Gift wines...sigh

I seldom receive wine, but sometimes wine gadgets. However it could be much more colorful. If you had a great aunt such as I had(now long dead), you would get an extremely colorful tie every year that would nearly glow in the dark. I have no idea where the lady found these.

Well, if we have a big holiday party, there are often some bottles brought of stuff that might be comparable to your list. But even then, most people who know me spend more than their normal because they know I'm a "wine guy." As far as actual gifts, I tend to get stuff quite a bit nicer. This year I got bottles of Prieure-Lichine, Franciscan Magnificat, D. Laurent Mazis, Pernot (red) Meursault, etc. There is one bottle of NY State "Cassis" dessert wine staring at me, unsure what will happen with that.

And then there is the wine gadget. Over the years I've gotten thermometers (with weird suggested serving temps), corkscrews, mini wine PDAs, wine journals, etc. Mostly given away. But good stemware, decanters, etc always appreciated.

To be fair a number of these bottles came as host gifts at a holiday party. A few of them were meant to be gag gifts (the Crane Lake and the Charles Shaw came in a gift basket withfood delights as "Gator Sticks", "Blind Robins" and "Slim Jims". Bill Visit http:\\Billburg.myminicity.com

My brother gave me a half bottle of 2003 Chateau Suduiraut.

However, since he collects Yquem maybe he was being a little cheap.

Joe

Like Dale, most of my wine gifts come from party attendees, although my research group always feels compelled to give me a bottle of wine at our Christmas party (because they rely on the advice of the manager at our only local fine wine shop, I end up with something that got a lot WS points). We also get quite a few gadgets from well-meaning friends and former students. We've given away several extra decanters (we keep 3) and I've got several gewgaws that sit high up on a shelf in the kitchen. Most recently, though, our well-meaning friend decided to give us wine glasses so we got 6 Tritan Burg glasses this time around... w00t!

Mark Lipton

Same here. Most of those bottles left will go to cooking or the vinegar crock. Especially the Charles Shaw. This weeks or this months Cabernet was downright nasty with a Brett funk to it.

I got a bottle of Stu Pedasso Cellars Zinfandel from the Sonoma Beach region.

LOL! The wine with a message, miles.

Mark Lipton

No. My friends are to cheap to send me wine that I would throw away.

Time to get new friends? :-)

Yesterday brought a parcel from France, containing one bottle, sent by the producer: 1969 Mas Amiel (VDN, AOC Maury).

M.

They're in the same AOC as the I. P. Daly Cellars aren't they.

Do you like the Tritan glasses? I now have Burg, Bordeaux, Riesling/ rose and Chardonnay, very nice to be able to use various nice stems without having to worry re handwashing on weeknights.

Emily's gorgeous Zalto Dank'Art are also supposed to be dishwashable, but so fragile looking I handwash those.

I forgot one "wine" gift this year that trumps Bill's, but I found sweet. A couple of formerly homeless board members (very much living on the edge) knew I liked wine, and gave me a gift. 4 bottles. DuBoeuf Nouveau, Gluhwein, egg nog with booze, and Jim Bean rye. OK, only 2 could even be considered wine in a stretch, but I was touched they spent any money. Found homes for the eggnog and BN, know who to get rye to, still trying to figure what to do with Gluhwein.

I did get a bottle if Evan Williams Eggnog. It just about blew my head off!

I like their looks and feel. We haven't yet used them, so I can't say anything about their performance, durability or ease of cleaning. I have few doubts that I *will* like them, though. Our friend kind of panicked after seeing their size: she thought that they looked too big. I had to pull out our Riedel Burgundy stems to assuage her fears.

BTW, I find that our dishwasher accomodates the Riedel Vinum Zinfandel/Chianti and Champagne glasses, so I do machine wash them. Apart from water spots from our rock-hard water supply, I haven't yet seen a problem (and they end up cleaner than I get them handwashing).

Don't have any of those, but I'll take a look.

I know that it's probably strictly verboten, but I can imagine more than a few NYC homeless who'd probably be quite appreciative of a warm Gluhwein on a bitter cold Winter night.

Mark Lipton

I don't know which to be more impressed by ... the abyssmal taste / great sense of humor of your friends - or that you received TEN bottles of wine for the holidays!

Yes, but you're a journalist Michael. In Europe the journalists do OK! What's more you're in the industry.

Adele often gets wine or booze gifts, less now that she's freelancing for fewer publications.

I still have some "Siemens Automotive Cognac" left that's pretty darn good! And I love the bottle. ;)

-E

To be fair a number of these bottles came as host gifts at a holiday party. A few of them were meant to be gag gifts (the Crane Lake and the Charles Shaw came in a gift basket withfood delights as "Gator Sticks", "Blind Robins" and "Slim Jims". Bill Visit http:\\Billburg.myminicity.com

I always wondered what went well with two buck Chuck and now I know, Slim Jims!

You could make a big batch of Sangria out of them all.

My wife and I host a large holiday party each year for charity and most of the gifts came from freinds who attended as host gifts. It's pretty common to recieve that many each year some a gags and some as well meaning gifts.