{"id":2610,"date":"2024-03-29T18:29:25","date_gmt":"2024-03-29T18:29:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/powertasting.com\/?p=2610"},"modified":"2024-03-29T18:29:25","modified_gmt":"2024-03-29T18:29:25","slug":"special-occasion-wine-gifts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/powertasting.com\/?p=2610","title":{"rendered":"Special Occasion Wine Gifts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Wall Street Journal has long had a feature they call \u201cOpen That Bottle Night\u201d.  The premise is that many people have a few bottles that they\u2019re saving for a special occasion.  But the occasion never seems to come and so the wines linger until they\u2019re no longer so special.  The Journal advises that we all should open and savor one of those bottles at least once a year.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Photo courtesy of Marketview Liquor.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We do in fact have a certain number of bottles that get extra care and, yes, we do open them on some special occasions \u2013 birthdays, anniversaries \u2013 and some not so special, like that first barbecued steak of the season.  But then there are some reasons for wines that are important for someone else.  These might include welcoming a new addition to the family, reciprocating a friend\u2019s wine generosity or celebrating some relatives\u2019 fiftieth wedding anniversary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have confronted that situation over the years and have taken a few different approaches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The easiest is simply to look through our collection and choose one of those wines to share with others.  That works well if we\u2019ll be drinking it at our house, where we can control the handling of the wine from cellar to table.  But if we\u2019re going to someone else\u2019s place, all the care that has been given to a bottle over the years is likely to be for naught.  The sediment will be shaken, the temperature will be unpredictable and so the wine really shouldn\u2019t be drunk that night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So off to the wine shop we go.  But what to look for?  First, we really need to understand the tastes of the intended recipient, the nature of the occasion and possibly the menu.  There\u2019s no sense bringing a California power hitter if the people we\u2019ll share the wine with favor delicate Burgundies.  The intent is not to say, \u201cHere\u2019s something we like\u201d but rather to show that we have an appreciation for what they<\/em> like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another approach is to avoid table wines altogether.  How about a Champagne, say, or a Port?  The problem with giving Champagne these days is that there seems to be no middle ground.  Any given Champagne maison<\/em> will have a base-level bottle that\u2019s not quite special enough and a top-end premium bottling that may be beyond a reasonable price range.  For example, the wine shop we usually patronize has Pommery\u2019s Brut Royale for $55 and their Cuv\u00e9e Louise at $220.  Just how special is that special occasion?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Port has some of the same problems as a red table wine.  First, vintage Port that\u2019s ready to drink (20 years old or more) can be very pricey.  And even more than aged red wines, Port throws a lot of sediment, making it difficult to consume at the time it is offered.  Sauternes might be a good alternative, but these dessert wines don\u2019t have the same cachet as Port does.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the end, the wine version of the Golden Rule (\u201cGive what you would like to receive\u201d) applies, combined with some serious consideration for what we know of the recipient\u2019s tastes.  The secret is to say, \u201cWe hope you enjoy this wine.  You don\u2019t have to serve it tonight.\u201d  If that means we don\u2019t get to share it with them, there will be other occasions and other wines.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Wall Street Journal has long had a feature they call \u201cOpen That Bottle Night\u201d.  The premise is that many people have a few bottles that they\u2019re saving for a special occasion.  But the occasion never seems to come and so the wines linger until they\u2019re no longer so special.  The Journal advises that we … Continue reading Special Occasion Wine Gifts<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/powertasting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2610"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/powertasting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/powertasting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/powertasting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/powertasting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2610"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/powertasting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2610\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2612,"href":"https:\/\/powertasting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2610\/revisions\/2612"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/powertasting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2610"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/powertasting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2610"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/powertasting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2610"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}