my guest on Episode 11. Square One is a  limited-production single grain vodka which uses certified organic American rye. It retails for approximately $35. You can find out more at

www.squareoneorganicspirits.com

Cheers,

Catherine