A day without wine is like a day without sunshine….someone famous once said that, and I can’t remember who.  One of the best gifts to find under the tree this year is an empty wine bottle with a gift certificate on it for a a kit to make at home or a batch of wine made on premises!  We print a personalized gift certificate for you, put it on the bottle, and cork it and put a shrink on the top.  Completely personal, fun…and you probably get to share some of the finished product!  Kit prices start as low as $52, and wine made on premises range from $102 up to $215.  Have a happy holiday season.

We’re back in the shop after a lovely weekend.  Lots of wines on the go, and we have a busy week helping people bottle their wines.  It was nice to have a relaxing weekend – Jim and I had our good friends Patti & Peter over for dinner on Saturday night.  We served a fennel and grapefruit salad, roasted vegetables, herb crusted pork tenderloin, and rice with onions, raisins and toasted walnuts.  I’ll post the recipes later this week.  We enjoyed a Lang Vineyards Grand Pinot with the meal – it’s the commercial equivalent of the Limited Edition Lake County Trio Blanca, and was delightful.  We also enjoyed one of last year’s Limited Editions – the New Zealand Merlot.  We used the Vinturi Aerator on the red wine, and we all agreed it made a difference in the flavour and mouthfeel of the wine.  You can get a Vinturi Aerator free by ordering any 3 Limited Editions before December 11!  It’s a $60 value, and worth the money.  Cheers!

Here are some simple principles for pairing food with wine:

• Match your wine to the strongest flavour on the plate.
• Balance the weight of the wine to the weight of the food.  A full-flavoured meal needs a full-bodied wine; a lighter dish requires a lighter wine.
• Fatty, greasy or rich dishes need a dry wine with good acidity to clean the palate.
• Salty dishes need a slightly sweet wine with full fruit flavours, moderate acidity, lower alcohol and fruity wines with a touch of sweetness.
• Cream sauces and butter require wines of good fruit and matching creamy style or contrasting acidity to cleanse the palate.
• The dessert wine should be sweeter than the dessert.
• Rare meats need young tannic reds and well-done meats need older or fruity reds with little to no tannins.
• Foods high in acidity are complemented by wines high in acidity.
• Cheers – and bon appetit!

I’ve discovered a fabulous new magazine, and want to share it with you.  Savour is an Okanagan magazine focused on our vibrant food and wine industry.  The wine reviews are excellent, and the recipes even better!  We have quite a few copies here at Wine Central, so drop in and pick one up – free while quantities last.  Or, visit Savour on line.  Bon appetit!

It’s the holiday season, and we’re going to give away a great prize! Every time you make a wine between now and December 23rd, your name will be entered in a draw to win a 51 Bottle Wine Cooler. It has dual temperature zones, can be used free-standing or counter mounted, and has a retail value of $1,199.00. We’d love to put a bow on it just for you!