Now That’s What I Call a Holiday Gift!

It is the time of year again where giving and receiving gifts occupies all of us way too much. It is such a challenge every year and can create unneeded stress; taking the fun out of the holidays. While lines are growing in the glamorous big city shops and you strain your brain to come up with clever and wonderful presents, there is a much more special and, most importantly, a meaningful gift solution for your significant other or friends and family. Here are some hints to give you clues as to what this gift just might be:

1. It helps create local jobs and preserves farmland.
2. It’s a gift that you can enjoy quietly by yourself or graciously share with others.
3. You don’t need to spend hours finding shelf space or worry that you offend someone if you don’t display it prominently or even sell it next year at your yard sale.
4. It’s something special that doesn’t need to be dusted off every week and actually improves while collecting more dust.
5. It’s something that can surprise, provide pleasure, relax, bring medicinal advantages (do I hear aphrodisiac?) help make new friends, help you forget, provide merriment, and stimulate conversation with more truth content.

So what is the perfect gift to bring joy to your loved ones and to yourself? You probably guessed it - Long Island Wine!

Now you may say, “Why Long Island Wines and not the fancy names from Bordeaux and California?” I will give you 3 reasons:

1. Boring and old, has been done! Bring something new into your life!
2. Fantastic value and compared to the big $$$ names, Long Island wines are quite a bargain!
3. It is much more personal and often much more appreciated to give a home grown gift from your own backyard.

So I thought I’d make it easy for you and give you a list of wines and gifts that are unique, special, and will be greatly enjoyed for many years to come.

• The gift that keeps giving!

  Give the gift of a wine club membership. The recipient will get quarterly shipments of wine and will think of you for a whole year when the new shipments arrive.

• The perfect bottle of wine!

  The following wines are only a short list of the most amazing, highly rated and acclaimed wines that you can find at Long Island wineries. These are the trophy wines that belong in the cellar of any serious wine lover. They have tremendous longevity making them ideal for long term aging.

  • 2005 Paumanok Vineyards Cab. Sauvignon Tuthills Lane $60
  • 2008 Roanoke Vineyards Gabby Cabernet Franc $38
  • 2005 The Grapes of Roth Merlot $50
  • 2008 Bedell Cellars Musee Red Blend $75
  • 2007 Shinn Estate Petit Verdot $36
  • 2007 Wölffer Estate Noblesse Oblige Sparkling Rose, Magnum $125
  • 2001 Sparkling Pointe Brut Seduction $50
  • 2007 Macari Vineyards Bergen Road Meritage $46
  • 2007 Peconic Bay Winery Lowerre Family Estate Blend $56
  • 2010 Jamesport Vineyards Late Harvest Riesling $45
  • 2008 Wölffer Estate Christian’s Cuvee Merlot $100
  • 2008 Channing Daughters Winery Mosaico White blend $29

• The perfect experience!

  The next 6 months are ideal to visit the local wineries. The tasting rooms are not crowded and you will receive the VIP treatment. Call any of the wineries to organize a private tour and tasting, or even a tasting with lunch. Make a weekend of it and stay at one of the local B&Bs or hotels and have a wonderful day and night without the hassle of driving for hours and hours.

• Great food and wine.

  Call your favorite restaurant or ask the winery for a recommendation to get a wine pairing dinner organized. They are fun and you will truly understand and enjoy why Long Island wines are so great with food.

So now you have the perfect holiday gift. And please make sure to stay away from too much eggnog!

I wish you a wonderful holiday and a happy new year!

Below is my favorite cookie recipe that you can enjoy with some of the great dessert wines produced in Long Island.

Almond Crescent Cookies (it’s not the holidays without them!)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup softened butter
• confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• 1 ¾ cups sifted flour
• ¾ cup finely chopped almonds
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 300°. Cream butter; gradually beat in 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla, the flour, almonds, and salt. Blend well. Chill. Shape dough into crescents, using about 1/2 tablespoon for each cookie. Place cookies on baking sheets and bake for 18 to 20 minutes.

Combine 1 cup confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Roll warm cookies in confectioners' sugar mixture. Store in a wax paper lined cookie tin.

Makes about 5-6 dozen crescent cookies.