‘Tis the season to give friends and family good wine, and you can do that this year even if it’s not in person. There are plenty of shipping and delivery alternatives, including Drizly, Saucey, Minibar, Swill, Doordash, and Shipt, among others. So really, no excuse for not gifting your besties with some very good vino, and we will be reviewing some of those at various costs in the next week.
Today, I’m focusing on four wines available through ABC Fine Wines & Spirits, Total Wine and some local liquor stores (if they have extensive choices).
First is the Frank Family Carneros Chardonnay, a very drinkable white wine from a California vineyard owned by the former president of Disney studios, Rich Frank. It’s a very dry chardonnay, and a fairly big wine, which would be great with salmon, duck and even a pasta with pesto sauce. Or shrimp scampi. Cost is about $34.99.
Then there’s the Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro “Centenario” DOG Amabile, which is a mouthful of words, but is actually a nice, affordable Italian dry red wine ($12.99) that would be great with barbecue or some strong cheeses.
Then the Priest Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon, from Napa Valley, is a dry, full-bodied red wine that has a big body to it. Try this with your spaghetti Bolognese, or with some dark chocolate for dessert. It’s a bit pricier at $49.99, but those who know wine will appreciate it – and thank you!
The top of the line here is the Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon from Washington, a very dry, very big red wine that needs a bit of airing before quaffing. As a sommelier friend of mine described it: It tastes of plums and some toasted notes, with soft tannins that are very approachable. It’s an exceptional, sophisticated wine, with a sophisticated price, from $169 to $199, depending on where you buy it. Is it worth it? If you have a special someone who loves red wine, then yes, it’s worth it. They will remember this wine, and your gift.
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