BOB SPRENTALL - “I will be at Momofuku Ko for dinner tomorrow night in NYC. Will report from there!”

• Our sources tell us that Mr. B-21 himself was enjoying a bottle of 2005 Clos Rougeard Saumur-Champigny on Christmas night.

SHANNON SPRENTALL - “Van winkle bourbons!!!”
Shannon and fam will be sampling a variety of Van winkle bourbons, and a good time is sure to be had by all!

• Old Rip Van Winkle 12 Year Old Special Reserve 90.4° $68.99
• Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye 13yr 95.4° $68.99
• Pappy Van Winkle 15 years old 107° Bourbon  $78.99
• Pappy Van Winkle 20 Year Old Reserve 90.4°  $135.99

RHETT BEILETTI - Its all Bubbles and Bordeaux for Rhett

• 2002 Agrapart Mineral ($59.99)
• 2002 Guy Charlemagne Mesnillisime  ($69.99)
• 2003 Domaine de Chevalier Rouge

STEVE RAYMAN - Steve has picked out a variety of wine including a Top 100 fav for his family festivities.

•  Agrapart Terroirs Champagne from Magnum – ($89.99 – 1.5L)
• Roederer Estate Brut ($17.99)
• 1999 Luneau Papin Muscadet L d’or ($19.99)
• 2008 Paul Pernot Bourgogne Blanc ($17.99)
• 2008 Mas Carlot Clairette ($9.99)
• 2007 Giraud Chateauneuf du Pape Tradition ($34.99)
• 2006 Viticcio Chianti Classico Riserva (Top 100 Wine) ($24.99)

SHAWN REYNOLDS - Our Cali Correspondent is keepin’ it classy.

• Flowers Pinot Noir ($39.99)

SUMMER MARTIN - Yo me quedo en España y Chile.  I’m staying in Spain and Chile this Christmas (at least for my wine selections) ¡Feliz Navidad!

• 2005 Muga Reserva ($24.99)
• 2005 Sierra Salinas Mira ($16.99)
• 2008 Montes Late Harvest Gewurztraminer 375ml ($19.99)
• (Oh, and my husband is sure to spike our eggnog with some Courvoisier or Remy Martin)

Over the years Swedish friends have punched up my holidays with glogg — and schnapps and akvavit and ice cold vodka and …

I had another great batch this year in St. Petersburg made by my pal Annica Keeler, a one-woman Swedish cultural center, who feeds glogg-less expatriates every Christmas.  This is her recipe.

B-Blogg Gloggg from Annica Keeler

• 1 btl red wine
• 1/4  bottle vodka
• 1/4 bottle brandy or Cognac
• Half cup whole cloves 
• Half cup cinnamon sticks
• 1 half cup  sugar or more (to taste)
• A few whole star anise nuts
• Dried bitter-orange peel  (to taste)

Mix and heat over low heat  until warm and sugar melted.

When cool, keep in a tight bottle for a week for best taste but a day or two works fine too.

Annica says:  ”Traditionally this is served with a small spoon of raisins and peeled almonds in the bottom of your glass.  Lots of JULE – HUGS from me to you all!”

To me that’s the best wine I’ve tasted this year, the ripely juicy Sagrantino, found in a small corner of Umbria; a lush black beauty that comes with its own elf.  If you met Giampaolo Tabarrini on his visit this year, his merriment is still jingling.  Giampaolo brings energy and passion to match the challenge of this unique grape, its blackberries and dark plums so powerful.  It’s a secret ingredient in many fine wines that need booster shots.  Alone it’s remarkable.

2004 Tabarrini Montefalco Sagrantino Colle Grimaldesco ($39.99)

 The 2003 Montefalco Colle alle Machie ($69.99) is richly ready to drink now (a 93 from Steve R).  For me the 2004 and 2005 Sagrantino from Colle Grimanldesco, also in Montefalco, are gifts for the cellar, but  the 2004 is approachable if you cant’ wait.  (Both $39.99, the 2004 gets a 94 from Steve, the 2005 a 92).

The extra fun is food that will match.  Rustic and lusty, and my first thoughts are wild boar.  Boar are scarce in my neighborhood, but I can get a fine young pig to roast on the grill from Roy Sierra, a Cuban rancher who runs Casa Sierra in Old West Tampa.

The plant life of Umbria has even more flavor, the best olive oil in Italy, the remarkable truffles, fennel, cardoon, sweet onion and more.  Even the eggs, lentils, potatoes and pasta are renowned.  So I think roast pork with fennel and cardoons, pasta with truffles and eggs, and fire roasted beans and Sagrantino!

Buon natale, Giampaolo!

What about you?  The roast beef of old England and a fine claret?  Ratatouille and an old white Burgundy?  Rack of lamb and a bottle of Grange?  Chrstmas goose and an Auslese?

Can't decide? Get a gift card!

1)      Once you’ve figured a price, give some thought to what the recipients like, or wines you’ve had with them.  Please don’t say, “These people like really good wine, I don’t know what kind, but really, really good.”  Think about them a little.  If you know they like Italian wines, Pinot Noir or California Chardonnay, let’s start there.

2)      Forget guessing their taste.  Give a bottle you like and include a card or a recipe, “We had this in Napa with a great all-vegetable dinner.”

3)      If you’re really stumped go for a dessert wine or bubbles

4)      Don’t buy to impress a showoff.  That’s a battle you can’t win.  Give a corkscrew – or a wine stopper.
“Put a cork in it, Joe.”

(When all else fails, go with a gift card and they can pick it out themselves!)

We all have budgets, and wisely spent, you can set out a pretty respectable selection for $10 or less.

I like to keep it simple. One or two reds, and one or two whites and keep to something of a theme.  Consider:  

2006 Monte Antico is on Wine Spectator's Top 100 of 2009 ($8.99)

TOP 100 STEALS:  Wine Spectator tightened its belt this year too and found some bargain goodies for Santa. The 2006 Monte Antico and D’Arenberg’s Stump Jump are easy stand-up drinking and flavor-bright at ($8.99) Top 100 whites will cost a little more, like the crisp and limey classic New Zealand Sauv Blanc 2008 Brancott Reserve ($14.99).  The best bubbly buy from the Top 100 is Gloria Ferrer’s Brut for $12.99. (Top 100 wines)

NOCHE BUENA:  Say Feliz Navidad with Spanish and Latin wines for great value and change of flavor that would go great with roast pork or tapas.  For me that would be the 2007 Este table wine, a luscious meritage of Rhonish spice and Tempranillo style ($7.99) and a richfull 2007 Albarino from Martin Codax in Rias Baixas, either peachy Burgans or the apples’n’pears cuvee under Codax’s own label. Fruit yourself (both $11.99).

SURPRISE GIFTS:  The 2008 Pillar Box Red two thirds Shiraz and all juice and spice, full round and the sweetheart of the party ($9.99). It comes in special delivery wrapping from Padthaway, the coolest address in South Australia. For a white that no one expects and everyone one loves (not just me, but the whole store) set out a lovely Hungarian furmint , the 2006 Chateau Derezla. This is a dry version of Hungary’s great Tokajis, not sweet yet generous with perfume, clean soft flavors and a friendly body to make a nutcracker swoon. ($8.99)  Say you discovered these yourself.  I won’t tell.

Have you got other ideas for buying quality in party quantities?  What are your favorites?

If you really want to celebrate for a more exclusive affair, I’ll be back soon with more celebratory wines.