Out of the bottle holiday wine gift ideas from Modesto columnist
What are you giving Uncle Julio for Christmas? You drew his name and not one person in your family is willing to trade. So, what do you give to a self-professed wine connoisseur? Rule number one is definitely a no-brainer. Do not give him an expensive bottle of wine. That’s what he’s expecting and probably already has. It’s time to think outside that bottle. Here are a few suggestions.
Wine Festival Tickets: The Zinfandel Experience 2023 hosted by ZAP returns to San Francisco Jan. 26-28. The event will be held primarily at the Palace Hotel and One Market Restaurant and Pavilion. The ZinEX Grand Tasting will feature food and over 70 wineries. For more information go to zinfandelexperience.com.
Tickets are available for Anderson Valley’s 16th annual Winter White Wine Festival taking place Feb. 17-19. Alsatian whites like Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Gruner Veltliner and yes, Chardonnay, will share the spotlight in this festival. Weekend guests will select four VIP winery experiences each day with over 27 participating wineries. Check out at www.AVWINES.com.
Wine Books: The “Signature Wines of Superior California” by Mike Dunne is an interesting survey of the historic wine districts around Sacramento including the Sierra Foothills, the Sacramento/San Joaquin River Delta, Yolo County and Lodi. Fifty wines are singled out that speak to the region’s exceptional diversity, adaptation and character in making high-quality wines. It is available at Amazon, Corti Brothers Market in Sacramento and will soon be at several wineries in the region.
“ Lodi!” by Randy Caparoso is a definitive guide to and history of America’s largest wine growing region. Caparoso, a Lodi resident and wine educator, chronicles the region’s history while telling the stories of Lodi’s vibrant community. It’s a beautiful 400-plus page book with 400 original, amazing photos by Caparoso and is available at the Lodi Grape Commission, 2545 W. Turner Road, Lodi, or at www.lodiwine.com.
Rare Wines and Free Shipping: I bet Uncle Julio hasn’t discovered de Negoce wine. It’s Cameron Hughes’ new brand and is available by buying futures. As a negociant, Hughes finds and buys high-end excess juice (wine), bottles it and delivers it to buyers. This process cuts out distributing and marketing costs and passes the discount on to the subscribers. Any wine unsold goes to the bottle shop and is available online. De Negoce offers excellent samplers (three or six bottles) with favorable discounts and free shipping. For more info go to www.denegoce.com/collection/sampler-collection.
Two super wine weekends, two detailed Northern California wine books, plus access to very limited wines by a well respected negociant. Whatever you choose you can’t lose and Uncle Julio wins! Happy holidays, Cheers!
Questions? Comments? Find me on Facebook or at rgwinton@yahoo.com.
This story was originally published December 13, 2022 at 9:00 AM.