Wines for the Top 10 Tough-To-Buy-For People on Your Holiday List

By Natalie MacLean

Pairing wines with personalities for gift shoppers—there’s a Canadian app for that (and a web site)

Natalie MacLean has some Good Gift ideas for your Happy Holiday Season!

“Wine is one of the few presents that makes both the giver and the receiver look good,” says Natalie MacLean, the red-nosed e-sommelier behind www.nataliemaclean.com, Canada's largest wine web site. “You look like you spent a bundle on the gift (even if you didn’t) and the recipients are happy that you think they know something about wine (even if they don’t).”

This holiday season, anyone can tap into MacLean’s expertise via her free web site and mobile apps for iPhone, BlackBerry, Droid and other smartphones. They help consumers with a whole new type of pairing: wine with the people on your Christmas shopping list. The app and site also pair wines to thousands of dishes, including holiday favourites, such as turkey, goose, duck, and even partridge in a pear tree.

Natalie MacLean's Book. Look for the U.K. and Canadian editions, too.

“When you give wine, doubles are fine, there are no wrong sizes and you can always find something good in stock,” MacLean adds. “Vintage gifts will get anyone into the holiday spirits.”

Natalie’s Top Ten Gift Wines for Your ...

1. Hairdresser: For the person who combines humour and optimism every time she styles your mop. Go for a light, gulpable wine like a dry rosé. It’s versatile and fuss-free—a great quaff for your coif.

2. Psychiatrist: Of course, he’ll analyze whatever you give him so choose a wine that’s all about balance. Easy-drinking pinot noir is medium-bodied yet packed with flavour. Surprise him with a large-format bottle, like a magnum. Big thinking means big progress for you. This wine also works for psychologists, marriage counsellors and bartenders.

3. The Boss: Pick too pricey a wine and your boss will think your last raise was too much; go cheap, and she’ll think you lack judgement. Focus on a label with a lot of white space since that makes the bottle look more expensive. A castle in the distance also works, but avoid fluffy animals.

4. Personal Trainer: Think a muscular, robust red would work? Hold that position. Instead, try riesling: this light white wine pairs well with a health-nut diet of salad and seafood, plus it’s low in alcohol. You can also give it to Pilates instructors, yoga masters and Tai Chi coaches.

5. Financial Planner: You and he both know it’s going to take decades before your portfolio recovers after the crash of 2008. With that long-term view, vintage port makes the perfect gift. This fortified wine from northern Portugal, with its long aging potential, will be around for both of you into your retirements.

6. Travel Agent: She’s been everywhere and seen everything, so go local with your choice of wine. Even better, if you live close to the winery, get the bottle signed by the winemaker.

7. Teacher: If you can’t find a suitably obscure wine with a Latin name, there’s always cream sherry. It’s the tipple of Oxford dons, not to mention the centerpiece of Edgar Allan Poe’s classic short story The Case of the Amontillado.

8. Mail Deliverer: Go for a winery that’s consistent year after year in producing a wine that can be enjoyed in snow, rain, sleet or hail. Try an Australian shiraz or Argentine malbec.

9. Mechanic: Yes, there’s a wine called Red Truck, but try to be more imaginative. Why not give a wine made by Mario Andretti in California or Ferrari in Italy?

10. Online Date: So you’re on your second or third rendezvous with the person you met on eHarmony or Dating.com. If you’re not sure yet whether marriage is a possibility, try something middle-of-the-road, like merlot. Yes, it’s the soft jazz of wine, but until you know, play it safe.

And after all that shopping, don’t forget yourself: even Santa’s little helpers need more than milk and cookies. Try something with high-alcohol like Italian Amarone or Rhone syrah: these big reds easily drown out tone-deaf carolling and pair beautifully with tired feet.

For Natalie’s favourite wineries, tasting notes and recipe matches for all the wine types mentioned above, please visit: http://bit.ly/GiftWines

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California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance

Winner: Governor's Environmental And Economic Leadership Award

California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (San Francisco County)

• The California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance’s program has provided a Code of Sustainable Winegrowing Practices Workbook to the industry.  They have conducted more than 200 self-assessment workshops with more than 1,500 vintners and growers who have assessed their operations against 277 sustainable winegrowing criteria.

“These companies are true leaders,” said California Environmental Protection Agency Secretary Linda Adams. “They prove that we can make the move to a thriving green economy and that going green is good for the pocketbook and the environment.”

 

Awards are given based on strength in eight specific areas: results, transferability, environmental impact, resource conservation, economic progress, innovation and uniqueness, pollution prevention and environmental justice.

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Plan a SWP Wine Tour

If you would like to plan a winery tour to visit Sustainable Winegrowing Program Participants please visit www.discovercaliforniawine.com. Click on Create your own wine tour. You can search for SWP Participants under the "Amenities" search feature.

 

Wineries Adobe Creek Vineyards, Sonoma Alexander Valle  Vineyards, Healdsburg Ampelos Cellars and Vineyard, Lompoc Bargetto Winery, Soquel Bear Creek Winery, Lodi Benziger Family Winery, Glen Ellen Beringer Vineyards, St. Helena Blackstone Winery Sonoma, Kenwood Bogle Vineyards, Clarksburg Bokisch Vineyards & Winery, Lodi Bonterra Vineyards, Hopland Brutocao Cellars, Mendocino County Casa de Caballos Vineyards, Templeton Cedar Mountain Winery, Livermore Chateau Souverain, Geyserville Clark-Claudon Vineyards, St. Helena Cline Cellars, Sonoma Clos De La Tech, Sonoma Conn Creek Vineyard/Villa Mt. Eden Winery, St. Helena Cooper-Garrod Estate Vineyards, Saratoga Cuvaison Winery, Calistoga Davis Bynum Winery, Healdsburg Delicato Vineyards, Manteca Dry Creek Vineyard, Healdsburg Dunnewood Winery, Ukiah E & J Gallo Winery, Modesto Eaglepoint Ranch Winery, Talmage Estancia Winery, Soledad Ferrari-Carano Vineyards and Winery, Healdsburg Fetzer Vineyards, Hopland Field Stone Winery, Healdsburg Francis Ford Coppola Presents Rosso and Bianco Winery, Geyserville Franciscan Winery, St. Helena Gallo Family Vineyards Inc., Healdsburg Garden Creek Vineyards, Geyserville Gregory Graham Wines, Lower Lake Groth Vineyards and Winery, Oakville Gundlach Bundschu Winery, Sonoma Hahn Estates, Soledad Hafner Vineyard, Healdsburg Honig Vineyard and Winery, Rutherford Inman Family Wines, Windsor J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, San Jose Jordan Vineyard and Winery, Healdsburg Joseph Swan Vineyards, Forestville Keller Estate Winery, Petaluma Kenefick Ranch, Calistoga Kunde Estate Winery, Kenwood La Crema, Windsor Lange Twins, Acampo Lauterbach Cellars, Santa Rosa LeMulet Rouge, Fiddletown Les Chenes Estate Vineyards, Livermore Little Valley Winery, Sunol The Lucas Winery, Lodi Macchia, Lockeford Magnanimus Wine Group, San Francisco Mazzocco Winery, Healdsburg Mendocino Wine Company, Ukiah Mission Bell Winery, Madera Mokelumne Glen Vineyards, Lodi Montevina Winery, Plymouth Nathanson Creek Vineyard, Sonoma Navarro Vineyards and Winery, Philo Page Mill Winery, Sunol Palumbo Family Vineyards Winery, Temecula Peay Vineyards, Annapolis Pedroncelli Winery, Geyserville Philo Ridge Vineyards, Philo Pleasant Valley Vineyard, Aptos Quady Winery, Madera Quivira Vineyards, Healdsburg Red Head Ranch, Paso Robles Renwood Winery, Plymouth Retzlaff Vineyards, Livermore Robert Mondavi Winery, Oakville Rodney Strong Vineyards, Healdsburg Russian Hill Estate, Windsor Santino Winery, Plymouth Saracina Vineyards, Hopland Sea Smoke Cellars, Lompoc Seavey Vineyard, St. Helena Seghesio Family Winery, Healdsburg Shadow Canyon Cellars, San Luis Obispo Shadow Mountain Vineyards and Winery, Warner Springs Shenandoah Vineyards and Sobon Estate, Plymouth Sierra Vista Vineyard & Winery, Placerville Simi Winery, Healdsburg Smith Vineyard, Ukiah Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards, Windsor Sonoma Wine Company, Graton Spenker Winery, Lodi Spring Mountain Vineyard, St. Helena St. Amant Winery, Lodi St. Supery Vineyards & Winery, Napa The Hess Collection, Napa Trefethen Family Vineyards, Napa Trinchero Family Estates, St. Helena Turner Road Vintners, Lodi Wellington Vineyards, Glen Ellen Wente Family Estates, Livermore West Brook Wine Farm, O'Neals Williams Selyem Winery & Estate Vineyard, Healdsburg Wilson Winery, Healdsburg Windy Oak Estates, Corralitos Woodside Vineyards, Woodside Wrath Cellars, Santa Rosa Zaca Mesa Vineyards, Los Olivos

Vineyards Alegria Vineyards, Healdsburg Amador Ridge, Sutter Creek Archer Family Vineyards, Santa Rosa Arrastra Vineyards, Placerville Arroyo Seco Canyon Vineyard, Greenfield Atwood Ranch, Glen Ellen Black Rock Ranch, Kelseyville Bokisch Ranches, LLC, Lodi Brutocao Vineyards, Mendocino County Campbell Ranch Vineyards, Annapolis Canard Vineyards Canino Ridge, Lower Lake Captain Vineyards, Moraga Cave City Vineyards, Mountain Ranch Chandler Farms, Selma Charles Vineyard, Boonville Chelli Vineyard, Fulton Clos de Madrone Vineyard, Los Gatos Cononiah Vineyard, Ukiah Creekside Farming Co. Inc., Madera Crockett Family Vineyard, Glen Ellen CRS Farming LLC, Visalia Crystal Springs Vineyard, Camino Dark Horse Farming Co, Ukiah Deridere Aper Vinea LP, Healdsburg Devoto Vineyards LLC, Kelseyville Dhaliwal Vineyard, Lodi Drake Enterprises Inc, Temecula Dutton Ranch, Graton Eaglepoint Ranch, Talmage Emery Estate Vineyard, Sonoma England Crest Vineyards, Glen Ellen Faith Vineyard, Los Olivos Foletta Farms Inc., Modesto Fuso Farms Giusso Vineyards, Geyserville Glenwood Vineyards, Kenwood K & S Watts Vineyard, Lodi La Cienega Vineyard, Healdsburg La Cruz Vineyard at Keller Estate, Petaluma MacRostie Winery and Vineyards,Sonoma Merlo Vineyards, Geyserville Mill Road Orchard, Paso Robles Mohr-Fry Ranches, Lodi Navarro Vineyards, Philo Pey-Marin Vineyards, Marin County Polesky Lentz Vineyard, Healdsburg Puccioni Ranch, Healdsburg Quartz Hill Vineyard, Placerville  R.S. Batth Farms, Fowler Redhawk Vineyard, Temecula Rosenthal Vineyards San Bernabe Vineyards, King City Sentinel Oak Vineyard, Plymouth Sky Pine Vineyards, Cloverdale Small Vines Viticulture,Sebastopol Smith Vineyards, Ukiah Sunview Shandon, Shandon Tre Torrente Vineyards, Healdsburg Van Diemen Farms, Lodi Vino Farms, Lodi Wasson Vineyards, Geyserville   Other Allied Grape Growers, Fresno Applied Bio Control Professional Crop Consulting Bevill Vineyard Management, Healdsburg Enzenauer Vineyard Management Inc, Healdsburg Luchsinger Vineyard Management, Lodi Lodi-Woodbridge Winegrape Commission, Lodi Madrone Vineyard Management, Glen Ellen Oldham Farms and Ag Unlimited LLC, Ukiah Pina Vineyard Management, Oakville Redwood Empire Vineyard Management, Geyserville Vinepro Vineyard Management Inc, Cloverdale Vineyard Professional Services, Templeton Walsh Vineyard Management, Inc., Napa             TWITTER.COM/LOCALFOODWINE *LOCAL FOOD AND WINE* FACEBOOK/LOCALFOODAndwine

 

 

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Thanksgiving Is About Gratitude...And Food!

Thanksgiving Is About Gratitude...And Food!

Everywhere where Thanksgiving is celebrated, we have a favorite recipe that each of us takes out, dusts off, - often from our Grandmother's recipe book - and cooks up each year to share with our friends and loved ones.

Thanksgiving. What was your grandma's favorite Turkey Day recipe?

 And while  Thanksgiving has become a Food Fest for most of us, it is firstly a celebration of gratitude. With gratitude as the cornerstone ingredient for manifesting abundance, this is, then, a powerful recipe:  Thankfulness + Good Food = Abundance.

Thanksgiving is also a time of sharing. Back on Plymouth Rock, it is significant to remember that the Mayflower Pilgrims would not have survived that first winter had it not been for the Native Americans sharing their knowledge and abundance of the land and native foods such as corn and beer. (Yes, beer!)

So, yes, Thanksgiving is a time for families and food. It is also a time of sharing and gratitude.  So...what was your grandmother's favorite recipe?  Mine was whipped yams baked with mini marshmallows.  I think I'll start practice cooking it now again in preparation for the big day...!

Help for the Holidays

 

 

If your family is one of the many struggling this holiday season I would urge you to research the non-profits in your area that can help meet your needs. I have listed just a few of the many valuable organizations serving the residents of the 23rd Senate District.

• FOOD Share, Ventura County
• Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles
• Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, Los Angeles County
• Manna Conejo Valley Food Bank, Ventura and Los Angeles County
• Valley Food Bank, San Fernando Valley

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21st Annual Malibu Pie Festival

 

Kara Seward with her pie entry for Malibu Pie Festival, October.

 

The Malibu United Methodist Church hosted their 21st Annual Malibu Pie Festival last month. The proceeds from pie sales and silent auction items went to support the church's youth and family programs and service projects. I am proud to announce that my staffer for the Malibu area, Kara Seward, entered her family's blueberry pie recipe and won third place in the Fruit Pie category. Congratulations to all the entries!

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Okanagan Fall Wine Festival Gold Winners 2010

Okanagan Fall Wine Festival Gold Winners 2010

GOLD MEDAL WINNERS

WINERY | BRAND NAME  | VINTAGE

Arrowleaf Cellars First Crush Rose 2009    Blasted Church Vineyards Chardonnay Musque 2009   Cassini Cellars Pinot Noir Reserve 2007  Cedar Creek Estate Winery Pinot Noir 2008  Church & State Wines Hollenbach Pinot Noir 2007  Desert Hills Estate winery Syrah Select 2007  Domaine de Chaberton Estate Winery Siegerrebe 2008

Hester Creek won gold for Fall Okanagan Wine Fest.

Hester Creek Estate Winery Reserve Cabernet Franc 2007  Inniskillin Okanagan Dark Horse Vineyard Riesling Icewine 2008    Intrigue Wines Riesling 2009    Jackson-Triggs Okanagan Estate Proprietors’ Reserve Dry Riesling 2008    Jackson-Triggs Okanagan Estate Grand Reserve Riesling 2008    Jackson-Triggs Okanagan Estate Grand Reserve Merlot 2007     Jackson-Triggs Okanagan Estate Proprietors’ Reserve Shiraz 2007     Jackson-Triggs Okanagan Estate Grand Reserve Shiraz 2006     La Frenz Sauvignon Blanc 2009      Lake Breeze Vineyards Pinot Gris 2009     Laughing Stock Vineyards Portfolio 2008   Mission Hill Family Estate Reserve Riesling 2007     Nk’Mip Cellars Qwam Qwmt Cabernet Sauvignon 2007    Painted Rock Estate Winery Merlot 2007  Peller Estates Family Series Chardonnay 2009   Quails’ Gate Winery Optima Late Harvest 2008      Road 13 Vineyards Sparkling Chenin Blanc 2007      Rustic Roots MULBERRY PEAR 2008    Sandhill Pinot Gris 2009    Sandhill Small Lots Barbera 2007    Sandhill Small Lots Petit Verdot 2008    Sandhill Small Lots Syrah 2008     See Ya Later Ranch Brut N/VSilkscarf Winery Viognier 2009      Sleeping Giant Fruit Winery Raspberry 2009     Tinhorn Creek Vineyards Oldfield Series Syrah 2007      Twisted Tree Vineyards and Winery Tempranillo 2008

Download the Full Winners' List, including Silver and Bronze Winners HERE

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OKANAGAN FOOD AND WINE *  VANCOUVER FOOD AND  WINE

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