Need a Gift Idea? Think Wine
You’ve heard of monthly wine clubs before, but have you ever tried one? Has someone gifted you with wine? If not, I’m here to give you a small taste of what the clubs offer. I was able to sample this month’s offerings from the Gold Medal Wine Club’s Gold Medal Series. This subscription gives you a monthly taste of California’s best small premium vineyards. The wines always come from family-owned boutique wineries and would be close to impossible to get otherwise. I’m certainly not going to find these gems on a Florida market shelf.
I was impressed at how carefully packed the wines were. They arrived in impeccable shape, in compartmentalized cartons, and wrapped in bows to boot. They were accompanied by literature that assisted me in learning more about the wines. Most impressive is the 8-page newsletter The Wine Press, which entirely dedicated to the bottles I was given. Both the 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2004 Merlot came to me from Madroña Vineyards, in the Sierra Foothills of California. This family-owned endeavor has been producing wine for their own label since 1978.
When I first tasted the Merlot, oaky was my first thought, but then when I read a little about the wine I see that it is aged 20 months in oak. Well done, that. But the oak quickly subsided as I found the flavors warm and rich, densely fruity and absolutely bringing the characteristics of raspberry and sweet pipe-tobacco, as it so claims. Most pleasing is that there is little to no aftertaste. This is a dry, clean wine. I credit the flavor of the grapes in this wine to the fact that Madroña is probably the vineyard at the highest elevation in the entire United States (which makes me think I would love to try their Reisling).
The Cabernet Sauvignon is spicy, herbed, and musky. It is absolutely perfect for pairing with a steak. In fact, the suggestion is strong that it is making me want to fire up the grill and serve some heavily spiced filets. Remember that our sense of taste depends so very much on our sense of smell. I have a *highly* developed sense of smell and that affords me a sensitive palate as well. For that I am grateful. For me, tasting anything (especially wine) starts with the ability to take a minute and smell the nuances of the item in question.
What I can tell you is that the wine is high quality, the pricing is more than fair, and the opportunity to try a wine from a boutique vineyard is thrilling. For a very reasonable price, you can give someone you want to spoil a gift that lasts 3, 6, or 12 months. The selections are varied and exciting, and you can count on the quality and low production rate.
If you are looking for a Christmas gift and cannot zero in on the perfect thing to give that hard-to-buy-for individual, I seriously recommend you think about wine.
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