Friday, December 3, 2010

Tips for buying wine for the holidays

Whether you're thinking about throwing a party, or giving wine as a gift, here are some thoughts about how to get your best bang for the buck with your wine purchases in December.


1. Buy by the case. When you find a wine you like, get more than one bottle for yourself and for gifts. Most wine shops will allow you to mix a case (12 bottles), not just buy 12 of the same one. In either option, you will save 10-15 percent over the by the bottle price.

2. Look for wines with screw caps. I am a huge fan of this type of closure -- great for parties because you don't have to mess with a corkscrew, and frankly, I love the ease of opening for drinking with dinner at home, too. Some types of wines are mostly screwcaps, including two of my faves -- New Zealand sauvignon blanc and Oregon pinot noir.

3. Select food-friendly wine varietals that will satisfy a range of tastes. Click here for some ideas.

4. Look for affordable sparkling wines. These make great party choices, too. Try Spanish cava, Italian prosecco, or one of my favorites, the New Mexican (yes) sparkling wine by Gruet.

5. Use inexpensive bottles for punches.


Source: Food & Wine

No comments:

Post a Comment