Wine is sort of like opera; talk about it with passion and detail and you're a snob. Pass it off as an expensive musical, and you've mistaken a Picasso nude for a pin-up. It's hard to talk about wine legitimately without sounding totally bourgeois, but it's usually not the fault of the oenephile; its simply the nature of complex wine culture. Nobody abhors pretention more than I, but what actually strikes me as worse than 'airs' are actually fakes. These are the people who purport to be offerers of the latest great grape but who've cloaked a bargain bottle in Rothschild clothing. Just because someone doesn't drink the cheapo bottle you gave them on the spot, doesn't mean they won't wince when they do, and guess what... remember YOU. If this blog doesn't inspire you to rethink the re-gifting of forgettable wines, even the Good Taste Committee can't help you.
Amy Swift, Editor in Chief, Ladies Who Launch
'Tis the Season To Be ... Cheap?
by Julie Brosterman
CEO & Founder of Women & Wine
Wine Valet at Two Rodeo
www.WomenWine.com
I'm a big proponent of re-gifting, recycling and making donations at the holiday season of clothes, books, etc. to those in need. I'm also a fan of giving food gifts (especially yummy hard-to-find treats!) and of course, wine.
But what does it mean to give a gift of wine -- and is it an obligation to bring a bottle when invited for dinner, cocktails or a tree-trimming party? For me, giving a gift of wine is a reflection of who I am.
So imagine my surprise when late last week an email went around advertising a $2 bottle/$25 case 2000 red blend from CA as a great wine to bring or stock for the holidays. The message came from a noted wine educator -- complete with a video testimonial about this great find. It was being sold at a wine shop of distinction and available for pick-up or shipping.
Who doesn't love a bargain -- especially at the holidays -- so of course this offer piqued my curiosity. What was it -- and was it actually being sold elsewhere for $14.99 as the advertisement suggested? Or was it another 2 Buck Chuck making its way into the LA market?
Lo and behold -- and thanks to the marvels of the internet -- I did a quick search and immediately fall upon a site or two out there that actually picks up these amazing deals (or all kinds) and moments (literally) after the offer went out there were hundreds of people already commenting on the wine.
The common thread to all the chatter that gave me the most concern was that everyone who was writing seemed to be people who actually care about wine. Here's what some of them had to say.
"Even if it's terrible, it will be the wine I bring everywhere over the holidays," one quipped. "What a deal -- I'll give it to everyone I know," spoke another. "It was a bad year for this wine (perhaps explaining the price) but at this price it's too hard to pass up," another said. "I'll serve this at Christmas -- my family will never know the difference."
WOW! I want to get the names of all these people and make sure never to invite them to my house!
Is it really better to show up with something undrinkable than to show up empty handed? Didn't they care about 'getting caught'? Was this gifting or 'cleaning out the closet'?
I pondered this all afternoon with the members of our team. We had just opened our store, Wine Valet at Two Rodeo Drive (yes in the valet parking area on P-1) -- a wine boutique and wine concierge two weeks earlier and we came up with the only thing that would make sense to us. If you're gifting this bottle, a quick note needed to accompany your package that says:
HAPPY HOLIDAYS - I BOUGHT YOU THIS WINE FOR $2.00 - LET ME KNOW IF YOU THINK I OVERPAID.
As a member of LWL, we're always sharing tips and finds through our web community. This was a tip that I just couldn't pass on.
But maybe there's a better way for me to post the tip:
WARNING: This holiday season proceed with caution when sending wine gift baskets. If your gift basket company is offering you a great bargain on a basket that includes wine for around $50, don't hesitate to ask how much the wine cost them. Even in the world of gifting, there is such a thing as a wolf in sheep's clothing!
Finally tips on holiday wine gifting? Give beautifully crafted olive oil to collector's of wine or ask your retailer for a suitable suggestion in your price range; that for $20 (a good price range) there are beautiful wines to give -- try not to buy it in the supermarket where the wines being sold spend about .50 cents on the dollar marketing the wine; and finally, remember that what you give is a reflection on who and what you are -- period. A thoughtful wine choice can be a great way to send a message about your friendship or your business savvy. Don't blow it.
Julie Brosterman is the CEO and Founder of Women & Wine, an online lifestyle brand for lovers of wine, good food, and travel connecting members through offline events across the U.S. The company recently opened their first wine boutique and wine concierge, Wine Valet at Two Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills (yes, it's in the valet pkg. garage!).
Follow Amy Swift on Twitter: www.twitter.com/SMARTYAmy
I gave my co-workers bottles of $2 Chuck one Christmas plus a print-out on this wine phenomena from the internet. I had brought back a case or two from a vacation in CA. All of us laughed about it, but all thought it was "drinkable." One of my co-workers had a swell mystery wine tasting party using her gift and some other (much more expensive) wines.
While I think you should reveal it if you find some weird wine bargain and want to give it as gifts, I still thought the idea was you were giving a GIFT. If your hostess, best friend, etc., is going to hold it against you if your gift isn't up to their standards, you're better off without them.
My most recent stash of $2 Chuck is just about gone. Once it is, I will probably switch to cocktails instead. My husband doesn't drink wine very often, and I hate watching "good" - meaning expensive - wine turn once its opened and stuck in my frig. I'm sure you have a wine cooler, but us regular folks just have to make do.
Its people like you who make the rest of us turn away from wine and settle for beer. Somehow no one hassles you about what beer you drink. They may try to convince you that another brand is better, but they don't insult you.
(Then we recently discovered that the best gift for people who loved wine was Reidel glasses. There have been some interesting taste trials in our family comparing how a wine tastes in each of the various glasses.)
And the best line I ever heard about White Zin - "White Zin goes with everything (food wise) because it goes with nothing". If you go into a fine dining restaurant and order White Zin, the waiter will think it is the first time you've ever eaten fine dining.
Oh, and never ask the waiter to chill that bottle of Opus 1 you bought to impress your date - you could almost cause a heart attack.