We’ve all heard “It’s the thought that counts.” But when it comes to giving gifts, good intentions go only so far. Here are some tips for efficient wine and spirit gift-giving this year.
Pssst! Back here. A number of established retailers in Westchester have special collections of the proverbial good stuff. Zachys (16 E Parkway, Scarsdale 800-723-0241; zachys.com) is loaded with collectibles; a half-bottle of Château d’Yquem 2000 Sauternes runs $250. Suburban Wines & Spirits (379 Downing Dr, Yorktown Heights 914-962-3100; suburbanwines.com) and Westchester Wine Warehouse (53 Tarrytown Rd, White Plains 914-824-1400; westchester wine.com) both sport chambers of trophy bottles, e.g., a classic Château Montelena 2004 Napa Cabernet for $125 at the former, the extremely hard-to-find Oregon Pinot Noir called Dusky Goose for $74.99 at the latter. Gently aged gems await in the back room at Aries Wines & Spirits (128 W Post Rd, White Plains 914-946-3382; arieswines.com); a 1983 Warre’s Port for $90 is a steal. And the wines are in one room at Rochambeau Wines and Liquors (389 Broadway, Dobbs Ferry 914-693-0034; rochambeauwines.com), but the browser will find a bevy of stocking-stuffers (half-bottles) from Pol Roger Champagne to Robert Sinskey organic Pinot Blanc.
Beware the box. No, not the boxed wine, the cheesy gift boxes that sprout up every ’tis-the season. Who needs a pair of ceramic demitasses anyway? At Mount Kisco Wines & Spirits (195 N Bedford Rd, Mount Kisco 914-666-5255; mtkiscowines.com), proprietor John Bueti notes that there are some exceptions each year. This year, he’s stocked up on a handsome gift box of Grey Goose vodka with a professional-grade cocktail shaker for about the same price as a bottle ($34).
Price is no object. Another happy result of the current wine boom is the delicious reality that excellent wine can be found at multiple price points. At Mount Kisco Wines & Spirits, for example, you can pick up a nice Pinot Noir for $20 (Bear Boat), $30 (Ponzi), or $65 (Hirsch). Malbec shoppers can get the standard (Pascual Toso, $11) or the upgrade (Amancaya, $20). Want to take advantage of the great 2005 Bordeaux vintage? Check out Château Fantin at $14, Moueix Pomerol at $28 or Château Phélan-Segur at $55.
Be confident and creative. Overall quality is so high that you can feel confident doing the unthinkable: judging wine by its label. Let impulses and intuition lead you to bottles that really fit the recipients. Have some equestrian-minded giftees? At Bedford Wine Merchants (24 Village Green, Bedford 888-315-8333; bedford wines.com), in the heart of Westchester’s horse country, you can grab a bottle of Bridlewood Syrah, Iron Horse Cabernet, or Havens “Bourriquot” (slang for a horse with its own mind); each about $35. Surf the shelves and you are also apt to come up with labels just right for passionate golfers, sailors, fly fishermen, dog lovers, artists, cyclists, gardeners, and more.
