Wine makes great gift

Giving wine as a holiday gift takes a little sleuthing and asking the right questions without drawing notice, but it can be the perfect present for those who are hard to shop for and ideal for co-workers, bosses and those who provide us services throughout the year.

Of course, packaging removes some of the guesswork - the bottle is pretty much a dead giveaway. Disguising a wine bottle in gift- wrap generally takes more effort than it's worth. Trust me on this one - it takes far too much time to camouflage the shape and I've tried it many times.

Selecting wine as a gift is a little like choosing artwork. It helps to know the recipient's taste and whether they prefer red or white, rose or sparkling wines and if they like sweet, dry or in between. It can be confusing because many people think of fruity wines as sweet, white wines as less dry, and confuse extra Brut Champagnes or sparkling wines as less sweet than Brut. Ask around or directly ask the recipient what kind of wine they like, without making it obvious why you are asking the questions.

THE HARD-TO-SHOP-FOR PERSON

The hardest person for me to give a gift of wine is someone who either collects wine or has more knowledge than the average consumer. However, that does not mean you have to spend a fortune on them and in fact, sometimes, it is just the opposite. Part of the fun of wine is to find something unique and interesting - a gem that is often at inexpensive prices that will floor you.

In the past year, I have found wines from Australia, South Africa, Spain, Washington, Oregon and California - and all of them were in the $12 to $25 range, but taste much more expensive and more interesting. One of the best finds for me this summer was a South African wine, the 2003 Wolf Trap, a kitchen sink mix of cinsault, syrah, Grenache, cabernet sauvignon and pinotage. It is finally coming to Eastern Washington next month, just in time for the holidays. This wine is interesting because it changes in the glass with a little time, and has complexity and layers of taste without a lot of money. I paid more in Seattle, but expect it to come to Eastern Washington under $12.

Although the Northwest makes terrific wines, consider giving a Spokane wine to people who don't live in our region. It helps support our local wineries and wine enthusiasts will be surprised at how good it is. Lone Canary's Rosso, a Super Tuscan style red blend of 70 percent sangiovese, 19 percent merlot and 11 percent cabernet sauvignon, recently won acclaim of Wine Spectator columnist Matt Kramer when he was in town. The price is around $17. Kramer also praised Mountain Dome's 1997 Brut sparking wine as one of the best he's had from the Northwest and in the United States, at about $25 per bottle.

A WINE GIFT FOR YOUR BOSS, COLLEAGUE OR FRIEND

Purchasing a bottle of wine for your boss is like a fishing expedition - you need to fish around to see what he or she likes. Again, the most expensive wine is not always the best, although if you can afford it, and want to, try and get something like the most recent releases of Leonetti from Washington, or Archery Summit, from Oregon. These are expensive (well over $50-$75) and not easy to find. Places like Niko's Restaurant in Spokane sell them for a hefty mark- up.

You can also purchase a certificate from such places as Vino's and Huckleberry's, if you are absolutely uncertain what to buy. Also talk to the people at Yoke's Market on Argonne, Williams Seafood, Rocket Market on the South Hill, Rosauers and World Market. Each of these locations carries a wide selections of wines, staffed by knowledgeable people who can help with selections.

For a terrific wine with aging potential but drinkable now, under $20, I would recommend Hedges Cellars Three Vineyards Wine. The grapes for this wine come from Hedges' Estate Vineyards, Chateau and Bel' Villa and Red Mountain Vineyard, thus the three vineyards moniker. This is a big wine, but is well balanced in the glass, with a long lingering finish that would please my boss and yours, if they like red wines. It has the potential to age, yet is very pleasing in the glass now, with black fruits, plum, spice and toasted oak in the mouth. This is a wine to buy for friends, colleagues and bosses.

Also consider L'Ecole, Seven Hills and Woodward Canyon - all work horses from Walla Walla that are pioneers in the Washington wine industry and sometimes get overlooked for the new kids on the block. These wineries consistently produce great wine, year after year, but can be overshadowed by all the new wineries coming out of that region. All three make outstanding cabernet sauvignon, merlot and syrah, and the white wines score high as well.

For white wines, consider Robert Karl's 2003 Sauvignon Blanc for $10 - a crisp winner that has hints of citrus and green apple. Preston Cellars has a lovely 2003 Gamay Noir, a Rose that is tasty enough to satisfy both red and white wine drinkers. Both Preston and Townshend Cellars in Spokane have huckleberry ports that are very popular as gifts.

THE BEST GIFT: YOURSELF

Wine is a social animal - the best times with it are when you are surrounded with folks you like or would like to know better, and food. We spend so much time now e-mailing each other and talking on the phone that we connect less and less in person. One of the greatest wine gifts you can give is an opportunity to share food and wine with others.

A wrapped invitation to a wine tasting party, complete with wine paired with food, is a great gift indeed. For friends and family, I would recommend a gathering where you can share wine, food and conversation. Those occasions are priceless, and you can create wonderful holiday memories with such a gathering. It is unique because you can tailor it to your friends or family or both; educational, because you can all learn at the same time; and it is fun to pair wine and food. Try a blind tasting to see if anyone can guess and create new a new convergence of folks who might not normally met each other.

Holidays can be lonesome times for people away from their families, those who don't have family ties or those who are single. One of the greatest gifts you can give is to share your time, and a bottle of wine, with those who might be overlooked. You might just discover a great story, a new friend and a priceless bottle of wine.

NEW CAMPAIGN FOR WASHINGTON WINES

The Washington Wine Commission is launching a new branding campaign - "Washington State, the Perfect Climate for Wine," to help promote tourism to wine regions and draw attention to the second largest wine industry in the country.

The industry contributes $2.4 billion annually to Washington's economy, and brings in tourism dollars to regions such as Spokane, Walla Walla, the Columbia Valley and Western Washington.

"Wine expresses a sense of place, and our goal is to educate consumers and help them clearly identify Washington wines," said Jane Baxter-Lynn, Washington Wine Commission's new executive director.

Baxter-Lynn hopes, through the new campaign, to provide enough information throughout the state so that people will look to their own state for wine purchases. California currently sells more wine in Washington.

Christina Kelly writes a monthly column about wine for The Spokesman-Review. She can be reached at winewriter@comcast.net.

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