Last Minute Gift Guides: For Him, For Her, For Stockings!

Am I the only one who waits until the absolute last second to buy Christmas gifts...or any other gifts for that matter? I set out to buy the PERFECT gift for my loved one's, but the best idea always seems to pop in my head a day or two before I need to give it. I can't help that I'm such a procrastinator.

This year is a little different though. I put together these wine gift guides and can pluck an item from each one for all of my friends and family. And I'm doing it all a week in advance!

Top 10 Gifts for Men:

1) The Swell - Wooden Wine Rack  2) Cocktail Set  3) 16 Bottle Slim Wine Cooler 

4) Wine Barrel Hoop Globe Chandelier 5) Beveled Orbital Decanter 6) Bottle Vine 

7) Double Stave Wine Rack 8) Ravenscroft Tasting/All Purpose Wine Glass 9) Glossy Bar Table

10) Full Barrel Cooler

Top 10 Gifts for Women:

1) 24 Bottle Dual-Zone Wine Cooler 2) Vintner's Choice Decanter 3) Deluxe Malvern Cheese Board

4) Wine Carrier & Purse 5) Huntsman Basket for Four 6) Six Tier Wine Holder 

7) Bordeaux Grand Cru Wine Glasses 8) Removable Ice Bucket 9) Wine Country Tasting Table

10) La Crema Holiday Delight Wine Basket

Top 10 Stocking Stuffers:

1) HOST Whirl Aerating Wine Glasses 2) HOST Twist Adjustable Aerator 

3) Hip Flask & Playing Cards Set 4) HOST Chill Cooling Pour Spout 5) Personalized Wine Coasters

6) HOST Filter Wine Pour Spout 7) Wine Away Stain Remover 

8) HOST Freeze Cooling Wine Glasses 9) Rechargeable Corkscrew 10) Port Sippers

Happy Holidays! 

A Wine Glass is a Wine Glass is a Wine Glass. Or is it?

Is the taste of wine affected by the type of wine glass you use? Short answer: Yes! 

Why, you ask? Because drinking wine is an experience that’s enhanced by your sense of smell. Wine glasses are built with specific bowl sizes and curved rims in order to capture the perfect amount of aromas in the glass, so you can sniff and sip away with maximum enjoyment!

If you’re just beginning your glassware collection, we would recommend starting out with a set of 4 Cabernet Red Wine Glasses and another set of 4 Chardonnay White Wine Glasses to make it easy. You can always grow your collection from there as your palate diversifies and expands.

Here are the top 10 most popular wines and the glasses to drink them out of:

      The Bordeaux Glass - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot & Syrah/Shiraz: Bold, full-bodied red wines like these are best served in a Bordeaux glass. It’s slightly taller and has a smaller bowl than a typical red wine glass so that the wine flows straight to the back of your mouth for maximum flavor!

The Bordeaux Glass perfect for sipping your favorite full-bodied vino tinto

      The Burgundy Glass - Pinot Noir: The Burgundy glass is made for light, medium-bodied wines like Pinot Noir. It’s shorter than the Bordeaux glass, but it has a larger bowl that directs the wine to the tip of the tongue to enhance the delicate flavors and subtleties of the wine.

Enjoy your favorite Pinot Noir out of The Burgundy Glass 

      Zinfandel, Chianti & Riesling: This glass is designed with a narrower bowl and opening that directs the wine to the middle of the tongue to experience the balance of flavors, acidity and tannins. 

Medium-bodied reds taste amazing out of this glass. Yum!

      Chardonnay: A Chardonnay glass will typically be a U-shaped glass with a straighter and taller bowl that will enhance aromas, but still maintain white wine’s cool temperature. Since it’s a bolder, full-bodied wine, this glass will allow the wine to flow to the back and sides of the tongue to disperse the flavors with a full-mouth experience.

 

Keep your wine cool and your palate fulfilled with the Chardonnay glass

      Sauvignon Blanc & Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris: For lighter, delicate whites, you should use a white wine glass with a slightly larger bowl, which will direct the wine to the tip and sides of the tongue.

 

Notice the ever so slight enlargement of the bowl and narrower rim of this White Wine Glass

     All Purpose Wine Glass: This glass marries the red wine glass and the white wine glass, providing an acceptable vessel for all wine varietals. The taste experience won’t be as enhanced, but it’s a great solution if you are just starting your collection and need an affordable set.

One glass for all your wine needs

      Stemless Wine Glasses: These glasses are made in the same bowl shapes as stemmed wine glasses, provide a more modern aesthetic and less risk of breakage. Since your hands will rest on the bowl, it will warm the wine a little faster too, but still provide a chic combo of design and function.

A pretty Fleur de Lis adds charm to this Stemless Wine Glass

All Wine Glasses featured here can be purchased at SoLoveWine.com/glassware!

Recipe: Creamy Pumpkin Pie Sangria

When deciding what to make for Thanksgiving, I was in the mood for one of my favorite things: Pumpkin-flavored anything, because who isn’t obsessed with Pumpkin? It’s a holiday classic that reminds you of home-cooked pies, spending time with friends and family, sharing stories and creating new memories.  

So I figured out a way to combine my love of pumpkin with my other favorite indulgence; wine! And combined the two into a delicious Creamy Pumpkin Pie Sangria. This recipe is extremely simple and perfect when you need to whip up a quick punch bowl full for dinner or party guests. 

 

Ingredients looking very festive!

First, I added one bottle of Sauvignon Blanc as a base, but you can add any dry white wine of your choosing. In lieu of adding fresh fruit (for saving time purposes), instead just dump in a couple cups of a tropical juice. I used V8, but any mango/orange/pineapple blend would also do the trick.

Then comes the Pumpkin Pie Crème Liquor. Since it is a crème, it does tend to coagulate and although it tastes good, it doesn’t look too pretty. So, to remedy this, simply blend it for about 5 seconds. The blender allows the sangria to froth up and give you a creamy texture more reminiscent of actual Pumpkin Pie. Yum!

Maple Syrup and Pumpkin Spiced Sugar for the rim

Once your Sangria is done, it’s time to set up the Pumpkin Pie Spiced Rim for your wine glasses. Pour a little maple syrup onto one plate and combine the sugar and pumpkin pie spice onto another. Then we dip the rim into the maple syrup, then our sugar mixture for a beautiful sugared rim for our Sangria. Spoon the drink into your glasses and add a cinnamon stick for garnish and you're done!

Time to drink up!

Head over to SoLoveWine.com to shop for Holiday Entertaining Essentials and the last day of our Black Friday Weekend Sale.

Ingredients: (Makes 6-8 Servings)

1 Bottle Dry White Wine (I used a Sauvignon Blanc)

2 cups Tropical Juice (I used V8)

1 cup Pumpkin Pie Crème Liquor

½ cup Sugar

1 tbsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice

Maple Syrup

Cinnamon Sticks

Blend white wine, tropical juice and pumpkin pie liquor on low and pour mixture into a festive punch bowl. Set out two small plates and pour a small amount of maple syrup onto one and mix sugar and pumpkin pie spice onto the other. Dip glass rims into maple syrup, then sugar and spice mixture and spoon Sangria into the glasses to serve.

Is Red Wine Really Healthy?

There has been study upon countless study on the potential health benefits of red wine (my beloved white gets no love!) and that resveratrol is a magic elixir that can make us into super humans! 

Ok, maybe that second half isn’t so true, but I’m sure you’re all wondering if red wine really is healthy? Let’s break down some of the claims…

  1.  One glass of red wine replaces one hour of cardio at the gym: A recent French study suggested that the resveratrol in a glass of red wine gives you the same benefits as completing an hour of cardiovascular exercise. Sounds like a great excuse to ditch the elliptical and cozy up with a glass of Malbec, right? Oh, how I wish this were true. Turns out there are multiple studies that have debunked this myth; a glass of red wine may improve heart and muscle health if, and only if, you exercise regularly.  And get this: it’s not due to the resveratrol…I’ll give you a moment to weep.

   2.  Antioxidants:  Red wine is loaded with polyphenols, which may protect against common health problems, certain effects of aging and lowers the risk of heart diseases and cancer.  The darker the wine, the more antioxidants are present in the wine since the polyphenols come from the pips and skins of the grapes. Some more good news; red wine has more antioxidants than many other “health” foods like acai juice, blueberries and pomegranate juice! Looks like I’ve found my next juice cleanse J

  3.  Fermented Food: Since red wine goes through a fermentation process (sometimes even twice), it’s also loaded with probiotics. Probiotics have long been associated with improved digestion by producing lactic acid that nourishes the good bacteria in your GI tract and helps absorb more of the nutrients in the foods you eat.

  4.  Prevents Tooth Decay: Don’t let your purple-tinged teeth fool you. The red stain is not so bad after all. A recent study found that the polyphenols in red wine actually help prevent tooth decay by inhibiting bacterial growth and plaque build-up in your mouth! Pinot Noir mouthwash? Yes, please!

Looks like the jury’s in favor of the fermented grape drink! However, we all know the benefits can easily be overshadowed with the negative effects of alcohol, so let’s not go and down the whole bottle tonight, ok? You need no more than one 5oz glass (for women) or two glasses (for men, you lucky guys) daily to reap all of red wine’s delicious benefits.  

I personally love to drink my nightly glass of scarlet wine and am enjoying a glass of red as we speak. Cheers to your health!

Shop Red Wine Glasses at SoLoveWine.com