Gift recommendation

I need some help from you gurus out there. If you wanted to give a couple of bottles of premium quality California wines to some business partners from France, who also happen to be in the wine industry in Bordeaux, what would you pick? My thought was that it might be better to look for some really great, but small production type wineries. The idea being that if you just give them a $100 but well known wine they'd probably already be familiar with it and might not appreciate it as much as something more unusual (to them, anyway). Or maybe go with a high profile wine, but track down an older vintage?

Money is not an object (well, maybe under 200 or so a bottle). Any suggestions? Let's say 3 different wines, what would you get?

Max

Reply to
Max Chuang
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Max:

Had the same problem a couple of years ago. I decided not to have them drink Bordeaux equivalents (cab souvignon "meritage"). Instead I suggest high end Zinfandel (Turley or others), NY icewine, maybe if you can get it an Oregon Lemberger, and others that they are not likely to have tasted in France.

Bob

Reply to
Bob Ehrlich

I think you're on the right track. Don't attempt to "one up" their strength by offering a big California Cab or Merlot. Instead look for something typically American/California such as a premium Zinfandel--I'd look to Turley or maybe seek out something in an older Ridge like a '94, '96 or '97 Geyserville or Lytton Springs.

You could also try a premium California Pinot Noir like Rochioli, Gary Farrell, or Ken Wright bottlings.

Consider some non-typical varietals as well such as Cabernet Franc (I recall an excellent Fife CF from a couple of years ago that was very memorable and "un-European".)

Dunno where I might go in whites. Clearly California Chardonnay takes a very different approach than white Burgs. If they are open-minded enough to consider the big, buttery, vanilla sort of Chards rather than the crisper sort from Europe you might consider that.

Ed Rasimus Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret) "When Thunder Rolled"

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Reply to
Ed Rasimus

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I'm definitely going with at least one high caliber Zin.

Max

Reply to
Max Chuang

The Zin suggestions are great. One you might want to look to, as well as Turley, is Biale. A horizontal of some of Robert Biale's single vineyard Zins would be a great present! BTW, is there any way that I can get onto your holiday list?:-}

Hunt

Reply to
Hunt

Or how about a Williams Selyem Pinot Noir? We opened a 1999 Mendocino last night which was wonderful. I'm always a big proponent of Ridge wines, and I think Lytton Springs and Geyserville are great suggestions.

e. _______________

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Reply to
winemonger

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