Not many shopping days left now. Fear not, WINEormous to the rescue with more gift suggestions for the wine lover on your list in part two of the 2017 Holiday Gift Guide. Red Wine is, simply stated, an exceptional book. Written by Kevin Zraly, Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen, it’s an exhaustive guide to 50 varieties and styles of red wine. Would your wine lover like to learn about Zweigelt, Xinomavro or Bacon Noir? They’re all in this book. Each grape or style is explained and the authors give their recommendations on wines made from those grapes in the primary regions that produce wine from those grapes. It’s easy to understand and accompanied by beautiful color photos. Autographed copies (I got one!) are also available. It lists at $27.95, truly a bargain, and is available wherever you prefer to buy books.
Got an SNL fan on your list? Not the casual watcher, I’m talking about the obsessed fan. You know they have every episode on DVD or Blu-Ray. I bet you they don’t have SNL wines. The 2016 Saturday Night Live California Red Blend is mostly Merlot with a bit of Zinfandel and Petite Sirah blended in. 2016 Debbie Downer is from South Eastern Australia. 2016 Stefon Beaujolais is from France and the collection is rounded out with The Californians 2015 Monterey County Merlot. The labels are very clever and the wines are quite good. Prices range from $18 to $20 per bottle. You can get all four for $70 or a full case for $189. They’re available at Lot18.com/SaturdayNightLive.
2014 Psâgot Merlot from Israel would be a welcome gift for any wine lover on your list. It’s an ideal wine for Hanukkah. Mike DeSimone, one of the co-authors of the Red Wine book mentioned above, gave it a 91 score. He liked the nose of blackberry and rose petals and called it smooth and silky with a notable, lingering espresso bean finish. Expect to pay about $35.
Tom Plant launched WINEormous in 2009 and is a member of the International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association. Based in Temecula, California, he offers intimate winery tours for no more than seven people. Tour details and pricing are available at www.temecula-tours.com. Call now to book your Temecula Winery Tour at (951) 907-9701! Ask about special discounts.