This is it folks!
The last week of shopping! Wine, beer and other spirits seem to be the last gifts on our lists that we purchase. They’re easy, right? Grab and go! Plus, who doesn’t love being gifted a delicious libation? Then we get to the wine shop… and BAM! Suddenly you’re drawing a blank!? But how can this be!? This was supposed to be the easy part! With so many choices out there for wine, it’s all too easy to become suddenly indecisive once you’re in the wine shop.
You don’t have to ‘break the bank’ to impress your friends and family with fabulous wine. AND you don’t have to play it safe either! There is so much new, different, interesting, and delicious wine out there that is incredibly affordable!
Impress your friends and family with something new and different!
Let’s start with Prosecco. Okay, okay, nowadays it’s not that different. The love affair that Americans have been having with Prosecco is still going strong and we highly doubt it will ever wane. Why? Well, it is just SO affordable (especially compared to Champagne), delicious, and because of it’s fresh, fruity characteristics it is always a crowd pleaser. Sparkling wines make the ULTIMATE food pairing beverages which make them perfect as ‘every day’ wines to imbibe in. Prosecco is mostly produced in the Veneto Region of Italy (North East) and is made from Glera (Prosecco) grapes. But why is it so much more inexpensive!? Prosecco is produced using the Charmat method, in which the secondary fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks. This makes Prosecco MUCH lest expensive to produce compared to Champagne, where the secondary fermentation (this is where the bubbles come from!) happens IN the bottle. Neat, huh? In any case, we LOVE the Zonin Prosecco!
This retails for around $15 a bottle but you can definitely find it at Aragosta Bar and Bistro located in the Fairmont Battery Wharf Hotel in the North End!
Are you searching for a wine for someone who just adores Sauvignon Blanc? Try Sancerre!
The Domaine Cherrier et Fils 2010 for $21.99 is a STEAL at Bacco’s Wine and Cheese in the Back Bay. Sancerre tends to be a bit pricey and it is difficult to find really good Sancerre around the $20 price point. But this one is truly fabulous! Sancerre is a region in the Loire Valley of France. This wine is un-oaked and is made up of 100% Sauvignon Blanc. It has bright, mouth-watering acidity, notes of lemon, grass, and minerality that are all common in Sauvignon Blanc. This stuff FLIES off their shelves because it truly is an incredible buy. This pairs wonderfully with fish, cheese, particularly Chèvre (Goat cheese), poultry dishes and even sushi!
Also found at Bacco’s is this gem:
This is the Emeri de Bortoli SPARKLING Sauvignon Blanc $14.99. Yes, $14.99! This Australian sparkler is so unique, surprising, dry but lively, crisp, fruit forward and absolutely delicious. Perfect for any holiday celebration or as a really cool gift!
Do you need a crowd pleaser? Well this vino is a sure bet!
Saumur is a region in the Loire Valley in France and this wine is made of 100% Chenin Blanc Grapes. It retails for around $11.99 – $13.99. It is very fragrant with notes of apple, melon, and lemons. It is lively and acidic though it is full bodied on the palate with a nice, long, peachy finish! Dining out for a Holiday celebration? You can find this gorgeous wine at both L’Espalier and Sel de la Terre!
For Italian wine lovers:
Try the 2007 Racemi “Pietraluna” Negramaro del Salento, IGT, Puglia for just $13 at The Wine Bottega in the North End. Negroamaro is a much lesser known grape variety grown in the Puglia region of Italy, otherwise known as ‘The Heel of the Boot’. This is very versatile food wine though it is extremely quaffable on it’s own while chatting with your friends, or while watching ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’ for the 1000th time. It has a very floral and earthy nose with hints of cherry. It is a bright, fun wine with good aid and a bit of spice on the finish.
Need to buy for someone weary of American wine? Buy them an AWESOME American red Zinfandel!
We are in love with the 2009 Seghesio Sonoma Zinfandel. Just like most well-made Zinfandel this wine is BIG and layered. It is jammy and spicy yet still incredibly balanced. This is an awesome holiday red because it will go with anything from roasts, to BBQ, and even pizza if that is your holiday thing! Try this Zin yourself from one of California’s most renowned producers of red Zinfandel or gift it to some you want to woo! The Wine Emporium in the South End currently has it on a special for $19.99 (normally $24.99). SUCH a great price!! Snag it now while it’s there!
And how about a little dessert wine?
Enter: M. Chapoutier Banyuls.
This wine is by no means overbearing, as many dessert wines can be. In fact, this will be very, very difficult for you to give away. So maybe make this a gift for yourself? Banyuls is produced in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France. The production process for Banyuls is called ‘mutage’. It is a very similar to the method used to make Port. A neutral alcohol is added to the must (the freshly pressed grape juice) in order to stop fermentation while the sugar levels are still high. It is comprised of almost 100% Grenache which gives it a spicy, black pepper kick. It has tempting noes of rich dried fruits and cocoa. Awesome with blue cheese, cheesecake, mince pie and we would even go as far to say, try it with lamb. It just may knock your socks off!
This delicious nectar retails for around $30 for a 500Ml bottle but you can definitely find it at Sibling Rivalry in the South End!
