A Charming Gift Idea

If you are searching for a stylish gift for the wine enthusiast in your life, wine charms might be just the thing. Wine charms are perfect for holiday gatherings as they help everyone keep track of their wineglasses. The charms can also add a dash of color or glitz to the table and so add to the festive decor.

Wine charms are beads or markers that are attached to a ring that hooks around the stem of your wineglass. Let’s face it…it can be very difficult to figure out which glass is which if everyone is drinking the same wine! With a wine charm dangling from the stem, it’s very easy to identify your glass.

The charms are usually found in sets which are all variations of a theme. Charms have grown with popularity over the past few years and are widely available. They can be made of almost any material from simple beads to opulent gemstones. Your choices are only limited by your imagination and your budget.

Unique wine charm sets can be an excellent choice for a personal touch when choosing a wine gift for that special person in your life. They are available in a seashore theme set for the avid beachcomber, golf theme sets for the golfers, flower charms for the gardener…the list goes on an on. You can even find a set that is themed for Monopoly players. How fun to have your favorite playing piece as your wine identification!

Wine charms can be found in almost every theme by searching online. You will also often find sets in the housewares aisle of your favorite department stores, jewelry stores and sometimes even your local party stores. If you want something really special, you can find charms made of sterling silver or gold at a reasonable price.

For a unique wine gift, you can even make wine charms yourself. This is a fairly simple project even if you are not usually into crafting. All you will need to create your own special set is some hoop earring wires, 18 gauge wire and some jewelry pliers.

The hardest part of creating your own wine charms is choosing what to put on them. Any good craft store will have a huge selection of things you can use. There is an endless variety of beads in wood, glass and metal. There are also alphabet beads and shaped beads. Whether you use a single bead or several together, you will find something appropriate for anyone’s tastes.

To create the actual wine charm, you will use the pliers to bend the ends of the earring hoops so that there is a loop at one end. Figure out which beads you want to use for your charm and slip them onto the wire. When you have them all on the wire, you just need to use the pliers to form a small hook at the other end of the earring hoop. To use these charms, you just put the hoop around the stem of the wineglass and put the hook into the loop.

Whether you create a unique wine charm set or buy them, wine charms are a wonderful gift idea for anyone on your list. You can give a complete set by itself or add them to a gift basket. Whichever you choose, wine charms are a thoughtful wine gift for any occasion.

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Wine Gift from Portugal

France has a well-deserved reputation for fine wine but there are many other areas of the world that produce excellent wine as well. For a somewhat out of the ordinary wine gift, why not try some of the lesser known vintages from Portugal? England made port the most famous of Portuguese wines but there are many others available.

Portugal has a rich history of winemaking with about 500 native grape varieties. These varieties produce an abundant supply of distinctive wines, each with it’s own personality. The differing climates and soil compositions across Portugal make it a serious contender in creating great wines. In recent years, the country has shown the world by taking awards in several prestigious wine competitions.

The Romans are largely responsible for the winemaking traditions of Portugal. At one time, the region supplied Rome with much of it’s wines and it’s remained a constant industry ever since. The most popular Portuguese wines are there delicate white wines but they also offer a variety of red and rose wines, as well.

Port is a sweet red wine with a rich flavor. Made in the Douro River Valley region of Portugal, this wine has been a long favorite for savoring the end of a meal. Due to having a low acidity and tannin level, this wine has a very smooth taste despite it’s relatively high alcohol content. Winters in Douro are harsh while summers are hot. The grape varieties grown here are exceptionally hardy and produce intense flavors in wine.

Green wine, or vinho verde, is a unique wine offering available from Portugal. This light and delicate wine is meant to be drunk young instead of being aged. The green in the name refer in part to it’s youth and also the fact that the grapes are picked before being fully ripened. This is a good choice for a wine gift for a seafood lover as the low alcohol content makes them perfect for pairing with saltier foods.

Wines from the Alentejo region of Portugal are exceptional gift choices. This region spreads over almost a third of the country and encompasses three wine growing areas. Beja and Vidigueira in the south make mostly white wines while Redondo and Borba to the west are famous for their full-bodied red wines. Portalegre, to the north, makes wonderful whites and reds. The best estate wines from this region can age for over 20 years. The wines are very full-bodied and dense while only having alcohol content in the 13%PRCTG% range.

Another major wine region of Portugal is the province of Bairrada, stretching from the Atlantic to Coimbra. The soils of this region have a mixture of limestone and clay which gives this region’s wine an earthy flavor. These hardy red wines are a perfect accompaniment to roast pork, lamb, and game. The wines produced in this area have a long aging potential making them a great gift for wine collectors.

As you can see, Portugal has a rich tradition of winemaking. Though often underrated, the wines here rival some of the best produced in the world. They make a wonderful and tasteful gift for any wine lover on your gift list this year.

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Dessert Wine Gift Basket

When you are choosing a wine gift you may want to consider creating a unique and personalized gift by creating a dessert wine basket. Dessert wines are sweet wines that are served with desserts or even added to the recipes. This would certainly make a sweet wine gift option for almost any occasion.

The definition of a dessert wine will vary depending on which country it is made in but true dessert wines have some common features. This type of wine is usually made with late harvested grapes so that fruit has a higher concentration of naturally ripened sugars. Often it will become even sweeter by stopping the fermentation process prior to all of the sugars being converted to alcohol.

The United States confuses many people by defining dessert wines as being a fortified wine containing at least 14%PRCTG% alcohol. This puts many wines in the classification of dessert wine that have no business being there. Most dessert wines from other countries have lower alcohol contents making them more appropriate to serve with dessert.

A high quality dessert wine can be a stand alone gift as well as an addition to a gift basket. Dessert wines are often sold in smaller than standard bottles which makes them fit into a nice basket easily.

Dessert wines include the common sherries and ports to more exotic names like Tokaji Aszu, Vin Doux Naturel and ice wines. Many common dessert wines can be purchased with a limited budget but some, like ice wines, are only available to the wealthy.

Dessert wines come in two major types just like regular table wines. White dessert wines are best served chilled just as a good white Chardonnay should be. Red dessert wines, on the other hand, will offer their best flavors at room temperature, similar to a fine Merlot. Both dessert wine types are especially well suited to serving with fresh fruit or baked goods such as sweet rolls.

Getting creative and personal with your wine gift basket will help you create a gift that will long be remembered. Try pairing gourmet chocolates with a good robust red dessert wine for a fantastical taste extravaganza. Or a lovely bottle of white dessert wine nestled amidst a basket of perfectly ripened fruits. You could purchase gift certificates to the local bakery so the person would be able to choose their favorite pastries to go with their new dessert wine.

For that extra special touch to your wine gift, include some personalized accessories to round off the basket. Wine glasses and corkscrews are always useful. Purchase or create a themed wine charm set that suits the personality of the recipient. Perhaps you could place a variety of dessert wines in the basket and tie them together with a big gold bow. What a festive presentation to an excellent and thoughtful wine gift!

So the next time you want to purchase a gift of wine, why not go off the beaten path and choose dessert for your theme? This is a memorable and unique gift for anyone with a sweet tooth.

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An Art Print Wine Gift

If you need a gift for a wine loving friend, you may want to consider something different from the bottle of wine that you usually give them. Anyone who is known to be a wine enthusiast is bound to get several bottles of wine on any gift giving occasion. We know they probably have more wine glasses and corkscrews than the local department store, too. So what could you give that will make your gift stand out from the crowd? I suggest a nice piece of wine art by Ann Rea for a refreshing change of pace.

Ann Rea is a San Francisco-based artist who specializes in the gorgeous scenery of California’s majestic wine country. Many wine makers in California have commissioned Ann to create unique landscapes specifically for their vineyards. Often these paintings become logos or even wine labels that help promote certain brands. She has created these vineyard portraits for some of the larger wineries such as R.H. Phillips, Wente, Gloria Ferrer, Gallo and Markham as well as small, lesser known wineries.

The wine maker starts the process by giving Ann tours of their vineyards. They explain to her every factor that makes their wines distinctive including soil conditions and climate. Once Ann feels she understands what goes into the wine, she then sets her easel literally in among the vines. She then uses her oils to capture on canvas the essence of each vineyard. Sometimes she will paint several pictures over the seasons to show the varying colors from season to season.

This innovative pairing of fine art and wine is unique to the wineries and to wine enthusiasts. The wineries profit from increased brand awareness in the public as well as sales of art prints. The wine enthusiast gets a work of art that provides a lasting memory of a fine wine or vineyard. For anyone who has been on a wine tour, vineyard art prints are a wonderful way to savor the memories for many years.

Ann Rea has a growing reputation not just among wine enthusiasts but also in the art world. She has gained a reputation in the art world by her signature use of color as well as her uncanny ability to capture the swift changes of light in the vineyards. Her paintings are in the style of French Impressionism and each one shows a special spot in the particular vineyard. People often purchase several of her prints that depict specific vineyards in each season so they can have a set.

If you are simply driven to get that bottle of wine for your friend, why not choose one that pairs with an Ann Rea art print? A delicious bottle of Gallo white wine would be a great base to your wine gift. Do a search online to find a Gallo vineyard print from Ann Rea. Once it arrives, place the print in a beautiful frame to give with the white wine and voila!and there you have it. The perfect pair for an outstanding and unique wine gift!

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Wine Club Membership Gift

A wine gift that will truly have lasting impact is that of a wine club membership. A wine club sends one or more bottles of wine to the members monthly. This will depend on the club or which package you purchase. A wine club membership will often allow special discount pricing to their members and other perks of membership.

A distinctive wine club will offer the best wines that are available to wine club members, and club members will enjoy the best prices on those wines. A wine club generally buys their monthly selections direct from small wineries at lower prices than most retailers and consumers can negotiate. A wine club purchases wine in large quantities so that the winery can sell their wine to them at discounted prices. Because of the lower pricing, the wine club can then offer the member discounts on further purchases of the monthly selected wine

A wine club that only chooses wines from small boutique wineries will often offer the best wines. Wines made from small vineyards tend to be intensely flavored and very distinctive. The wines offered are usually of premium quality and not found in the local wine shops.

A wine club membership would be a perfect gift for the novice wine enthusiast. The monthly wines are chosen by experts so you know you aren’t going to get a bad wine. The budding wine lover will get the chance to try a wide variety of wines as they learn about wine and develop their own taste in wine.

Most wine clubs include newsletters that educate the members about the wineries, methods of production and history of their wines. Some even will include recipes or food items with their wine selection. These extra details will serve to enhance and add value to your wine club gift.

Experts at wine of the month clubs have strict guidelines for choosing the wines for the monthly club selection. They must taste the wine themselves to experience it firsthand and be sure the quality is what they want to represent their club. They also will do some research and see what other experts are saying and whether the wine has won any type of awards. Of course, price and availability will play a part in whether a certain wine will be selected or not.

If you are choosing a wine club membership as a gift for a discriminating wine connoisseur and your budget allows, you may want to opt for an international wine package. The wines available in these packages will be among the best vintages in the world from the finest wineries. Some packages even include gourmet foods that go with the wines perfectly.

A wine club membership of any sort will make a wonderful gift for almost anyone. Whether the novice who will get a chance to try new wines or the old hand who would like to experience fine wines from around the world, anyone would appreciate this thoughtful gift choice. Any gift giving occasion would be appropriate for a wine club gift membership especially Christmas, birthdays or anniversaries.

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