Cleanse your palate and prepare for a flood of texture and tannins. From entry through to finish this quick guide will give you five great gift ideas for any wine lover on your shopping list.


- Even the experienced vigneron needs some inspiration and advice on well...everything. This book will enlighten the would-be vintner on your gift list and fascinate the vintage veteran at the same time. The Oxford Companion to Wine, 3rd Edition is an 840-page tome that will fill in all the blank spots for the experienced vintner as well as the novice connoisseur, if one can be a novice connoisseur that is. This book lists over 3000 entries from the fairly mundane to the extremely esoteric accompanied by over 250 illustrations as well as advice from more than 70 well-known wine aficionados. You could not ask for more information wrapped under one cover. Whether your friend, boss, co-worker or client, if they love wine they will definitely love this book. It is the Vitis vinifera of wine books. ($40.95)




- When I saw this I simply said "whoa" then had to go find something dark and sweet in the cookie jar. Ever wonder what a bottle of wine dipped in chocolate would look like? Well neither did I, actually I did not even know they did it and would never have guessed it. Choose from a sparkling champagne or a fine wine and pair it with rich decadent chocolate and you basically have the idea. You can choose from a full-size bottle of some of the best champagnes on the market or a more simple White Zinfandel, Cabernet or Chardonnay. This might even go down in history as possibly one of the most unique accoutrements to the old pop-the-question-Christmas. Mix chocolate, champagne and a diamond ring for instant success! Or perhaps you just need to sweeten up the already ensconced woman in your life. Let her know you love her with this and who knows what the results will be! Quite possibly the best use of $34.95 ever invented. Although, the more expensive the bottle, the more expensive the package of course.




- Opening a bottle of wine is cool, but walking out of the kitchen with 750 milliliters of wine in this decanter will stop anyone in their tracks. The WMF Easy Pour Decanter ($29.99) is made of lead-free glass and stands 9 inches high by 9 inches across at the base. Ladies and men will both love using this to woo that special someone and it will really add to the presentation. Decanters are often used to prevent sediment from ruining a wine's clarity it can also be used for a young red wine allowing it to bloom. The flared bottom allows for a steady pour and the shape helps you hold it. Couple it with the WMF Vino Stainless-Steel 4-Way Funnel ($24.99) and you have the perfect gift package for your wine lover.




- If you are not sure what to get them then give them a little choice. This trio of West Coast red wines represents the best from the area. California makes some of the best Cabernet Sauvignons in the world and the Beaulieu Vineyard Coastal Cabernet is a lush, intense wine with a strong, firm finish. The delicious ripe fruit flavors of blackberry and cherry make this wine stand out from the crowd. The Cooper Mountain Pinot Noir is a wine of exceptional intensity and depth. The Avery Lane Merlot is imbued with spice and fruit. This red is full-bodied and darkly colored for a lush wine drinking experience. The wines arrive in a wooden crate engraved with a vineyard motif. Maybe if you are extremely lucky they will invite you to join them. ($54.95)




- If you know they love wine but don't have a clue about what type of wines they like then the Oneida 5-Piece Dark Wood Wine Basics Set with Corkscrew and Gift Box might be the ideal gift idea. The five piece set includes a bottle stopper, bottle pourer and drip stopper along with a wood handled corkscrew and dark wood storage box large enough to store a bottle of wine in. The elegant styling of the set will stand out for not only the thought put into the gift but the usefulness of it as well. The folding corkscrew shows you have faith in your wine lover to open the bottle properly without the help of those large plastic rabbit ear corkscrews. This set makes a great gift idea on its own or can be combined with a bottle of wine in the hopes that they will use it right away and share a little holiday cheer. ($39.99)




So spread a little holiday cheer yourself this holiday season to the wine lover on your list. You still might not know the difference from the legs of a wine to its ullage but if you want to learn your wine lover might be more willing to tell you when presented with any one of these gifts.

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