Wine Gifts -- Elegant, Thoughtful & Elite

Wine gifts are considered as one of the best gifts for men.  They come in a variety of tastes, vintages, colors, wrappings, baskets, labels, corkscrews, stoppers, etc.  Many types of wines are available in the market and a variety of vintage wines are sent as gifts.  Sending a wine gift is considered elegant and reflects upon the thoughtfulness of the sender of the gift.  Wine gifts have become a symbol of elite gifting and hence are on the rise.

Generally four types of vintage wines are considered best for gifting for anniversaries, birthdays, diamond weddings, retirements and other special occasions.  They are Madeira, Armagnac, Sauterne and Port.  Madeira is a fortified wine.  It has a long history, it was used to toast the American Declaration of Independence.  It does not go bad with changes in temperature and can be stored up to 200 years.  Armagnac is in essence a brandy and is made from distilled white wine in Bordeaux, France.  Sauterne is a type of sweet wine distilled in an area near Bordeaux named Sauterne.  Sauterne can be stored up to 100 years.  The alcoholic content of this wine is less compared to other wines.  It is sweeter than other wines due to its sugar content.  Port wine is a fortified wine made in many different styles.  They are stored in oak casks up to 100 years.  It may be noted that the wines are stored for a long time in special containers in special conditions for them to improve or cure and once the bottle is opened it is to be consumed within a day or up to a week depending upon the type of wine.  There are wines other than the ones mentioned above like champagnes, red table wines, malt scotch whiskies and “celebrity wines” which are also gifted.

Wine gifts are generally given in a wine basket along with lobsters or other sea foods depending upon the taste of the recipient.  Wines also have a proper serving temperature which vary according to the type of wine and is written on the bottle.  Wine gifts are wrapped in attractive wrappings and sometimes designer cork lifters and wine stoppers are also gifted.  An assortment of wine related gifts are available in the market like crystal ice buckets, ice tongs, crystal glasses, wine racks, wine cabinets, wine furniture, wine decanters, wine totes, wine bags etc.

With the advent of internet wine gifts can be purchased online and are delivered on required date to the recipient.  Sending gifts by road works out much cheaper than sending by air, hence booking in advance is more cost effective.  When the recipient’s wine taste is not known, presenting a wine gift certificate is better as the recipient will choose from an array of wines according to his liking on the company’s website.  There are many websites and companies providing gift certificates and door delivery.  The wine gifts are available in a wide range of costs ranging from under $35 to over $100.  Some companies customize the label on the wine as per order.  Wine gift deliveries are not made to hospital patients and there are laws in different states on wine gift delivery.

Texas Wine -- Visit Wineries and Vineyards to Buy Various Texas Wine Gifts

Last few years have witnessed a growing popularity of Texas wine in the national as well as international market.  One of the biggest testaments to their growing popularity was Grapefest 2009, where over 240,000 people attended this fest and over 20,000 plus votes received for the 2009 Peoples Choice.  Grapefest is the largest wine festival in the state.  According to one estimate, Texas now has 87 wineries and is the 5th largest wine producing state in the nation.  Texans consume nearly 37 million gallons of wine a year and upon given a chance most Texans would prefer to buy a wine produced in Texas.  That clearly leaves a plenty of room for Texas wineries to produce an increasing share.  In addition to that there is a huge demand of Texas wine in the open market.

No doubt, wine has a great impact on Texans life because it generates revenue and employment.  During the year 2009, the wine industry generated $200 million along with 1,898 jobs for Texans.  And, now due to new legislation, you as a wine lover can enjoy wine direct from the winery of Texas.  Most of these wineries and vineyards encourage visitors to visit their vineyards and taste different wines before purchase in tasting rooms.  Not only this, but you can also buy different Texas wine gifts for your family or friends while visiting or tasting wines at their wineries and vineyards.

The Overall Scenario Is Fast Changing and Promising

Although, earlier there were many restrictions in the past, but during the last two decades Texas wine industry has seen a time of incredible growth.  In the last few years the number of wineries has increased from 50 to 87 or even more.  According to one estimate, currently there are around 20 more wineries that are pending for state approval bringing the number of wineries to 104.  Nowadays customers can directly place their orders with the winery and can also visit them to taste different wines in their tasting rooms.

And, there won’t be any exaggeration if we say that the day is not too far when these wineries will sell more wine over the Internet than in the tasting room in winter.  Moreover, people would visit these wineries and vineyards not just to see, taste and purchase wine but to buy different wines and other related gifts for special occasions such as Christmas, New Year and Thanksgiving.  Texans who visit a winery and make purchases in person can also have them shipped directly at their home.  Purchases of these wines and other wine gifts can also be made by phone, fax or online for shipment to a Texas package store for pick-up or further delivery.  So everything seems to be fast changing and promising especially when it comes to customer satisfaction.

Screwcaps For Wine -- Is It Bye-Bye To The Romance?

Maybe you’ve noticed screwcaps on more of the higher priced wines lately.  The trend is continuing to grow and so is the debate of whether a screwcap or cork is better for wine.  The industry has basically "agreed to disagree" as to whether wine bottled with a screwcap or a cork tastes better, ages better and has less of a tendency to spoil.

As more wineries consider using screwcaps instead of the traditional cork, one has to wonder how the public at large will accept the change in tradition.  When the occasional wine drinker sees a $20 bottle of wine with a screwcap, will he move to the next bottle on the shelf because he conjuring thoughts in his mind of his college years and Boones Farm Apple Wine?

Corks hold tradition and romance for a bottle of wine.  It's hard to imagine dining at a fine eating establishment and ordering a bottle of wine without expecting the waiter pull out his corkscrew.  Watching him carefully cut the foil, masterfully twist the screw into the cork, and giving it a pull with a final, ever so slight, pop, is part of what we pay for when we order a bottle of wine.  It's shear romance;  it's a moment we hold in our memory of a nice dining experience.

Why would a winery want to change an age-old tradition that holds so much charm?  Well, apparently the occurrence of wines being spoiled because of the cork is a fairly large problem.  One report from the International Wine Challenge, the world's largest wine competition, states that nearly one in 20 bottles, or 4.9% of the 11,033 bottles opened at that competition had spoiled or the flavor had been flattened because of the cork.

How is the cork responsible for the ruin of so much wine?  Cork is a tree bark and when wine corks are manufactured, chlorine bleach is used for cleaning and brightening the color.  When the bleach comes in contact with the natural molds that are present in the cork, a reaction occurs and a chemical called trichloroanisole (TCA) is produced.  If this chemical comes in contact with the wine, it will cause it to taste like damp cardboard.  When this happens the wine is then referred to as being "corked", and it is undrinkable.

Screwcaps have proven themselves to be a better alternative to cork.  First developed in Australia, the brand name for screwcaps used for wine is Stelvin, so you will often hear them referred to as such.  These caps are not the same as those used for food and drink;  these caps are specially designed to protect fine wines from tainting for a period of time and to allow for aging.  Basically the part of the cap that actually contacts the wine is made from a thin coating of Teflon film over pure tin, this gives the cap the capability to stay stable and flavor-neutral for a very long time.

There are some screwcap critics that say the Stelvin caps don't allow for proper "breathing" so the wine can age, however, this is a myth.  If a cork is perfect and works the way it is supposed to work, it will not allow air into the bottle.  Actually, oxygen is potentially harmful to the wine and very unnecessary for the aging process.  To quote a leading Bordeaux authority Professor Pascal Ribéreau-Gayon in the “Handbook of Enology”,

“reactions that take place in bottled wine do not require oxygen”.

And one more authority, Professor Emile Peynaud of Bordeaux says,

“it is the opposite of oxidation, a process of reduction, or asphyxia by which wine develops in the bottle”

So, as we watch a trend develop of vintners moving toward using screwcaps we, the wine-drinking public, are just going to have to come to terms with the fact that screwcaps have proven themselves.  Because of the Stelvin, we consumers will be able to enjoy better preserved and better tasting wine in the years to come.  Actually, instead of thinking about moving to the next bottle on the shelf because of the screwcap, we should be seeking out the wine that delights your palate regardless of whether it uses a screwcap or not.