Finding the right wine gift takes some time and thought

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Today we continue our tradition of helping you find the right wine gift for the right person. From the boss to the wine geek, we have it covered but remember, never spend more than you can afford.

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If you have the funding and want to embellish your wine gift, consider wrapping up a book on wine or adding a simple decanter or box of proper-shaped glasses. Just keep in mind that when it comes to wine accessories, plain and simple is always the best.

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THE BOSS

Never an easy pick, it should look spendy — hint: excellent packaging — but be reasonable in price. We have two choices, one red and one white from the same producer and both from Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia. The Giant Steps 2020 Chardonnay, $43, is rich in a Burgundian Grand Cru way but not overpowering. The Giant Steps 2020 Pinot Noir, $43, is a wow wine that is simply delicious. You could pair them up if you really need a promotion.

FOR THE GOURMAND

Most wines are better with food thanks to a specific chemistry that’s difficult to describe but easy to taste. If there are one or two key ingredients to a perfect food and wine match, it is the acidity and a savoury element. Broad candidates include Bordeaux, Brunello, Barolo or Syrah. We pick a magical bottle of Damilano 2016 Lecinquevigne Barolo, Langhe, Piedmont, Italy, for $59.

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THE GREEN CROWD

The eco-conscious crowd appreciates wine made using sustainable, organic or biodynamic practices along with little intervention, and many British Columbia wine growers fit the model. Here are three terrific labels fighting climate change: Summerhill Pyramid Winery 2012 Cipes Blanc de Blancs at $43; CedarCreek 2020 Meritage at $27.99 and Clos du Soleil 2019 Célestiale at $30.

THE READER

For the reader/drinker, there is only one book, The World Atlas of Wine 8th Edition by Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson ($64). Reading about the world of wine and using the maps to look up every wine you drink adds significant joy, and value, to every wine you taste. Available in better bookstores and online at Amazon.ca.

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THE CARNIVORE GRILLER

Beef, barbecues and big red wines are a match for many, and the go-to grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Shiraz and Grenache and most any red blend that contains the same grapes. A trio of bargains we love include: Il Borro 2019 Borrigiano, Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy at $40; Descendientes de J. Palacios 2015 Pétalos, Bierzo, Spain at $38 and Las Moradas de San Martin 2017 Senda, Madrid, Spain at $36

THE HOSTESS GIFT

The hostess/host wine gift needs an upgrade. Remember, it is for the host, not the people attending the party, so consider wrapping it festively. When you make the handoff, insist they save it for a quieter evening. Sparkling wine is the intelligent choice here. Choose a bottle to suit your budget: Red Rooster Brut Rosé, OkanaganValley B.C. at $29; Ferrari Brut Metodo Classico N/V, Trentino- Alto-Adige, Italy at$35 or Champagne Piper-Heidsieck Cuvee Brut for $70.

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ANY PORT IN A STORM

A glass of port is as civilized as it gets over the holidays, and it’s a wine category few people buy for themselves. Here are some intelligent bottles that will warm the souls of the recipients: Graham Six Grapes Reserve Port N/V for $26.99; Fonseca Terra Prima Organic Reserve Port at $31.99 or the Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port 2016 at $150. All are from the Douro Valley, Portugal.

BOTTLES FOR COLLECTORS

It takes an experienced taster to pick a bottle worth collecting, one guaranteed to be worth the purchase and the wait. Here are three highly-regarded collectible labels selling at somewhat sensible prices for the collector: Krug N/V Grande Cuvee for $255; Penfolds 2015 Grange, South Australia at $1,000 and Chapoutier 2016 Ermitage Le Pavillon, Hermitage, Rhone Valley for $500.

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Next week we continue our holiday picks with a look at the sweet wine market from late harvest and icewine to port, sherry and sparkling wine.

Weekend wine picks

Paul Mas Estate Single Vineyard Collection Malbec Gardemiel Vineyard, Languedoc, Sud de France 

$16.99 I 88/100

UPC: 3760040422954

We love the consistent quality of this wine making it a handy wine to have around for the holidays to serve or to wrap up as a party gift. Expect a fragrant peppery, floral nose that previews a warm savoury rich entry of black fruits, licorice and pepper. A delicious, big-time value of modern Euro Malbec. Stock up.

Hugel Gentil 2019, Alsace, France 

$22.95 I 88/100

UPC: 3300370111038

It’s been a decade since we last tasted this Hugel classic, labelled “Gentil,” a wine reviving an ancient Alsace tradition of blending noble grape varieties. In this case, Hugel pairs the ‘sophisticated, spicy flavour of Gewürztraminer, the body of Pinot Gris, the finesse of Riesling, the grapiness of Muscat and the refreshing character of Pinot Blanc and Sylvan. In 2019, a solid vintage, it yields a fresh, medium-bodied aromatic wine with plenty of pears, apples, and floral ginger aromas that spill onto the palate mixing with spicy peaches and a subtle oily texture. Fresh and clean, it is ready to drink and would be a good match with a North American classic, the holiday roast turkey.

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Torres Celeste Crianza 2019, Ribera del Duero, Castilla-Leon, Spain 

$29.99 I 92/100

UPC: 8410113003508

Celeste has a history of over-delivering for the price, and it is easy to understand why. If it isn’t the elegance it is likely its sheer drinkability or both. Whatever the answer you need to stock up. The all-Tempranillo red has muted smoky undertones that mix with black cherries, a dash of oak and a warm long, lush, balanced finish. Like most years this is crazy delicious, and it is your choice. You can drink or cellar for five more years.

Fitz Brut Sparkling Wine 2018, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada 

$34.99 I 91/100

UPC: 626990291831

Winemaker Sarah Bain ages her Brut 24 months most years before it gets a dosage of 6 grams of sugar per litre, leaving it mostly dry to the taste. The fruit is crunchy and precise, mixing orchard pear and green apple dusted with wet stone and cherry pie flavours. Consistently well made, offering complexity and style at a fair price. I like the winery match: salmon gravlax, a few capers, and maybe some pickled red onion. Perfect for holiday entertaining.

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Champagne Bollinger Special Cuvée Brut N/V, Champagne, France

$94.99 I 92/100

UPC: 3052853075909

“Special Cuvée” has always been champagne for enthusiasts. Year after year 60/25/15 Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier blend has remained mostly unaltered due to a high amount of reserve (older) wine that gets blended back into each year’s wine thus setting the house style in stone. That style, aged, rich, nutty lees, dare we say gout anglais, is countered by a complex mix of white fruits, apple pie crust, saline notes with darker Pinot flavours, almonds and ginger. The mousse is particularly fine, a function of its creamy texture and the age of the juice. Drink or hold; there is no rush.

Recipe match: B.C. salmon with B.C. apples, cranberry and honey relish

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This recipe, shared by Chef Ned Bell of the Naramata Inn, celebrates the bounty of B.C. on both land and sea by featuring locally grown cranberries and apples, along with fresh B.C. salmon.

Bell also shares that the flavourful, fruit-filled relish can easily be used with other protein picks.

“This relish would also be amazing with roasted B.C. chicken, B.C. turkey or B.C. pork,” Bell says. “It is also amazing with local cheeses.”

B.C. Apple, Cranberry and Honey Relish

2 cups (500 mL) frozen B.C. cranberries

2 cups (500 mL) dried B.C. cranberries

1 large B.C. apple, unpeeled, core removed and diced into 1/2-inch cubes

1/2 cup (125 mL) white wine

1/2 cup (125 mL) local apple juice

1/2 cup (125 mL) apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup (125 mL) local honey

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3 tbsp (45 mL) Vancouver Island Sea Salt

1 tbsp (15 mL) cracked black pepper

3 tbsp (45 mL) finely diced shallots

In a medium pot over medium heat, sauté the shallots in canola oil for 30 seconds. Add the apples and frozen cranberries, stir for 20 seconds. Add the wine, apple juice, vinegar and honey, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the liquid is reduced by 1/2 and the cranberries swell and burst open. You want it to look a bit jammy. Add the additional B.C. cranberries, add the salt, cook for one minute, remove from heat and cover the pot with a lid. Taste the relish, you’re looking for a savoury, sweet, tangy, jammy sauce.

Pan-Seared Salmon

4 x 5 oz (142 g) portions per person of Ocean Wise-recommended B.C. Salmon

2 tbsp (30 mL) canola oil

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In a medium-sized stainless steel fry pan over medium heat, add 2 tbsp canola oil. You want a hot pan, with hot oil, not smoking hot but pretty darn hot. This will help the fish sear, gently become golden brown and delicious. Season the Wild B.C. Salmon with desired amount of kosher salt. Carefully lay the fish into the pan, sauté for two minutes. Flip the fish over in the pan, cook for an additional one minute to finish. Serve the fish on a salad, a grain, pulse or legume salad, as a burger or just naked with the B.C. Apple and Cranberry Relish.

Serves four. 

Recipe match

B.C. salmon with local apples, cranberry and honey relish, is an easy match for local Pinot Noir. 

Haywire Pinot Noir Secrest Mountain Vineyard 2020, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia ($25).

Wild plums, cherries and raspberries flood this lifted Pinot, seasoned with scrubby desert shrubs and pink peppercorn. Salmon, anyone?

Quails’ Gate Pinot Noir 2021, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia ($31.99). 

Black cherry and cedar boughs flavour this dry Pinot Noir that should easily take on a local salmon in any form.