Sip On These Gift Ideas

Having a wine lover on your Christmas list makes shopping pretty painless.

There are so many gadgets that go along with enjoying wine that it’s easy to find something in almost any price category.

The International Wine Accessories catalog is filled with expensive cellaring systems, but also has a good selection of fun stuff - such as T-shirts that read “Life is a Cabernet,” and pretty, grape-adorned towels. For a copy, call (800) 527-4072.

The folks at Trefethen have designed several birdhouses incorporating wooden cases with the winery’s logo, which sell for $40. To order, phone (800) 556-4847.

At the Copper Colander in The Flour Mill, stocking stuffer possibilities include a unique cork extractor that uses a needle instead of the traditional metal screw, along with tiny jars of wine-flavored jelly including chardonnay, merlot, white zin and cabernet. This slick kitchen store also stocks acrylic wine glasses in pretty colors, perfect for picnicking or hot-tubbing.

At The Wine Cellar in Coeur d’Alene, create customized baskets loaded with the store’s vertical selections. They have several consecutive vintages of Woodward Canyon cabernet and chardonnay, or cab from the highly respected Chateau Montelena in Napa Valley.

With just a week’s advance notice, any bottle of wine purchased at The Wine Cellar can be etched with a personal greeting for an additional $20. The shop, at 313 W. Sherman, also carries the trivia board game called Vino.

No turkeys here

Four Spokane wineries - Latah Creek, Arbor Crest, Worden’s and Caterina - host their annual Thanksgiving weekend celebrations Friday through Sunday, kicking off the holiday season with special food tastings and loads of gift ideas, including custom labels.

Each winery will be open from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. throughout the weekend; call them for additional details.

Keeping new company

Spokane Wine Company is joining forces with Rosauers’ new Huckleberry’s Fresh Market, scheduled to open Dec. 11 at Ninth and Lincoln.

The Wine Company’s knowledgeable staff, Loris Stupel and Lou Anne Moxcey, will come along with the store’s considerable inventory of wines and beers from around the globe.

Until Huckleberry’s opens, the Wine Company will remain at 1718 N. Hamilton.

Another new venue

Bountiful Fresh Foods, the slick new health food store at Main and Division, recently added a wine section.

Naturally, the options include wines made with organically grown grapes, such as varietals from Frey Vineyards in California and Washington’s Badger Mountain.

There are also many mainstream choices, including one of the best selections around from the recently resurrected Knipprath Cellars. (Check out that winery’s gewurztraminer; it just won a gold medal at the Tri-Cities Wine Festival.)

Pick up one of the reasonably priced bottles at Bountiful and match it with some of the store’s gourmet takeout food.

Going, going, gone

A wide variety of wines will be auctioned during a holiday fund-raiser for KPBX on Dec. 6.

The event, held at Silver Collector Auctions, 204 E. Augusta, includes a preview tasting of the wines that will be put on the block. Complimentary appetizers and live entertainment by local blues artists The Desotos will add to the festivities.

Tickets are $5 and are available through the public radio station. For information, call 328-5729.

Tasting notes

The holidays are an especially fitting time to share a bottle of wine with friends and family. Here are some choice picks from the past couple of months:

Domaine Ste. Michelle’s brut has the kind of rich flavor and frothy mousse (that’s French for bubbles) you would expect to pay top dollar for. It’s a bargain at $9.

For people who gripe about the pucker power of cabernet, steer them toward the appealing cab from Atlas Peak ($18). It’s smooth and slightly fruity but not sweet. I also give a great big thumbs up to this winery’s sangiovese, a light Italian red.

Villa Mt. Eden is one of those incredibly consistent, affordable labels out of California. (The company is owned by Stimson Lane, which also has Ste. Michelle and Columbia Crest.) The ‘95 chardonnay ($9) is silky with a citrus zing and the current release of zinfandel ($9) is packed with bright berry flavors and a hint of spice.

Columbia joins the list of Washington wineries with outstanding ‘94 merlots. Its recent release has gorgeous cherry flavors with delicate texture, well worth the $13.

Ste. Chapelle’s ‘94 chardonnay has historical significance, being the 20th harvest from the Idaho vineyard. The wine carries the occasion with its well-executed balancing act between big oaky flavors and pretty fruit. It’s around $10.

Bel Arbor, Fetzer’s second label, has started using grapes from Chile as a way to keep prices reasonable. Check out the ‘95 cabernet with fruit from the Valle Central region. It’s soft with bright cherry flavors, making it a fine match for grilled meats, and sells for about $6.

Cabernet-merlots are showing up in the marketplace in increasing numbers. One of the best comes from Hogue Cellars, which combines the two blockbuster reds with a bit of lemberger, a touch of grenache and a hint of cabernet franc. The wine is velvety smooth with explosive fruit flavors. It sells for around $10.

Worden’s was one of the first wineries in the region to produce a cab-merlot, and it is still one of their best wines. I recently sampled the ‘93 and was impressed with its ripe berry character and subtle tannins. It’s a real winner, especially at $10.

Finally, I’m just beginning to fully appreciate dessert wines. The best of them balance concentrated fruit flavors with a crisp, acidic edge. That said, the Bonny Doon Framboise is positively perfect. With its lush raspberry flavor, it’s like drinking a glass of summer. A 375-milliliter bottle sells for $11.

Kid stuff

For obvious reasons, wineries aren’t really set up to cater to children.

During the first weekend in December, however, Preston Winery in Pasco will offer an exception to that rule.

The winery will host a holiday lights festival complete with carolers, roasted chestnuts and hot chocolate. The fun starts at 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 6 and 7 with the arrival of Santa. There will also be reindeer rides (OK, pony rides).

By the way, Preston has an updated, classy label, and all the recent releases I’ve tried are as stylish as the new look. Try the superpremium Platinum Red or White, blends that have been made to commemorate the winery’s 20th anniversary.

, DataTimes MEMO: Grapevine is a monthly feature of IN Food. Write to: Grapevine, Features Department, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210. Call 459-5486, fax 459-5098 or e-mail to lesliek@spokesman.com.

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Leslie Kelly The Spokesman-Review