Wine Gifts for the Holidays 2018

Last year’s End of Year Gift Guide got a ton of responses. Maybe it was because I made video reviews of several products, or maybe it was because people liked what I suggested for 2017. Well, 2018 had me on the road for so many days that I turned down several products when asked to review them,  but never fear! I still have a bunch of great, NEW wine gifts for you. (although you could also choose suggestions from last year)!
These are products that I either use daily, or have used, and stand behind- but have NO association with any the companies. I simply suggest what works for me, and products that I think other wine lovers will like.
(Image Links below will take you to an Amazon product page for your ease of ordering!)

 

Champagne Stoppers!

Because we all should drink more sparkling, but shouldn’t have to finish the bottle. The more sparkling I drink, the more I need these. I started purchasing the inexpensive plastic ones that had a winery’s name on them, and realized that I NEED more of these in my life, so why wouldn’t you?

My two favorites that are easy to find (hello, Amazon!) are:
Madeline Puckette’s Wine Folly Champagne Closure, ($12.99), a classic, professional looking-closure designed for traditional champagne bottles, and will keep them fizzy for days after opening!

The Sapore Champagne Stopper ($6.52). A plastic cap with legs that fold under the rim of the bottle. So simple, why didn’t we have these before now?

 

 

Because a) they are so inexpensive AND b) champagne/sparkling wine bottles do vary in size, I went ahead and bought both of these for my parents, so they have options!

 

GLASSWARE!

The Govino Dishwasher safe stemless wine/cocktail glass ($14.36, set of Four 12 oz glasses). Let me be direct: this became my daily drinkware several years ago. I love stemless glasses but my crystal ones are massive, hard to clean, and delicate, so I don’t want to take them outside. But I like being able to take a wine glass in and out- who doesn’t like to drink outside? In my neighborhood, we grill, catch up with neighbors, have a glass of wine, listen to nearby concerts from Forest Hills Stadium that drift over, and watch the sunset in the backyard. And we love to hang out at the end of the business day on the front stoop, and welcome home late-arriving neighbors who would like to taste a glass of whatever we’re tasting. These are, quite simply, ideal for every day use.

Govino:  It’s easy, it’s inexpensive, and safe. I’ve dropped many of them, and broken zero. I’ve only mis-shapen some of the earlier designs that weren’t dishwasher safe with water that was too hot. So now we have an improved version!
If you like a bigger glass, there’s also a 16 oz version. I prefer the 12 oz because it’s perfect whether I’m drinking seltzer, tasting wine, or having a splash of spirits. (The success of Govino has introduced similar champagne flutes, pint glasses, and whisky glasses!) I should also admit, it’s hands down the best portable wine glass to carry with you. I have a group of friends who have a weekly game night, and whenever I join them, there’s a Govino glass in my bag! When I visit my friend’s beach house in the summer, I bring a mixed case of wine, my openers, a Govino decanter, and Govino set of glasses.

 

 

WINE PRESERVERS!

Repour Wine Saver: (4 for $9, 19 for $18) Designed & fabricated by a chemist, these are single-use cork replacements that stopper the neck of the bottle and absorb the oxygen inside the bottle, allowing it to last longer! What a cool idea, and they REALLY WORK! Repour started via Kickstarter and then had a ground-up movement from within the wine industry, which has brought the cost down for general consumers, to a point where they are quite inexpensive. If you try one, you’ll wonder why it took you so long to find these and start using them. It doesn’t get much simpler than this.

 

 

Coravin, Model 2.  ($300 and up.) The best tool in a sommelier’s “by the glass” sales program. Expensive, yes. But this is THE way to drink and preserve older wine you want to drink in small amounts, and Model 2 features significant improvements over the original model. The Coravin pressurizes the bottle with argon as it removes wine from the bottle by inserting a syringe through the cork, which re-heals after the syringe is removed. It allows your wine to continue to age without exposure to oxygen, so you could pour yourself an ounce of that Latour or Petrus every night for a month, or once a month for several years, if you prefer.

 

 

 

If you really, ABSOLUTELY are looking for a specific bottle of wine as a gift and MUST have my opinion, email me directly with as much information about your recipient as you have and your ideal wine budget, and I’ll do my best to give you a great suggestion! 

 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS !

à votre santé!

Holiday Gift Guide: PLONK Wine Club

Plonk Wine Club

The nitty-gritty: World wines, from 2-12 bottles per shipment, available monthly, quarterly, or bi-annually. Wine prices average in the mid $20-range, 2 bottle shipments start around $50 and have discounts with higher bottle counts. Recommendation: BUY for yourself, or GIFT to your wine loving friends & family!

Etty Lewensztain is a Wine Enthusiast “Top 40 Under 40 Tastemaker”, with PLONK, a wine club that is proudly hailed by Food & Wine, Forbes, Wine Enthusiasts, and Wine & Spirits just to name a few. Etty is also a sommelier with a WSET Level 2 Certification who sources delicious world wines at under $30/bottle. She curates artisanal, small-batch, sustainably grown,  organic and biodynamic boutique wines from around the globe for PLONK. Etty’s club is designed for both the new wine lover who wants to learn about wine, as well as those like myself- jaded oenophiles who know what they like but like trying new and exciting things, and LOVE finding new, small-batch producers who are making their way in the world offering tremendous values. I like Etty because her approach (much like my own, I’d like to think) is almost anti-wine club, and more along the lines of “best friend with killer wine sense”.

Ok- as a jaded New Yorker and admitted former Francophile, you’re thinking, How can you be so positive on this?  Yeah, I know. It’s not the kind of thing I’d usually support, because I get offers to join EVERY wine club in the industry… and almost every one I say NO to, because I tried many of them in my youth and found them lacking. Lacking style, lacking value,  lacking responsibility. Well, this is the first in a long time that I had ANY interest in a wine club that is not from a specific winery, because it comes down to a person with responsibility, taste, liability, and something to lose in the deal. Etty is fun, personable, and responsible. Her club is all about the customer’s comfort- and it shows if you read some testimonials. But let it be enough to say that this is the first wine club with wines in an every day price range where there is an individual’s name and face on the club, with both responsibility for your drinking pleasure and something to lose.  Why do I like her approach? Well first, I liked her wine choices. They’re great! Let me be specific: no where else have I seen this breadth of great independent winemakers: she vends Leah Jorgensen, MeinKlang, Chateau Saint-Amour, Tavel Rosé, classic Chablis…I could go on! But second, she’s an entrepreneur, a freelancer, and obviously it’s the same way I function, just like independent wine producers with limited production. For people like us, EVERY BOTTLE COUNTS!

 

OK, enough of that- let’s hit the wines!

 

Santomas Refosk 2015 by L.N. Glavina, Slovenia. 13.5% ABV, $22/bottle.

Color is deep garnet, with an opaque center. The nose offers dark red fruit, heat, eucalyptus, and forest floor. On the palate, I received full-bodied sour cherry, red plum, with strong tannins and mouthwatering acidity. Final notes of small stones, sodium and red currants.  This is a fascinating wine; I immediately wanted another sip. For a second time, getting that memory of the fruit and a hint of bitterness on the moderate finish, I wanted this with pizza or adjaruli khachapuri (Georgian cheese bread) but it would work with a myriad of flavors. It actually complemented both a wurst and dark chocolate so beautifully, but any flavorful or savory dish would complement nicely. At $22/bottle I’d like to open this with friends and some snacks just to discuss. This is a wine-lover’s delight, for sure- but a foodie wine as well. I’m going to need to find more Slovenian wines!

 

 

Vino de Terruños “Siete” 2015 Rioja, Spain, 13.5% ABV; SRP:Sold Out

Color is ruby with a translucent, magenta center. The nose offers raspberry, blueberry, green cuttings, forest floor, and clay. On the palate, the fruit becomes a reserved berry compote: luscious but restrained, with excellent structure and balance in fruit, acidity, and tannin. The gentle finish has a touch of bitter herb with more clay. This is a tapas-style wine that is easy to start the evening with, pairing nicely with a cheese and dried fruit platter, then olives, and cured meats. A delicate wine that is fun to drink and easy to go down, it is capable of sticking around with gentler main courses and can handle fish, fowl, and pork easily.

 

 

Lusenti “Il Nostro Gutturno” Vino Frizzante 2016, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. 12.5% ABV, $22/bottle.

Color is deep purple (near-opaque) in color. The nose proffers black fruit, wildflowers and effervescence. On the palate, this sparkling red is so much fun! Incredibly dry with black cherry, lilac and violet blossoms, sodium, limestone and pebbly granite, this is  the red you want to drink cold, ice cold- and it delivers back in spades! Perfect for red sauces, red meats from cured to grilled, spicy Thai, Indian, Mexican or Mediterranean dishes, and an ideal wine for vegan/vegetarians to pair with a veggie entree like eggplant, portobello mushroom, lentils, veggie meatloaf, broccoli and spinach. Did I mention it is simply fun to drink on its own?

 

Altos de San Esteban “La Perra Gorda” 2015, Bierzo, Spain. 13.5%ABV, $22/bottle.

Color is deep ruby, with a purple center. The spicy nose offers cassis and black plum, with hints of lilac, lavender, black pepper and clove. On the palate, condensed and reserved black fruit with searing acidity and powerful tannins; the wine is classical in style with elegance that is the polar opposite of the fun label and cork. A long, dry and tightly-wound finish with notes of sandy black earth, and wet leaves.  This is a wine that screams for food, and will complement salty seafood, delicate fish, fowl or vegetables, and can pair will pork chops or wild boar nicely, in addition to dark chocolate and cake for dessert.

 

 

Let’s Get Back to Brass Tacks:

As I said in my introduction to Plonk Wine Club, I like Etty’s approach because not only does she choose good-to-great wines from across the globe, but she is also offering an unusual breadth and history, with a solid value. But don’t forget: unlike corporate-style wine clubs, she has a personal stake in her business: Every bottle counts! As a potential customer, this is where you benefit. You vote with your wallet and your patronage, and this is one where you can cancel at any time, or buy more of any wine you like. It’s a win/win situation, or a wine/win situation if you’ve had enough wine to taste.

And here’s a special opportunity for JvBUnCorked readers: use promo code UNCORKED to get $10 off your first purchase.

 

Etty Lewensztain, PLONK Wine Club: Your Best Friend With the Killer Wine Sense!

 

 

 

à votre santé!

 

Samples were provided for my personal & accurate review in this article;

no promise of positive review given, and no payments offered or received.  

All opinions shared are solely those of the author.