Questions Uncorked

Dec 8, 2008

Hi Jill – Thanks for stopping by the blog. When it comes to finding a special bottle of wine for a holiday gift you definitely have a lot of options. My guess is that since you used the words “very special” you are willing to spend a good amount on this bottle. You can read through my blog entry for some general tips on buying wine at the holidays, but to answer your question specifically, for a really special bottle of wine there are two avenues I would pursue.

The first is that I would suggest looking for a bottle of vintage Champagne or a bottle from a top Bordeaux producer. There are some delicious vintage Champagnes out there – look for some from the 1998 or 1999 vintages or consider looking for a grower Champagne (your wine shop can help with this – tell them you are looking for a “grower Champagne” which is what we call a group of smaller, lesser known producers in Champagne who are making fantastic wine). For the Bordeaux, I would suggest looking for a wine from the 2000, 2003 or 2005 vintages – these are three wonderful vintages that produced great quality wines. I would recommend in particular looking for wines from St. Estephe, Pauillac, St. Julien or Margaux. These are the major villages on the Left Bank in Bordeaux and home to some of the most celebrated chateaux in the world.

There is one other thing to consider though when looking for a very special bottle of wine. Ask yourself if there is a particular producer or year or appellation that holds special meaning for the recipient. Did he or she spend time in France at any point? Have the two of you had a special meal together where you were served a wine that you both enjoyed? Sometimes it doesn’t have to be a really expensive wine to be a very special bottle – especially if the wine has meaning to you both.