2011 gift guide: A wine for everyone on your list(1)
The only thing more challenging than matching the right drink to the right person in your life? Doing it during the holidays.
Because we know that Mom only wants the Sauvignon Blanc in the pretty green bottle, and your friend Tina only likes really peaty whiskies, this year we decided to hunt gifts at all prices that accommodate both the easy and the more unusual scenarios you're likely to face - whether it's shopping for a perfect bundle to put under the tree or a perfect bottle to bring to the party.
So I have donned my gift matchmaker hat. Glassware for the klutzy Champagne hound? Got that. Pinot Noir that won't bankrupt you? Got that. too. Whatever your holiday needs for the wine and spirits lovers in your life, we're here to help. Read on.
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An outpouring of savvy wine gifts
For: The crusty Francophile skeptic in your life.
The plan: Beaujolais Nouveau worth drinking.
The details: These have been hard and largely self-penalized times for the carefree side of Beaujolais. New vintage wines were, for a couple of decades, spirited quickly across the water to be pimped on these shores as a harvest tribute. (Thanks, M. Duboeuf.) This concept was bound to wear out for a number of reasons, not the least of which was the generally grim, banana-accented flavors that came to define Beaujolais Nouveau. It was worth writing off - except that this year, there are a few mouthwatering examples to grace your table. (For more, go to sfg.ly/uyOiQU) In particular you might seek out the 2011 Jean Foillard Beaujolais Nouveau ($20, 11.5%, Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant), with its heady spice and the stony depth of its terroir near the village of Villié-Morgon. This tastes like baby Morgon, and the raspberry and watermelon fruit - to say nothing of the reduced-weight bottle - will make a statement on your friends' holiday table.
For: Your collector friend who doesn't know they need a bargain.
The plan: Capitalize on the quiet fortunes of 2008 Burgundy.
The details: We admit we're suckers for the subtle, high-acid charms of Burgundy's 2008s - both red and white. As the ripe 2009s arrive, some of them showing enough precision to taste right, some just overwhelmed by ripe fruit, reach back to the 2008s still lingering on shelves. There's something eminently affordable and drinkable, like the 2008 Charles Audoin Cuvee Marie Ragonneau Marsannay ($33, 13% alcohol, Martine's Wines), but you could always go large with the subtle, musky 2008 Domaine de Montille Pommard Pezerolles Premier Cru ($95, 13%, Beaune Imports), which always tastes more like Etienne de Montille's home village of Volnay than leathery Pommard. Any which way, these are a chance to pick up a proper slice of ageable Burgundy without paying the premium. (For more, go to: sfg.ly/l4zsKy)
