How does Father’s Day sneak up on me like this every year? Now I have to scramble to get the ripe bananas out and whip up a batch of banana nut bread so I can overnight it to my dad in time for Sunday.
But what about my husband, the Vine Guy? You’d think that a bottle of wine would do the trick, but I’ve used that theme for too many gift-giving events and I am sure that by now he is suspecting a serious lack of creativity on my part. Furthermore, the typical Father’s Day gifts — as hawked by the traditional retailers — such as a tie, golf shirt or power tool also suggest a deficiency of imagination in the process.
To avoid the last-minute panic resulting in that aforementioned hideous tie the Vine Guy in your life will be forced to wear to the office Monday morning (and suffer ridicule at the hands of the office tyrant), I have done a bit of research and offer the following gift suggestions for the discerning wine-loving dad/father/husband in your life. Retail prices are approximate.
Vinturi Essential Wine Aerator ($40): Forgot to open and decant that bottle of wine that you wanted to have with dinner? No worries. Pull out the Vinturi wine aerator, attach it to the bottle and pour the wine through the aerator into each glass and voila — you’re ready to go. Its patented swirling action allows just the right amount of oxygen to get in and open up the wine. It comes with a dishwasher safe no-drip stand and a washable storage pouch. Note there is an aerator for red wines as well as one for white wines. Available at Bed, Bath & Beyond, Brookstone and Sur la Table.
Ravi Wine chiller ($50): In addition to the aerator mentioned above, this amazing little gizmo is a time saver, too. Just keep your Ravi wine chiller in the freezer. When you want to open up a bottle of wine that isn’t chilled to your way of thinking — and don’t want to mess with an ice bucket and water — just attach the wine chiller to the bottle and pour the wine through it into the glasses. There is a rheostat type device that you can use to change the temperature of the wine based on the time it travels through the wine chiller. Your wine comes out chilled and ready to enjoy. Available online at www.amazon.com.
History of Wine Words: An Intoxicating Dictionary of Etymology and Word Histories of Wine, Vine, and Grape from the Vineyard, Glass, and Bottle by Charles Hodgson (2009) ($18): Is your Vine Guy the cerebral sort? Does he need to polish up on his wine etymology so he can run the category on Jeopardy or be the trivia buff at the next poker game or neighborhood wine tasting? This book, “The History of Wine Words,” is the perfect Father’s Day gift for him. It is a small, paperback book with a selection of wine terms in alphabetical order providing a brief etymological history of the word. And I enjoyed it too. (www.amazon.com)
Corkeeper ($14): This nifty gift consists of a small frame that holds a 2-by-3-inch picture on the front, a cork and a place for a note or business card on the back. Use it to commemorate a special bottle of wine by having your guests sign the cork and pose for a picture. Alternatively, it can be a hostess gift, wedding or corporate event favor, travel keepsake or thank you gift. Order them in special colors such as pink for breast cancer events or other fundraisers. For Father’s Day, present it to Dad with a special bottle of wine. (www.corkeeper.com)
Carmine’s Family Style Cookbook (2008) by Michael Ronis with Mary Goodbody ($30): If your Vine Guy is handy in the kitchen and likes to cook Italian, then this cookbook is for him. It delivers more than 100 classic Italian recipes that require no special ingredients and, as a bonus, are also wine friendly. The instructions are easy to read and follow. Chapters include appetizers, pasta, fish/seafood main courses, meat and poultry main courses, side dishes, sauces used in the recipes and dessert. The cookbook is peppered with pictures of the food and scenes from their flagship restaurant in Times Square. Best of all, it can be a regular family activity for dad and the kids. A nice bottle of Chianti to go with it couldn’t hurt. (www.amazon.com)
So, after all this wine related gift research, what is the Vineguy getting on the big day? You guessed it! A power tool — but not just any power tool. As a demonstration of my ingenuity I bought a cordless one. I’m sure he will figure out a way to open a wine bottle of wine with it. Happy Father’s day to all the Vine Guys.
