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Holiday Cheer

Holiday Cheer

Holiday Gift Guide

December 9, 2014

When I was putting together my plans for this holiday gift guide I thought it would be fun to include some ideas from a few of my favourite wine bloggers and writers. These are the people I turn to for suggestions, so I thought my readers might enjoy hearing their holiday gift picks. I wasn’t disappointed in the ideas I received and I’m so happy to be able to share these recommendations for what to get the wine-lover on your gift list.  

Tyler’s Pick:
My pick is a fun, yet useful wine-related item available this season at Home Outfitters.  It is a five-piece wine accessory kit in the shape of Bordeaux bottle for $24.99 and a token of good taste for the would-be wine enthusiast on your list this year.

Read more of Tyler Philp’s articles on wine at www.tylerphilp.com – A member of the Wine Writer’s Circle of Canada, Tyler is an expert on wine cellars and a great resource for all sorts of wine information.

Jason’s Pick:
Hidden Bench Terroir Caché 2010 
A big, seductive Ontario red from the great 2010 vintage, this edition sports a traditional Bordeaux-blend consisting of 53% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Franc, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 12% Malbec. Would make an excellent gift that can be enjoyed now or over the next 5-8 years for that red wine lover in your life. You will find this in the VINTAGES section at the LCBO (#505610) for $38.20.

Read more of Jason Solanki’s wine reviews at his Vintages Wine Picks & Reviews site – this is a great resource to read all about the latest LCBO Vintages releases and more: http://vintagewinepicks.blogspot.ca/

Shawn’s Pick:
My suggestion is one of the most useful (and least expensive) gifts you can buy for your wineaux friends. This is a cork puller, and it is used when removing corks from aged wines. After about 10-12 years, the corks may start to break down and as you approach 20 years old, they are almost impossible to remove in one piece.

The cork puller solves this problem. The two prongs straddle the cork and you gently rotate the handle and slowly pull the cork out. It has saved me many times, sometimes when I started with a conventional corkscrew.

I acquired mine at Strewn Winery for about $8 several years ago. If you can’t find any locally, Amazon.ca has some starting at about $11, and quite a nice metal one for $16.75.

Read more on Ontario and Canadian wine at Shawn McCormick’s fantastic Uncork Ontario website: http://uncorkontario.com/

Shawn is also the moderator for #ONWineChat, which takes place on Twitter every Wednesday night at 10 p.m. EST.

My pick:
Lailey Vineyard’s 2013 Late Harvest Riesling
Released
on the first weekend in December, this is a limited-release wine from
one of Ontario’s premier winemakers. They only plant three rows for this
Riesling and it’s worth it to scoop some up, if you can. As a late
harvest wine, it is just sweet enough to be a perfect pairing for soft,
creamy cheese. This is a great gift idea for a wine fan or a special
treat to pull out after your holiday dinner.

Do you have another great gift idea to suggest? Be sure to leave a comment below!

 

Holiday Cheer

Holiday Party Pleasers

December 3, 2014

While it’s not exactly Oprah’s Favourite Things, I’m always excited to share some of the fun finds I come across in my blogging adventures. The holiday season is a great excuse to give you a few hints about what your loved ones might like to find under the tree or at your holiday party.

This year, I’m splitting the post into two parts – today, I present a few of my favourite holiday party pleasers and then I’ll follow-up with a post featuring some of my favourite wine bloggers and writers sharing their gift-giving suggestions. Look for that one soon!

So what should you be stocking at your next holiday party, or bringing to impress the host? Here are a few of my ideas:

 

Pommies Perry – Most of you already know that I’m a big fan of Pommies apple cider (it’s made in a wine style and I love that it’s crisp, refreshing and a little on the sweet side). I looked very forward to trying the pear version of their cider and, while my heart still belongs to the apple, Perry makes a great addition to the bar at your holiday party. Perry is a little less sweet and more tart than the apple, but just as crisp and refreshing. A nice addition to the Ontario cider menu. Available at select LCBO locations or see their website for province by province availability: http://pommies.com/

2013 Lighthall Progression sparkling wine – Kicking off the evening with a sparkling wine is a great way to toast the season. Progression remains a favourite in our household, perfect on its own, with oysters or to accompany all those salty party snacks (I recently had it with nachos – delicious). This Prince Edward County sparkler is a fantastic and festive addition to any party. Available at the winery or via agent: www.lighthallvineyards.com/

Sprucewood Shores Warm ‘n Cozy – When I was offered the chance to try Sprucewood Shores Warm ‘n Cozy mulled wine, I jumped at the opportunity. I’ve heard all about mulled wine being served in German Christmas markets and warm, spicy wine sounded like a pretty good idea to me. So one cold evening, Shawn and I heated some up on the stove and poured it into mugs – not exactly how we’re used to serving our wine, but a fun alternative. We curled up on the couch and both of us had the same reaction – the first sip is a little jarring. But as we tried a second and third sip, we really warmed to this drink. The flavours are very similar to the German Christmas cookies my Omi used to give us every year during my childhood, so it’s quite different than your traditional wine and it turned out to be a lovely winter warmer. This one would be great for sipping around the fire with friends or for curling up with the one you love. Available now in select LCBO outlets and via the winery: http://www.sprucewoodshores.com/

Fire in the Kitchen Wicked Pickles – I had no idea one of our favourite spice blend companies made pickles too (though apparently they have for years). We tried them recently at the Gourmet Food and Wine Expo and I completely fell for them. I want my dill pickles with a huge hit of garlic and Shawn likes them nice and spicy. These come in two different styles – one for each of our tastes! Available via the company website or at select retailers: https://fireinthekitchen.ca/

Little Shop of Lobsters crab and lobster mousse– Shawn and I fell hard for the lobster and crab mousse from Little Shop of Lobsters at the One of a Kind Show this year. So hard, in fact, that we may not feel up to sharing these little pots of deliciousness with our holiday guests. Be sure to get the bigger jars if you don’t want your Grinch-y side to come out! Available via trade show of the company website: http://www.littleshopoflobsters.com/

Do you have any favourite holiday party must-haves? Feel free to share in the comments – and don’t forget to watch for the blogger wine gift round-up coming soon…

* Some of these products were provided as samples and some I purchased. All opinions are my own and all these were chosen because I really liked them and thought you might too.