We’re all struggling right now to find just the right wine for the lucky folks on our holiday gift short list. To make things a little easier for you, I’ve spent a whole lot of time and exhausted a plethora of brain cells just to come up with some really tasty suggestions for your consideration.

All the wines I’m recommending are under $35 a bottle (most are under $20) and are available throughout the state at your favorite wine shops and grocery stores. So go out and have a little fun. You might even buy a bottle or two for your own pleasure.

2009 Estancia Chardonnay Pinnacle Ranches -The cool Monterey climate accompanied by a long growing season produced a ripe, mouth-filling chardonnay. Highlighted by a soft, creamy texture, this wine was partially barrel fermented and aged a while in oak. Roasted cod or sea bass that is simply sauced would benefit greatly from an accompaniment of this lovely wine.

2007 Allegrini Palazzo Della Torre – One of my all-time favorite reds, this blend of corvina and rondinella is a smooth, yet full-bodied wine made using the ripasso method where a portion of the grapes is allowed to dry for a few months before fermenting. The resulting wine is rich and robust with great black cherry fruit and cola flavors. This one begs to be paired with Osso Bucco or beef carbonade.

Rotari Rose- This non-vintage sparkler from Trento in northern Italy is a blend of 25% chardonnay 75% pinot noir. It was number 13 on Wine Enthusiast Magazine's 2010 Top 100 Best Buys of the Year. Produced in the champagne method, Rotari can be sipped as an aperitif or matched with appetizers like cheese, olives or fruit.

2009 Davis Bynum Pinot Noir - From the Russian River region of Sonoma County this pinot noir is medium-bodied, silky smooth and well balanced which makes it an exceptional match to dishes like grilled salmon or chicken breast stuffed with cheese and mushrooms.

2009 Benzinger Chardonnay –This wine is produced from grapes grown on the Sangiacomo vineyard in Carneros which is where I source the grapes for the chardonnay I make right here at Chez Brown. I must admit that - while my wine is pretty good - it’s not quite up to the standard of Benzinger which is creamy, rich and well-balanced. Try this chardonnay with lobster or Alaskan king crab in drawn butter. Ah decadence!

2008 Newton Claret - This Bordeaux blend from Napa, comprised of 53% merlot, 33% cabernet sauvignon, 8% malbec, 5% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot, is an amazing value for just a little more than $20. Flavors of mocha and coffee are subtle, but rich and there is very good balancing acidity. Match this wine with a rib roast rubbed with garlic, rosemary, black pepper and kosher salt.

2010 Robert Mondavi Riesling – A simple, refreshing wine with peach and ripe apple flavors, this riesling is slightly sweet with excellent acidity that would make it a good match to brunch dishes like quiche or to assorted fruit. Or just use it as an aperitif.

2007 Luigi Righetti Amarone - This medium-bodied Amarone (which is produced from dried Valpolicella grapes) still exhibits plum and other dark fruit flavors one expects from Amarone. The good news, though, is you can enjoy it now instead of having to wait for a decade or more for the wine to come around. This Amarone would be spectacular with marinated and grilled leg of lamb.

Depending upon your budget, the sky is virtually the limit when it comes to finding a wine to give (or receive from) that special person. Today, I’ll provide you with a listing of some of my favorite cabernet sauvignons from the exceptional 2007 vintage (note to my friends: please feel free to pass this along to my wife).

However, before I get to the wine recommendations, here are some wine-related gift ideas, including a stocking stuffer or two , for the wine-stained person in your life.

Wine ReferenceI’ve noted it before, but in my opinion, the absolute best wine reference book is the “World Atlas of Wine” by Hugh Johnson. It is a compendium of everything you need to know about wine, including information on specific grapes, wines and regions, as well as label descriptions, and the culture and history of wine. Check for it at your local bookshop or online.

Wine Buying ClubsJoining a wine-buying club is a unique way to explore a variety of wines from around the world with the convenience of regular door-to-door shipping or shopping. There are clubs geared for a variety of wine lovers from beginners to collectors. Talk to your local wine retailer about offerings they may have or go to: http://www.cawineclub.com/wine-of-the-month-club-links to find the best club and price for you.

Wine StorageFinding a place to store your special wine is always a challenge. One pretty neat option is the Wine Enthusiast Six -Bottle Touchscreen Wine Refrigerator. This adjustable, temperature- controlled wine refrigerator is a great gift for those who don’t have a lot of storage space, but want a reliable place to keep their special bottles. Check it out at: www.wineenthusiast.com. $100 with free shipping.

GlasswareThe aesthetics of sipping wine in crystal is oftentimes a very expensive proposition. However, the good folks at Masterpiece Crystal in Jane Lew, WV craft about the best reasonably priced wine vessels around. The hand-made lead free crystal glasses and carafes come in various shapes and sizes. Go to masterpiececrystal.com and check out these works of art or call 1-800-624-3114 to order direct from the factory.

Stocking StuffersFor the manual dexterity challenged wine drinkers in your life, you might slip a container of “Wine Away” in that Christmas stocking. Wine Away is a red wine strain remover that cleans up a clears out those stains that so often appear on your clothes or carpet when people like me are attempting to sip and speak at the same time. Shop for it locally or simply Google “Wine Away” and find it online for about $10.

If you are like me, I like to keep track of the truly special wines I have consumed. Using “Label Off” is one of the best ways to remove and collect those special wine labels. “Label Off” splits the printed surface of the paper from the adhesive backing leaving a laminated label to place into your wine catalog. $10.

Special WinesThe 2007 vintage for cabernet sauvignon in Napa Valley may go down as one of the best in decades. The wines are opulent, full-bodied, rich and balanced and should age well for years. Here are some 2007 cabernets you might wish to buy for that special person in your life. They range in price from about $35 to $100 a bottle.

Caymus Special Selection; Joseph Phelps Insignia; Shafer Stags Leap; Newton Napa Valley; Clos Du Val; Vineyard 29; Franciscan Napa Valley; Anderson’s Conn Valley; Robert Mondavi Napa Valley; Rudd Mount Veeder; Beaulieu Georges De Latour Private Reserve; and Cliff Lede Vineyards Stags Leap.

Happy Holidays!

Now that you've received those special holiday gifts of wine from your adoring friends and significant others, you're probably wondering how to store them if you don't own a temperature controlled wine cellar.

Well, fear not intrepid wino's, for today I shall enlighten you.

People are always asking me for suggestions on how to build or establish a wine cellar in their homes. Today, I’ll explain how you can find the proper place to store wine in your home or even in an apartment.

First of all, you needn’t be concerned about a major construction project unless you have the cash, inclination or the requisite carpenter skills to accomplish the task. Actually, folks living in homes or apartments with no basements can effectively create wine cellar- like environments in other types of spaces.

Before you begin, try and think ahead and make a determination on how many bottles you intend to store. It’s probably a good idea to come up with a generous estimation and then double it. That way, you’ll have plenty of room to grow the collection.

Keep in mind, you’ll need to design the area to store wines that you intend to drink in the near term (usually within a year) as well as those for actual aging.

Finding an appropriate place to store your little vinous gems requires paying attention to a few key details that will ensure your wines emerge from their Rip Van Winkle-like sleep mature and ready to enjoy.

If you have the luxury of a cellar, find an area where the basement wall is up against and below the ground. The reason: the temperature below ground is generally constant and usually in the range of between 50 and 60 degrees F. which is approximately the ideal temperature for aging wine.

If you don’t have a cellar, find a closet or other dark place where the wine is not exposed to natural or artificial light. Don’t store wine in the attic or any area where the temperature tends to rise during the day and, if necessary, use Styrofoam or other materials to create a stable temperature in the space.

Don’t be discouraged, however, if your average summer to winter temperature is variable as long as the temperature variation is no more than five to ten degrees throughout the year and the overall average temperature does not exceed 70 degrees F.

This stability (more than a set temperature) is a key factor in providing a good cellar environment. Wines stored in warmer environments tend to mature too quickly and can spoil easier.

Also make sure that the area is odor and vibration -free and that it is not overly dry. Very dry areas tend to cause the corks to shrink and wine to evaporate. (I find it much more enjoyable to use my body as the vessel from which an evaporation of wine occurs).

Actually, humidity in the range of 60 to 70 percent, is good for the wine and you can artificially create this effect by keeping an open container of water around the stored wine.

Obviously, you’ll need to store the wine on its side so that the cork stays moist. I will lay screw cap wines on their sides even though their enclosures don't allow them to improve with age -it's an aesthetic thing with me. You can also turn case boxes on their sides and use them to store the wine.

While you can age some white wines, most people tend to choose red wines for long-term storage. Wines such as Bordeaux, cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir and zinfandel, produced in particularly fine vintage years have the best potential to improve with age.

I’ve had a wine cellar for years and some of the wines I purchased to start the project are still resting there all dusty and cool in my basement. Every once in a while, I sneak down there, stare at them lovingly and, occasionally, bring one up to the dinner table to enjoy with friends and family on a very special occasion.

It's a truly tense situation until you open the bottle because there is a chance that the wine will be disappointing. But when it hits the mark, you will be thankful for your wine storage area.

January has roared in with a frigid dose of reality as the profligacy of the holiday season has come home to roost in the form of credit card debt. Time to pay the piper and recommit to the principles of moderation and even (dare I utter the word)… frugality.

Hey, but you still have to eat and drink, right? While I am not averse to mac and cheese, stews or meatloaf, I’ll still need to pair those tried, true and hearty staples with a sip or two of the grape. And, believe it or not, there are a plethora of good, inexpensive wines from which to choose.

From my point of view, tasty wines priced between $8 and $20 a bottle represent a bargain and are a justifiable and necessary cost of helping ward off the ruinous effects of SAD (seasonal affective disorder). Good food and wine always seem to lift my spirits and shine some much needed light on this gloomy time of year. The only real issue is finding the good to excellent bottles in this price category and that is where your intrepid wine hound excels.

The list of goodies I am providing below is generally available at most wine retailers. If you cannot find them, simply request that your shop order them from their distribution chain. I have selected wines that are especially complimentary to a wide variety of wintertime dishes including, in addition to those mentioned above, soups (especially pasta fagiole), pot roast, pasta as well as chicken and dumplings, gumbo and, of course, chili.

Reds: 2009 Alamos Malbec; 2008 Easton Amador County Zinfandel; 2009 Delas Freres Saint Esprit Cotes Du Rhone; 2009 Hahn Pinot Noir; 2009 Montes Cabernet Sauvignon; 2008 Banfi Centine Rosso; 2008 Bogle Old Vine Zinfandel; 2009 Columbia Crest Caberne3t Sauvignon and 2009 Martin Codax Rioja.




Whites: 2010 Pacific Rim Riesling; 2009 Benzinger Family Chardonnay; 2010 Sitious Con Class Verdejo; Alamos Chardonnay; 2009 Pierre Sparr Pinot Gris; 2009 Trimbach Riesling; 2010 King Estate Pinot Gris; 2009 Clos Du Bois Chardonnay; 2010 Luna Di Luna Chardonnay/Pinot Grigio; 2009 Gini Soave Classico; 2010 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc and 2010 St. Supery Sauvignon Blanc.
…..
Kudo’sI’m always on the lookout for restaurants that not only provide excellent cuisine, but also price their wines fairly. Laury’s in Charleston is to be commended for having an excellent list that is priced very fairly. In most instances, wines at Laury’s are marked up one to one-point five times their retail price, and that is about as good as you will find anywhere in the state.

Bluegrass Kitchen in Charleston’s East End also prices their, small, but well thought out list, very reasonably. Other establishments around the state should follow suit which would encourage more diners to add a bottle of wine to the tab. And that’s good for both the customer and the restaurant.

I actually put my money where my palate is when it comes to supporting traditionally grown and produced foods. Some people may refer to these types of victuals as “organic” or “natural” products, but I don’t like labels nor do I wish to be associated with food fanatics who assail anyone who produces or consumes food products available in the commercial marketplace.

Hey, I’ll admit it, every now and then I love to wash down a bag of Uncle Homer’s Chipotle Pork Rinds with a 20-ounce Diet Dr. Pepper!

While I am not an organic foodie zealot, I truly do believe in buying locally, particularly when the producers use natural methods to grow fruits and vegetables, as well as to raise and feed their animals.

What does any of this have to do with wine? Well, there has been a big brouhaha over the past couple of years regarding the supposed differences between commercial vineyard/winery practices and those who claim to produce their product using only natural or organic processes.

This “natural wine” movement is particularly popular in France where the true believers have lifted their Gallic noses up even higher than normal to proclaim their practices superior to the overwhelming majority of operations around the world who use modern techniques in the vineyard and winery.

In a nutshell, natural wines use very little or no manipulation in the vineyard or winery. They claim to use no sulfur to prevent oxidation of the wines, will not add any yeast cultures to insure a stable fermentation and would never allow oak aging. The natural wine advocates are also extremely disdainful and critical of the vast majority of wineries using modern methods to produce their wines.

As you might expect, this has drawn the ire of many wineries around the world and has stirred up the wine press. The doubters believe the natural movement is more about establishing a marketing niche among those to whom the words
natural or organic appeal, rather than in any holy crusade to produce pure, unadulterated wine.

But, as wine lovers, you need to decide for yourself so you may make informed buying decisions. Is there really any qualitative or health reason for seeking out these self-proclaimed “natural” wines?

I can buy into the sustainability practices of the natural movement that was defined for me by an Oregon wine producer. He said sustainability means using natural fertilizers, composting and the cultivation of plants that attract insects that are beneficial to grape vines.

Further, he noted, sustainability practices in the vineyard also extend to actions you would not suspect have a relationship to the quality of the vine such as providing areas for wildlife to flourish and allowing weeds to grow between the vines.

But I draw the line at the bio-dynamic aspect of the natural movement. Here’s what I said about it a couple of years back:

‘ Bio-dynamic farming is sustainability on steroids! It involves some things that are downright loony. It can include practices such as stuffing cow horns with manure and burying them in vineyards over the winter, fermenting flowers in stags’ bladders, and timing these unorthodox methods of farming with the phases of the moon and the location of the stars in the night sky.’



As I stated earlier, I believe in supporting naturally produced products. We’ve been buying meat from Sandy Creek Farms near Ravenswood for more than two decades. Sandy Creek has used organic methods in raising and processing their meats well before “organic” became an overused and overhyped marketing term.

We also purchase more than half of the vegetables we consume from locally farmed produce or reputable retailers like the Purple Onion in Charleston’s Capitol Market. In addition, we regularly buy from a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) Fish Hawk Acres in Rock Cave, West Virginia , and from a Monroe County farm co-op.

To be sure, we still shop at supermarkets and love the produce supplied by reputable local wholesalers like Corey Brothers in Charleston. But it is somehow very satisfying and reassuring to eat food produced nearby, particularly if the stuff is grown in a sustainable manner. I also support our state wineries, many of which are using sustainable practices to produce their wines.

So what’s the answer? Well, I guess it’s a personal decision. I certainly have tried some of the wines that claim to be “natural” and some are good. Some aren’t.

However, I am not convinced that anyone is compromising their health by drinking the 99% of other wines produced without the application of “natural” techniques such as stag’s bladders, cow horns or phases of the moon.

 
 
Cow horns filled with manure. Photo: Jeff Weissler, ConsciousWine.com