The Vine Guy and Gal's holiday gift guide for wine lovers

The Vine Gal's pick: Riedel Crystal Stemless Glassware ($150 “buy 6 – get 8” Chardonnay Vinum series gift pack). — Courtesy Photo

T’was the day after Thanksgiving and all through the wine cellar, the thoughtful spouse was fretting about what to buy her wine-loving feller. And just as she was worried about what to get for her guy, her caring spouse was contemplating what for her to buy. The wine-sharing couple both fretted and pouted until an idea slowly sprang and then suddenly sprouted.

They’d write to their favorite wine writing team and see if they had any ideas they could glean. As luck would have it their plan worked just fine, for the duo had gift ideas more than simply wine.

So with this column we offer ideas that are rocking about gifts that would be perfect for the wine lover’s stocking. We each have our favorites from which to choose, with advice from both you can’t lose. Just remember that prices might vary a bit so check around before you commit.

She said

I like “usable” wine gifts. If someone gives me a bottle of wine, it’s nice, but it usually disappears faster than my son who is about to get a haircut. I am always thrilled when I give a wine-related gift I see my friends still using several years later.

The Note Wine Label Saver by Hinckley Cellars ($98)
If your friends like to keep labels from special bottles, this system will be well received by both novice and connoisseur alike. The system uses a mounted blade that easily “peels” the label right off of the bottle. Clear appliques affix the labels in a notebook for future reference. The gift set comes with stainless steel blade and leather blade cover. It also includes a premium-quality Italian leather wine journal so you can store your favorite labels on its own page with room to write your own special notes.

PlatyPreserve Wine Tote ($13 for single or $45 for a four pack)
The pliable PlatyPreserve™ bottle is a modern twist on the traditional bota bag. The slim profile multilaminate polyethylene container is ideal for outdoor use, such as backpacking, outdoor concerts and picnics. The reusable bottle folds flat for easy packing and only requires a rinse between uses. And since the wine is not exposed to oxygen in the container, the PlatyPreserve™ can also be used at home to store unfinished bottles of wine for up to one week.

Riedel Crystal Stemless Glassware ($150 “buy 6 – get 8” Chardonnay Vinum series gift pack)
I love these glasses so much that we have almost switched completely over to stemless “stemware” in our house. We have snapped off plenty of stems while cleaning our pricey glasses in the past, but with no stem, there’s no breakage. And the glasses show off the quality of the wine every bit as good as traditional glassware. I’ll never buy another wine glass with a stem – and neither will the lucky recipient of this great gift.

He said

I am a big bedtime reader, so I like to give (and get) books about wine. From simple and sublime to complex and deep, I enjoy reading about winemaking, wine tasting and wine history. And while you might think that wine books can be mundane, several that I read were as intriguing as a Daniel Silva novel.

 “The House of Mondavi: The Rise and Fall of an American Wine Dynasty” ($15 paperback, by Julia Flynn Siler)
The author conducted more than 500 hours of interviews with Mondavi family members and friends and examined tens of thousands of pages of documents while researching for this book. The result is a story that gives you an insider’s look at the most prominent wine family in America — from the humble beginnings to the tragic downfall. It’s full of intrigue, betrayal and clashes of egos large and small.

“The Billionaire’s Vinegar: The Mystery of the World’s Most Expensive Bottle of Wine” ($20 hardcover, by Benjamin Wallace)
Talk about intrigue, imagine paying more than $150,000 for a bottle of wine believed to be originally owned by Thomas Jefferson only to have its pedigree and provenance called into question. Was it just a bad bottle of wine or an elaborate hoax designed to scam the unsuspecting investor. At times, the book hints at even more sinister secrets. I won’t give away the ending because this is a wine lover’s equivalent of a “page turner.”

“Gary Vaynerchuk’s 101 Wines: Guaranteed to Inspire, Delight, and Bring Thunder to Your World” ($15 paperback, by Gary Vaynerchuk)
Whether you’re a seasoned wine veteran or just starting out, this delightful book will inform and enlighten the reader with a down-to-earth style that is refreshing. I first stumbled onto Gary when I found his “Wine Library TV” blog on the Internet. It was originally developed to attract business to his wine shop in New Jersey, but soon became a cult classic among wine-folk. He delivers the same irreverent approach in his book, which introduces the reader to wines through his eyes.