The fire’s roaring. The game’s on. There’s a steak cooking in the kitchen. Nothing to worry about until January.
Yes friends, it’s time for the Partnership Christmas guide.
More on that in a moment. But first… On these long holiday nights you might want to surprise your loved ones with a little glass of something sweet and delicious, with a fascinating taste and an interesting story…
This week, Julien Miquel gives us his sweet wine recommendations:
The Partnership Christmas Gift Guide (2022 edition) Continued
Get Your Wines Proper Storage
Two of us at the Partnership crew have used 18 bottle chillers from Wine Enthusiast. We’d recommend them for being quiet (very important) and reliable. Separate temperature zones are a cool feature, though one we seldom use. If you live with a spouse who likes her whites cold, you’ll end up using the fridge anyway.
You can check out the newer version of the fridge we own here...
(By the way, we make zero commission on any of the accessories in this guide.)
For long-term cellaring, at least if you’re buying wine by the case, you’ll need a larger, separate fridge. Look at EuroCave, which also does custom cellar design...
Get Lost in the Mystery of the Most Expensive Wine Ever Sold
Back in the ‘80s, a German expert in old wines claimed to have discovered a cache of old wine bottles behind a wall in Paris. They contained 18th century vintages from some of the most illustrious vineyards in France as well as the initials “Th.J.” engraved on each bottle. Had they been entombed to safeguard them from the revolution? And might the initials belong to known wine enthusiast Thomas Jefferson? As the experts speculated, collectors (including the Forbes family) raced to snap them up.
But were they real? Learn the fascinating story in The Billionaire’s Vinegar...
Make Opening Your Bottles a Pleasure
Did you know that people collect vintage corkscrews?
We didn’t either, until we started looking around for a vintage Wienke. If you’ve been paying attention to Julien Miquel, you know that, excepting the Ah-So opener for older vintage bottles with potentially fragile corks, the best corkscrew is the humble “waiter’s friend.” (Don’t let a butterfly anywhere near an expensive bottle.)
From left to right: the classic corkscrew, the butterfly, and the waiter’s friend
Credit: Kgbo via Wikimedia Commons
In 1882, the German Karl Wienke patented the now-ubiquitous design for the “waiter’s friend” (which the British promptly dubbed the “wine key” – a mispronunciation of Wienke’s name). We wondered whether there might be an original floating around. Sure enough, not only do they pop now and again for sale (expect to pay around $100), but there’s an entire website devoted to antique corkscrews. You can check that out at this link...
For giftees with modern taste opt for the French brand Laguiole En Aubrac’s Sommelier waiter’s friend for $169...
Or perhaps you’re looking for a waiter’s friend that wouldn’t be out of place in a Mission Impossible movie? And costs $365? Check out the Code38...
Open Up Your Wine’s Nose Like You Never Imagined
Truth be told, we have very little opinion on the best type of decanter. We’ve never discerned much of a difference between the different options out there. That said, we’ve heard praise for Riedel’s “Swirl” decanter, which is also not terribly expensive at $50. If you’re looking for more of a set-piece, Riedel also offers plenty of $$$ options that guests might confuse with a modernist sculpture.
For more info on the Swirl, click here...
Our comments on decanters notwithstanding, we do allow ourselves to be snobbish about our wine glasses. The vessel should equal the vintage. Pouring a delicate, subtle wine into a thick, cheap glass feels wrong. And no one likes a too short a stem or a bowl that doesn’t concentrate the aromas properly (steer clear of glasses that flare at the top). The right glass should be a pleasure to hold and make every note in the wine’s aroma sing. (You’ll even notice a difference in the sound produced with the wines first makes contact with the side of the fine glass.)
Here, too, we recommend Riedel. Also, we’ve said it once and we’ll say it again: you don’t really need a separate shape for every type of wine. Yes, dessert wines need a smaller glass (getting overserved on an after-dinner port is never a good experience). But you don’t need a ridiculously large glass for reds. Nor do you need a flute or coupe (or diamond) for Champagne. A good white, a good red, and a good sparkler can all inhabit the same glass.
And don’t opt for the stemless glass. Fingerprints and warm wine. Need we say more?
If you can track down a Riedel Sommelier edition Bordeaux Grand Cru with lead-free crystal, you will have a glass that you will very much enjoy drinking from.
That said, we’ve also heard very good things about the tasting experience of a Libbey-Signature Kentfield Estate All Purpose.
Rare Small Batch Wines
But what fun is all the gear without the juice itself?
To that end, we’ve put together 4 Christmas season cases.
The “Black Wine” Collection features our rarest and highest altitude malbecs including Tacana, Agustin Lanus’ Sunal, Raul Davalos’ Unoak, and Uraqui, which is from the highest vineyard in the western hemisphere (10,800 ft.) and of which we are the only American supplier (only 1,000 bottles made).
(There is one vineyard in the world claiming to be slightly higher, in Tibet, though we’ve never heard of it producing an actual bottle.)
The Tacana Collection features four bottles of the 2020 vintage – including two Reservas (if you’ve never tasted the Reserva, it is a deep experience). All organic. Unfiltered.
The International Explorer Collection includes standouts from some of our best collections in recent years – Italy, Spain, France, Argentina, and more... If you ask us, December is the perfect time for Rioja or Barolo. You’ll find both here.
The Holiday Host Collection has been curated, as the name suggests, specifically for the host. Our knock-out reds that will take on the hardiest wine snob. Meanwhile, your guests will think you’re serving $150 Champagne when you pour them a glass of the Cava we’ve included.
And yes... BIG DISCOUNTS on all the cases above. We only ask that you order now (or within the next couple days) to ensure your gift gets there in time.
And yes, gifts to oneself are perfectly acceptable. You earned it.
Until next week,
The Wine Explorer
