10 gifts under $20 for the wine lover in your life

It's the holiday season, so I'm blogging about 10 gifts for the wine lover in your life.  Eight of them can be had for less than $20, one of them (depending on where you live) might be had for less than $20, and the last one arguably could be pretty expensive.  But fun!

So here we go:
1) Wine aroma wheel, $6 plus shipping,  http://www.winearomawheel.com/  We use this clever tool regularly in our wine tastings.  It helps to identify tastes, flavors, and aromas, and it can be a fun ice breaker when you start talking about these various flavors.  It's a great device for helping all of us identify and describe what we are tasting.

2) Essential wine tasting guide, $12  http://www.essentialwinetastingguide.com/  This is a pint sized version of the wine aroma wheel plus a lot more in a wallet sized, cleverly folded booklet.  It brings a lot of thought and advice to your wine tasting experience.  Plus you can bring it with you anywhere.

3) A good wine reference book.  I use The Wine Bible, by Karen McNeil, $12, http://www.amazon.com/Wine-Bible-Karen-MacNeil/dp/1563054345  I find it extremely interesting to read about various wines and regions, and Ms McNeils book is thorough and easily readable.  You should have a copy (or something similar) wherever you drink wine.  When you open a bottle of wine from a new region, or are drinking something you really like, stop and open the book and read about it.  It really helps you understand the wine, where it came from, and what you might be tasting.

4) Glassware.  Glassware makes a difference in what you taste, and glasses break.  All of us can use more wine glasses.  For our wine tastings we've managed to buy about 60 pieces of mostly-the-same shape stemware.  This way you can compare two, three, or more wines at the same time with your group.  We bought our stemware at a TJ Maxx store, but the most important thing is to have a good shape.  A tall stem with a wide bowl that tapers toward the rim, such as a bordeaux shape, is my preference.  Plus it looks really cool to look at a table full of stemware.  And don't worry if it breaks.

5) OK- this one's pretty boring.  sorry.  Non scented candles and non scented dish soap.  Boring.  But you know, it makes a difference.  Scented candles, which are wonderful in other situations, can ruin the flavor of wine in a wine tasting.  Move the candles away from the table, or light up those beautiful non scented ones.  Ditto for the dish soap.  Most dish soaps are highly scented and can be tasted along with the wine.  Sounds disgusting?  It is.

6) Wine!  This suggestion is probably the most obvious, but there are lots of good wines out there for less than $20, and more for more money as well.  There are two ways to do this: a- remember what your wine lover likes and buy it, or b- ask a wine merchant that you trust what they might suggest.  Be prepared to answer questions about what styles of wine you are looking for - red or white, sparkling, old world vs new world, etc.  think about what wines have been successful in the past.  My suggestion for a red?  Mara, by Cesari, a "ripasso" style wine, sometimes called a baby Amarone.  Delicious.

7) Port.  Most folks like Port, and we often forget about it when buying wine.  You can find a delightful Port for less than $20.  Ask your wine store for suggestions.  I'm fond of Tawny Port. but I like them all.  If you are intrigued by Port, there is a whole arcane world to learn about.  Port and a good reference book would be a thoughtful, enjoyable gift.  There will be a test afterword, so be prepared.

8) Sparkling wine.  We can't call it Champagne unless it comes from that region in France, but there is a lot of fun and drinkable sparkly wine available from all over the world.  We've been keen on Gruet from New Mexico (of all places!) but we also like Cava from Spain and Prosecco from Italy.  Spend more to get better wine.  And wait for the sparks to fly!

9) Visit a winery.  You can learn so much by visiting a winery, tasting the wines, and learning about what the wine makers were hoping to achieve, and it's fun.  Be sure to designate a driver for the return trip home.

10) OK, this is my current travel Fantasy: Kalahari and Cabernet.  We fly to Windhoek, Namibia, and spend 5 days visiting the Kalahari desert, Big 5 animal safaris, and cultural excursions.  Then, we transit to Cape Town, South Africa, and head to Stellenbosch, center of the renowned wine industry in South Africa.  We'll spend 5 days visiting wineries, tasting the red and white wines of this region.  We'll enjoy a classic SA Braai, the meat lovers grill that sets a standard for meat eating, accompanied by Pinotage, Cabernet, and other red wines.  Great food for vegetarians as well, and always great accommodations and fun.  Hey, it's my fantasy.  Likely more than $20.

Happy holidays, be safe, and enjoy yourself responsibly.