By Rick Riozza
Just as we wrote last month about Mother’s Day, I can write the same words for this fast-approaching Father’s Day: Goodness! It’s already here! And whether things have changed as far as one’s intention to get out and visit family, or, to continue to play it on the safe side—if we’ve not already, there’s still time to get our wine enthusiast dad, grandfather, husband, or father figure a notable gift.
Wine always fits the bill for gifting; and, if it’s wine accoutrement that you’d think would bring a smile to dad, one can simply google Father’s Day wine gifts—everything out there is for sale.
One very reasonably priced wine accessory gift that I find is so practical, usable, and re-usable is the Vinakas silicon wine stoppers. They are as simple as can be, and just as simple to fit on the top of the wine bottle. The company writes, “PRESERVE YOUR FAVORITE WINES – Designed to keep your wine fresh and preserve the taste for weeks providing an airtight seal that is leak proof. Does not add flavor – Guaranteed.”
Honestly, I’ve become spoiled over their use. When I have any appreciable amount of wine left in the bottle—be it white, red, or even sparkling, I’ll flip these little silicon caps on the bottles in seconds flat and shove the bottle into the fridge. It can be standing up or on it’s side, wherever I find the room!
Of course there are a few companies that manufacture a product like this. And they all seem to work the same. Vinakas’ cap/stoppers are made of premium quality FDA approved food grade silicone material that can seemingly last for a few years—at least. Hand-wash or throw them in the dishwasher as many times as you need.
For grins and giggles, each wine stopper has a different saying and color design: Wine Not? Sip Happens, Rough Day, Liquid Therapy and Wine me up. They also fit standard sized wine, beer and other bottles. And as I hinted above, they can fit on a Champagne/sparkling wine bottle—most of the time—and has enough grab to keep the carbonation within the bottle without any leakage. In a gift box, five Vinakas Stoppers sell for $14.99 on Amazon with a $5 overnight delivery fee.
Another great gift for the dad who loves chilled sparklers, the Riedel Performance Champagne Glass serves as the ultimate compliment to all things wonderful ($59/set of 2). We recently wrote on this glassware—coachellavalleyweekly.com/drink-with-your-eyes-first. It’s specifically designed to optimize the flavors and aromas of the world’s most finely crafted bubbly. And it absolutely does!! Every sparkling wine we enjoy gets a quality bump up in aromas, flavors, textures and finishes. The phenomenon is close to amazing—the gift that keeps on giving!
And now, a couple of Father’s Day sippers of particular note:
Louis Roederer—producer of the iconic Cristal, as we know, also owns a phenomenal portfolio of great Champagne. In years when Cristal isn’t being produced, some of the fruit destined for their 250+ ultra, top-quality wine is passed along to their Brut Nature Philippe Starck Label, recently the 2012 vintage was released ($89)
This renown Champagne House writes: “This is very rare for the haute Champagne producers and is only possible because Louis Roederer owns almost 75 percent of its own vineyards (the highest percentage of any major Champagne house). With designer Phillipe Starck involved in the blending and label design, this wine’s bright and pleasing label uncannily perfectly matches it’s white and yellow fruit flavors and crisp acidity.”
For dads and Champagne lovers all over, this is one Premier Cru Cuvèe not to be missed! Produced in the Vallée de la Marne and made from 55% Pinot Noir, 20% Chardonnay, and 25% Meunier. And you’ve no doubt noticed it’s a Brut Nature—meaning there are no added sugars and less than 3% residual sugars in the cuvèe. This puts the Champagne at its driest—a real trend for lovers of the bubbly.
It’s described by the winemakers as “Brut Nature 2012 Blanc is a Champagne of action and movement, which exudes intelligence; taut and lively, bright and elegant. This is a Champagne of daylight, of instant pleasure.”
Back down to earth, what about this reasonably priced red wine sipper for the Father’s Day dinner table? Cellier des Dauphins 2018 Cotes Du Rhone Reserve Grenache Syrah at only $11.99 a bottle; such a deal and such a tasty Cotes du Rhone. And let’s face it: these southern French Grenach Syrahs have the attention of most red wine quaffers as to quality, tastes, and pricing!
This 2018 Cellier des Dauphins Reserve shows aromas of flowers, garrigue, spice and forest floor. On the palate, there’s a rich blend of sunbaked red and black fruit. It’s full of flavor, super supple, with authentic Cotes du Rhone bouquet, taste, and finish. A father’s delight for sure!
Because ordering time is of the essence, as I mentioned in our Mother’s Day article, I really recommend Saucey.com: This company delivers wine, beer, spirits, gifts, and more (bar paraphernalia). And it isn’t a subscription service; instead, it partners with local bottle shops in major cities including Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York City, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose and Washington DC.
Such being the case, one can order something very specific, as with the Riedel Champagne glasses, the Roederer Stark Label Champagne or the Cellier des Dauphins Cotes du Rhone. If your dad lives in one of these large city general areas, when they find a shop that has it, they offer to get it to his door as quickly as 30 minutes after you order. Otherwise, the company says they can have the wine delivered in two days.
Our Best Wishes! Cheers to all the Dads out there!
