Holiday Wines

The arrival of the 2003 Beaujolais Nouveau signals the end of the harvest season (in the northern hemisphere). To wholesalers, retailers, and shoppers it also signals the beginning of the “shopping season”. The Nouveau arrives one week (to the day) before Thanksgiving and marks the beginning of a six-week buying/selling frenzy in the wine trade. Mostly this is exciting and fun. However, some folks agonize over all of the aspects of holiday wine buying. There is no need for anxiety in these matters.

Wine for special holiday events need not be a departure from normal preferences. There is no need to bend to peer pressure and drink wine you don’t like. Yes, by all means, try traditional favorites. Experiment with food and wine combinations. But don’t persist in drinking wine you don’t like just to be proper or fashionable.  If you have a special meal you might want to find a special wine. Your wine retailer we probably give the best results if you explain your preferences. Don’t just buy the wine of the moment. Don’t be afraid to reveal your budget. Wines can be most any price, but in most cases quality and price run in line. So, you might just say what you like AND what you are prepared to spend and ask for a good value within your budget.

Parties are another matter. Most of us want to consider price first and then style when we are buying large quantities. Here again the way to proceed is to explain your budget and your taste. Considering cost first does not condemn you to poor quality. Several broad market brands have fine quality at moderate prices ($8 to $10). Magnums of regional European wines can be distinctive even if inexpensive. On the domestic scene, more and more premium wine is being discounted. The very cheapest wines can be a bit scary, but this season there are many top varietals selling at substantial discounts. You can easily trade up several “notches” by paying a buck or two more. Any retailer should be able to show you wines that suit your taste but are not coming from the ocean of unwanted “juice”.

Buying gifts for a wine enthusiast couldn’t be easier. Buy him or her wine. People dance around this point at length, but there is no wine oriented item nearly as gratifying to the wine lover as wine itself. Sure there are wine accessories of many types and some of them are just great. Fine wine glasses are a particularly worthy gift item. Wine gadgets range from the sublime to the truly weird. But try to remember that most wine lovers would rather have more wine. Spend your money on the product, not the packaging. In the world of wine, substance is still king.

Perhaps your gift list includes a new wine enthusiast. If so, consider a classic selection from any important category. A classic French, Italian, or German wine, or a mainstream California varietal would be a great gift for any beginner. Check with your merchant to make sure that you have a tried and true example and not some trendy “wine of the month”. Here again, as little as ten dollars will buy a solid example from many categories. If you have in mind spending more than about twenty-five dollars on a new wine fan, consider buying more bottles rather than one grand bottle. In many cases 4-6 good bottles will make a better gift than one expensive rarity. Consider building a selection around a theme, so that the recipient can enjoy comparing several examples of a similar type or place of origin.

Perhaps you are the wine expert and hope to share your hobby with a friend on your gift list. Bear in mind that most people enjoy fine wine of a variety of types. You may want to accompany your choice with informal serving suggestions, but don’t work too hard to sell your taste. Give a good wine and trust that it will please. Once again almost everyone enjoys trying something new.

Be careful giving wine books. Shoddy books about wine abound. The best book on the world of wine is still Hugh Johnson’s “World Atlas of Wine”. Now in its 5th edition, the Hugh Johnson atlas is better than ever, and useful for beginners and experts. This is a great gift, even for people who have previous editions.

But remember, wine lovers would almost always rather have wine.

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