Each Friday we highlight a wine from the Northwest that we think is a real "find." By find we might mean that it's a steal, as all of these wines we'll feature weekly are at or under $20. We might also mean "Hey, you really need to go find this", and it might be a wine that we feel not enough people know about. In any case, with the weekend pending, we're hoping to help you "find" a wine to kickoff the weekend right. We'll tell you a little bit about the wine and try to help you track it down here in the Northwest.
What do all men want? To be handsome, seriously. But other than that, we'll take something that's going to make us come off as cool, in the know, and if possible, more handsome. Remington Steele was handsome. I don't know if he's a father but it doesn't matter. But you can't buy handsome. You can however buy cool wine gifts. I've got a few recommendations for you and a couple guide lines.
A: get us something we can actually use. I don't know about most folks but I live in the city in a small house, I don't really have room for things to keep just because. If someone buys me something that I can't use, I actually usually take it back and exchange it for something I'm going to use, sometimes that's something as mundane as dress socks. I need those. B: Get us something tasteful, so we don't look goofy, you know.
Corkscrews are good: Here's two from local company True Fabrications that can be a splurge or a budget minded gift:
Oak Barrel Sommelier Knife from LaguioleThe Laguiole sommelier knife is about as serious as it gets. Hand crafted in Aubrac in Southern France, each knife made by a single artisan and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. It is a finely crafted tool, meant to be handled with deference to tradition and expertise. The Laguiole originated from a folding knife used by the region’s cattle farmers, and so its original handles were made from cow horn. This particular Laguiole is crafted from used oak barrels as a further homage to the French wine tradition. $139
Timber Wooden Double-Hinged CorkscrewForm follows function, and the functionality of the Timber is hard to argue with. Frankly, to the untrained eye, it looks a fair bit like a Laguiole. At $11.99, though, the Timber gets the job done on a budget. With the same features as the Laguiole and a similar look, the Timber is a bit easier to use, with a doubled-hinged pull-tap that allows for a bit more assistance removing the cork and a bottle opener that lets your beer-drinking friends feel included. $11.99
Concrete Thermal Wine Chiller
The concrete wine thermals by Montana based Angle 33 fit the bill for functional and handsome. These coolers are designed to cool the wine without water and they look great. There are different sizes for Bordeaux style and Rhone/Burgundy style bottles so you'll want to make sure you get the right size for your imbibing needs. Throw the thermal in the fridge and keep that white, pink, or frankly red wine chilled throughout dinner all summer long. The company is a family business and you can get the Thermals in any color, even customized. I say keep it classic and go with the plain concrete one. That's what Remington would have done. $65
Speaking of Remington Steele this weeks Friday Find would suit him as well. The 2013 Steel Chardonnay from Three Rivers Winery is crisp and refreshing. It comes in a screwcap so you don't need one of those cork screws but a wine chiller would be an excellent companion. Crisp and clean with aromatics of stone and early season grapefruit. The palate is also citrus fruit, with smacking acidity. $14
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