ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, December 4, 1996 TAG: 9612040011
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 8 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: The Wine List
SOURCE: BETH CRITTENDEN
The holidays are joyfully ringing in with lots of gift ideas for the wine lovers in your life. Local wine retail shops and several wine-related gift catalogs are stocked and ready to meet your holiday wine needs.
The wine shops in Roanoke and surrounding areas have knowledgeable staff on hand to answer questions and offer ideas and advice for your holiday gifts and entertaining. They have in stock a variety of wines from all over the world, in all price ranges, as well as wine accessories, gourmet foods and ready-or custom-made gift baskets.
GLASSWARE does make a difference in tasting and enjoying fine wines. The Wine Enthusiast catalog and a few local wine shops offer affordable stemware that I use at home for everyday use and large wine tastings. These "Enthusiast Stems" cost about $5 to $6 per stem and come in four styles to enhance four different types of wine.
For people who are serious about their wine, Reidel Crystal is my pick for the highest-quality, best-designed glassware to enhance the flavor and bouquet of each wine. It comes in several different lines, from completely hand-crafted to completely machine-blown, with prices reflecting the construction of the glassware. The higher-end Sommelier series prices one Chardonnay glass at about $55, and the machine-made Vinum series offers one Chardonnay glass for about $20.
Personalized champagne flutes or "couples" glasses from Harry and David inscribe the recipients names on the stemware's base and capture in caricature their hair and eye colors. The glasses cost $79 per pair.
CORKSCREWS, of course, can still be found for under $10, but designer options abound if you are seeking something different. Screwpull makes several styles, priced from $20 for its basic models to $140 for the Leverpull LX Model. Designer openers, costing $100 and more, come in brass and oak for display in your home. The Good Grips corkscrew (less than $10) has thick, chunky components that make it much easier for people who don't have good fine motor skills or who have arthritis to handle.
WINE-AND-GRAPE FABRIC has been used for ties, vests, luggage, place mats, table runners, tablecloths, socks ... you name it.
OTHER ACCESSORIES include wine racks, ice buckets, cork wreaths, cork boards and trivets, grape Christmas ornaments, books, maps and travel guides.
BASKETS are among my personal favorite gifts and I am known for giving theme baskets involving wine. This year, I've put together several gift baskets around the "Mediterranean Diet" theme with Spanish and Italian wines, grape-shaped and garlic-shaped pastas, specialty olive oils, sun-dried tomatoes and more. (I'd appreciate this being kept secret until after the holidays, though!) Other favorites include a dessert basket filled with dark chocolate goodies and a rich red wine; a celebration basket with Champagne or sparkling wine and crackers, pate and cheeses; a Porto collection with Tawny Port, walnuts and stilton cheese; or an internationally themed basket featuring wines and foods from one specific country.
The Wine Enthusiast Catalog is available by calling (800) 356-8466. The IWA catalog can be ordered by calling (800) 527-4072. Harry and David orders can be placed at (800) 454-4438.
CHAMPAGNES, SPARKLING WINES and RED WINES for the holidays (listed in the recommendations on Page 8.) will be sampled at the Roanoke Valley Wine Society's holiday tasting party Thursday. It will be at Hidden Valley Country Club in Salem from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The tasting fee is $15 per person, and we will be collecting donated canned and packaged food for RAM House. Reservations are necessary. Please call 389-8146 to make yours.
To receive a free brief, but informative guide to enjoying Champagnes from the Champagne Wines Information Bureau, request the "Champagne Notebook No. 1" at (800) 64-CHAMPagne.
Cheers!
HOLIDAY HITS
(Retail prices approximate)
Mountain Dome "Gnome Label" Brut, (WA) $12
Piper Sonoma Blanc de Noirs, (CA) $17
Scharffenberger Blanc de Blanc, (CA) $19
Jacques Selosse Grand Cru Champagne (FR) $38
Trumpeter Merlot, (ARG) $9
Domaine de la Janasse Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Chaupin Vineyard, (FR) $24
The Wine List runs monthly in the Extra section. Beth Crittenden is a local wine wholesaler as well as wine educator, writer and founder of the Roanoke Valley Wine Society, which usually meets for wine-tasting programs on the fourth Thursday of each month. If you have a wine-related question, or would like more information on the society, call 992-3285.
LENGTH: Medium: 89 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: "Couples" glasses from Harry and David inscribe theby CNBrecipients' names on the stemware's base and capture in caricature
their hair and eye colors. The glasses cost $79 per pair. color.