Bringing the wine
Thank- you gift? Dinner party? Present? We’ve got you covered
I’ve always loved the line in “Return of the Jedi” when a leader of the rebellion says, “Many Bothans died to bring us this information.” It gets to me, I’m sure, because it bears upon the significance of expenditure.
Many of us will be moving around more than usual these next two months— to family meals and festive parties, or as house guests or caregivers— andwe’ll bring many a bottle of wine with us aswe do. May I recommend some wines, across a range of cost, well suited for the, well, suitcase? I wish to help make significant both your expenditure and selection.
For a meal
This wine gift is always a sticky wicket because, as a gift, it unwraps its selfish side: Youwant the hosts to open the bottle while you’re there, not squirrel it away in the cellar. Another issue is that you’re rarely sure what’s on the menu, so the task of pairing a wine with particular foods is like tailing the donkey.
Solution: Take a wine that doesn’t say “cellar me” ( but instead says, “I am soooo delicious; open me”) aswell as one that accompanies a range of foods. That describes accessible, perfumed, juicy reds such as pinot noir or red Rioja. If you choose white, bring it chilled, to send the signal to
Elegant, perfumed, hints of leather and vanilla; three bucks a year.
A wine that excites, for its verve and snapcracklepop on the palate; buoyant fruit, earthy note, clean finish.
OK, here’s a red for nearly all foods, lean and precise of fruit, with supersnappy acidity, yet gobs of juicy, savory, layered flavors.
Pretty dense, but pretty nonetheless, all that dark fruit pushed up high on the palate by spicywood and minerals; NewWorld style pinot, for sure.
As a house guest
This gift can swing two ways, with you present or away. It can hallowa friendship, or recall one. Sparkling wine is wine that beams; bring it to toast that you’re close. Or leave a bottle behind that either will age gracefully and, when opened, call to mind your visit, or one that contains wine that remains delicious for many openings and pours.
The wine isn’t serious ( just delicious), but the bottle size is; double the size exclaims its bubbles.
Newowners and winemaker revitalized this creator of reserve category ( the port style between vintage and ruby); super value, for its concentrated sweet red fruit, dryish close.
One ofworld’s great values in cabernet, for its cassis- blueberry fruit, chalky tannins, lengthy personality. $ 20-$ 25 Liquid orange marmalade, shortbread and toffee, hinting of honey and al- monds; slightly sweet, wiry acidity; Wahlberg’s body, Astaire’s feet.
Impressive bottling, both inside and out; dark fruit character with notes of coffee, wet black earth; ’ round- the- mouth tannins. Close your eyes, and it’s the Medoc; fine- tuned in all aspects: linear fruit, elegant tannins, whispering length.