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Cheers 2 Wine News - November 2007 Issue
November 25, 2007
Holiday Cheers from Steve and Kathy Howe


Wine Quote




"Every time we love, every time we give, it's Christmas. "

Dale Evans








Top Gifts for Wine Lovers



Wine Stemware

Did you know that you can enhance the flavor of your wine by serving it in glasses especially designed for that type of wine? There are many wine glasses available to fit anyone's budget. That wine lover on your list will appreciate beautiful glasses in which to enjoy his or her favorite wine.
Learn more about wine stemware.




Wine Spectator Subscription

Give the gift that keeps giving month after month. This high quality publication will keep you up-to-date on wine from around the world. Learn about the latest wine ratings and recommended wine selections. Each issue is packed full of information on wine, but also includes advice on restaurants, travel and entertaining that you absolutely do not want to miss.




Wine

A bottle or two of wine is always appreciated by wine lovers. A bottle of his or her favorite wine or a totally new discovery is always a fun experience.

Choose a wine recommended by us.

Or do your own wine search:

Wine Name:
Vintage:
Shipping to:





Top Wine Openers

Top Wine Openers Removing the cork from a bottle of wine should be a simple and enjoyable task. There are a large number of corkscrews to choose from. Wine openers make the perfect gift to give yourself or someone else. Learn about the top wine openers currently on the market by clicking on the link above.







Wine Refrigerators & Cellars

Ideal temperatures for storing wine are between 50-55 degrees F with humidity at 70 degrees or slightly higher. The higher humidity helps keep the corks moist and reduces evaporation of the wine. Regular refrigerators are cooler than this and have lower humidity that will dry the corks and cause wine evaporation.

Good wine refrigerators and wine cellars will keep wines at a constant temperature of 50-55 degrees. They will also have little or no movement or vibrations from the motor, which could negatively affect the aging of the wine.

There are a wide variety of wine refrigerators and wine cellars to fit both your needs and your budget. Learn more by clicking on this link:

Recommended Wine Refrigerators and Cellars






Wine Decanter

Decanting wine is important. Old wines need a few moments of decanting before serving to ensure that the wines clarity and brillance are not obscured by any deposits that might have developed over time. Decanting gives younger wines the oxygen they need to soften before serving. Take a look at some of the best decanters on the market.




What to Drink With What You Eat

What to Drink With What You Eat is the ideal gift for the person interested in pairing food and wine and who wants to go beyond the advice of "red wine with red meat and white wine with white meats". This easy to use book is the best we've seen on choosing the best wine to enhance the flavors of a meal.




Wine of the Month

Chateau St. Jean
WINE OF THE MONTH

Our latest wine of the month is Chateau St. Jean Fume Blanc Sonoma County 2006 Crisp and refreshing, this Fum� Blanc offers fragrant aromas of green tea, lemongrass and lemon meringue pie. Flavors of grapefruit, spice and wet stone combine with lively acidity, creating a beautifully balanced wine with a lingering lemon zest finish. This Fum� Blanc is Sauvignon Blanc blended with a small amount of Semillon and Viognier. The 2005 vintage is listed on Wine Spectator's List of the Top 100 Wines for 2007.($13)

Chateau St. Jean is located just an hour north of San Francisco, in the heart of Sonoma. The visitors center and acclaimed gardens in Kenwood are open daily from 10 AM - 5 PM. This is a great stop for lunch. You can enjoy the picnic grounds with gourmet sandwiches and salads available for purchase. Call (707) 833-4134 for more information about Chateau St. Jean.

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Take advantage of free 2 for 1 tasting coupons at Chateau St. Jean.

Be sure to check back each month for our wine of the month.




Wine Tasting Coupons
As a subscriber to Cheers 2 Wine News you can access our pages of free wine tasting coupons. Some of these coupons allow you to taste for free while others let 2 people sample wine for the price of 1. The password for these pages is emailed to subscribers each month in the newsletter.





Mark Your Calendars!

December 1: Valley to Vine Wine Tour - Amador County
1:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Tour the wine region around Plymouth, California on a 20 person bus. Enjoy a continental breakfast, catered luncheon, wine tasting at 5 wineries, trivia contest, and kareoke singing. Cost is $69 per person. For information call (916) 838-5139

December 1 & 2: Livermore Valley Wine Country's "Holidays in the Vineyards"
Noon - 5 p.m. both days
Celebrate the holidays with a weekend full of holiday cheer. 38 wineries will be presenting special wines, music, arts, gifts, and crafts. Guests are encouraged to bring toys to donate to the Toys for Tots Foundation. This is a free event. For more information,call (925) 447-9463.
More Details

December 1, 8, 15: Tasteful Tours of San Diego -
San Diego Wine and Cultural Center

Beginning at 12 Noon.
Wine and dine your way through the historic downtown San Diego with a local food/wine writer and historian. Explore a new winery, brewery, and munch on local chocolates, cheese, pizza, finger foods, and more. Bring walking shoes and an empty stomach.
More Detail:

December 8: Riedel Glass Tasting at St. Supery Vineyards & Winery- Napa Valley
11 AM - 12 PM.
Enjoy a sit down guided tasting of St. Supery's estate Napa Valley wines in world renowned Riedel crystal wine glasses. See how the right glass brings out the best in every wine. $109 per person, which includes a set of four Vinum series stemware (a $97 value). Reservations are required. For more information call (800) 942-0809 X58.

December 15: Holiday Candlelight Dinner at Callaway Vineyards & Winery - Temecula
6 p.m. Dinner in the Callaway Barrel Room is the perfect way to ring in your holiday season. Guests will be greeted by the festive sounds of carolers at an hors d'oeuvres reception before being seated in the Barrel Room for a four course dinner beautifully paired with Callaway wine. For more information call (800) 472-2377.
More Details






Holiday Recipes
Cooking With Wine

"I cook with wine; sometimes I even add it to the food."

W.C. Fields



Port Chestnuts

2 pounds chestnuts
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1 cup port wine
1 teaspoon Thyme
3 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper

1. Add the oil, butter and chopped onions to a saucepan.
2. Cook until onions turn slightly brown, deglaze with port wine.
3. Add thyme, chestnuts, chicken stock and salt and pepper (to taste).
4. Cover and cook until chestnuts are tender and the chestnuts have most of the liquid has been absorbed.
5. Serve as whole chestnuts.

This will make 6 servings.






Cioppino

A classic dish that is easy to make and delicious to eat.
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large green bell pepper,seeded and chopped
2/3 cup chopped parsley
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1 can (28 oz) tomatoes
1 cup dry red wine
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dry basil
1/2 tsp dry oregano leaves
12 clams in shell, suitable for steaming, scrubbed
1 lb large shrimp, (30 per lb), shelled & deveined
2 cooked large Dungeness crab (about 2 lbs each), cleaned and cracked

1. Cook in a 6-8 quart pan the oil, onion, garlic, bell pepper and parsley until onion is soft.
2. Stir in tomato sauce and the tomatoes (along with liquid). Use a spoon to break up the tomatoes.
3. Add wine, bay leaf, basil, and oregano.
4. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Add clams, shrimp and crab. Cover and simmer slowly until clams pop open and shrimp turn pink. This takes about 20 minutes.
6. Serve with warm sour dough bread.





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