An Oregon Wine Club: Cellar 503

Wine clubs provide an excellent way to support your favorite wineries while receiving regular shipments of wines you’re guaranteed to enjoy. But what if you’re looking to broaden your wine horizons and sample new varieties regularly? That’s where Cellar 503 shines. It’s a superb gift for any wine lover! Each month, members receive 2 or 4 bottles from small, artisanal Oregon wineries, representing the state’s diverse 21 wine regions. Cellar 503 also offers one-time and short-term gift memberships, ideal for the holiday season.

Price: $45 to $55 per month for 2 bottles + $19.99 shipping per order within the continental United States; $49.99 for Alaska and Hawaii. Portland pick-up: $5.

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Elegant Champagne Wine Glasses

These are my all-time favorite wine glasses. Specifically designed for Champagne, they enhance the tasting experience. Any wine enthusiast would be thrilled to receive these beautiful glasses!

Price: $52 (Set of 4)

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Coravin Wine Preservation System

Every wine lover, particularly those who enjoy cellaring wine, needs a Coravin. This system is used in wine tasting rooms and restaurants globally. The Coravin allows you to pour a small amount of wine without uncorking the entire bottle, preserving it for weeks, months, or even years.

How it works: A specially coated wine needle gently pierces the cork, allowing for smooth pouring. Argon gas, an inert gas used in winemaking, protects the remaining wine from oxidation.

The Coravin Model Six Advanced Wine Bottle Opener and Preservation System is available in various colors and includes three capsules to get you started.

Price: $399

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VinGardeValise Wine Travel Suitcase

For the wine-loving world traveler, there are suitcases specifically designed to hold up to a case of wine. These VinGardeValise suitcases ensure the safe transport of your discovered wines, allowing you to savor them later and reminisce about your adventures.

Price: Varies by model.

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Fernweh Editions: Sparkling Champagne Candle

Gift the wine lover who also appreciates travel with this exquisite Sparkling Champagne candle. Fernweh Editions creates candles inspired by food, wine, and travel. The scent is subtle and sophisticated, and the elegant design and packaging enhance any home’s ambiance.

Price: Varies by seller.

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Dusky Goose Chardonnay

Dusky Goose Winery: It’s rare for me to fall deeply in love with a Chardonnay, but the 2016 Dusky Goose Oregon Chardonnay captivated my taste buds. This silky Chardonnay features lemon and pear notes balanced by vanilla and honey undertones. Wine Enthusiast awarded this particular vintage 96 points.

It’s a truly elegant white wine ideal for holiday gatherings, Sunday roast chicken dinners, or casual Wednesday night cheese boards.

Lenne Estate Pinot Noir

Lenne Estate Winery: I discovered Lenné Estate this summer and can’t stop thinking about their Pinot Noirs. These elegant, luscious, and complex wines have aging potential.

My favorites are the 2018 Jill’s 115 Pinot Noir and the 2016 South Slope Pinot Noir. The latter is a velvety, smooth, and beautifully balanced red wine with a long finish, blending Pommard and Dijon Clone 115.

Bells Up Winery Wines

Bells Up Winery: This boutique winery in the Willamette Valley produces fantastic Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Syrah, and Rosé wines. My favorites are the Titan Pinot Noir, Villanelle Pinot Noir, and the Firebird Syrah. These consistently well-balanced, thoughtfully blended wines are perfect for your holiday meals!

They currently ship throughout the US (excluding Utah and Kentucky).

Browse their current wine selection online and call 503-537-1328 or email [email protected] to place your order.

Buy: Bells Up Winery Wines ($40 – $54)

Brooks Winery Extended Tirage Sparkling Riesling

Brooks Winery: With arguably one of the most diverse wine portfolios in the Willamette Valley, Brooks consistently pushes the boundaries of conventional winemaking, creating masterpieces. There is a Riesling here for every type of wine drinker, as well as interesting Pinot Noir made in several styles. Plus, the tasting room is gorgeous, and they have one of the best in-house chefs who creates consistently delightful menus.

The 2016 Extended Tirage Sparkling Riesling is aged on the lees for 44 months before disgorgement, resulting in a bone-dry sparkling Riesling with bright aromas and flavors of citrus and tropical fruits. This is a wonderful gift for the food and wine lover in your life.

Buy: Brooks Winery Extended Tirage Sparkling Riesling ($55)

Walla Walla Wines

Walla Walla Wines: While I miss our annual trip to the Walla Walla wine region, we can still enjoy these delicious wines from home! Walla Walla offers a helpful Wine Online Buying Guide.

You can find more Walla Walla wines to love in my Washington wine guide. In this holiday gift guide, I’ve selected four to consider:

• Tranche Cabernet Sauvignon ($50): This rich, full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon has smooth tannins and a long, elegant finish. Perfect for the wine lover who likes to cellar wines or to enjoy over the holidays. (Note: the 2017 is pictured, but the 2015 is available online).
• Brook & Bull 2018 The Silent Ode ($48): Fantastically complex, The Silent Ode is a rich red blend of 50% Cabernet Franc, 20% Malbec, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Petit Verdot. Dark fruits and sour cherries mingle with herbal notes, with strong hints of smoke and stone.
• Chester Kidder 2016 Red Wine ($60): Another beautiful blend, the Chester Kidder has big aromas and flavors of dark berries and spice. A blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Syrah, and 6% Petit Verdot.
• Rôtie Cellars 2018 Northern Blend ($48): This deep, earthy, unique blend of 95% Syrah and 5% Viognier is co-fermented. With soft black fruits, smooth tannins, and a hint of floral aromas from the Viognier, this is a beautiful red wine to gift to any wine lover.

McBride Sisters Brut Rosé

McBride Sisters Winery: I love the story of these two sisters from different continents who teamed up to create this winery. My fave wine: the McBride Sisters Sparkling Brut Rosé. Big, bright strawberry and raspberry on the nose and the palate with lively acidity. Perfect to pop open for the holidays, but at under $20 a bottle, this is a great everyday celebration wine!

Brandy

As a bourbon enthusiast, I love anything with a hint of bourbon. This Old Delicious Double Bourbon Barreled Apple Brandy from Hood River Distillers appeals to my bourbon-loving taste buds. Made with Pacific Northwest apples that are crushed, fermented, and distilled, this apple brandy is twice rested in Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Barrels.

This is the perfect sipper for chilly nights, and also fantastic for cooking and baking. Gift it with a recipe for my Apple Whisky Hand Pies, or with bitters and a recipe for an Old Fashioned.

Find out where to buy this apple brandy near you.

Buy: Old Delicious Double Bourbon Barreled Apple Brandy ($54.95)

Rum

A bottle of Callisto Rum will beautify any home bar. Made from a base premium rum blend from the Caribbean, aged, and charcoal-filtered, this botanical rum has 0% sugar with no artificial flavors or sweeteners. It’s infused with California botanicals to create a dry, floral, smooth rum. Use it in Boozy Apple Pie Shots or in a daiquiri cocktail.

Find out where to buy Callisto Rum near you or online.

Bourbon & Gin

Freeland Spirits is one of the few women-owned and women-run distilleries in the United States, based in Portland. They make amazing spirits and fun gift packages.

There are great gift options on the Freeland Spirits website. My recommendation: the Perfect Pair, including a bottle of Freeland Gin and a bottle of Freeland Bourbon – two fantastic spirits to help anyone start a fabulous home bar or add to their collection.

Buy: Freeland Spirits Perfect Pair ($81.90 ON SALE)

Vodka

Headwind Vodka reflects the Pacific Northwest. Made from gluten-free grain, it’s six times distilled and twice filtered.

This is a stellar gift for the Pacific NW outdoorsy cocktail lover. The bottle is an understated, modern reflection of the down-to-earth PNW lifestyle. You can use it to make a classic Moscow Mule, or vodka sauce and pour yourself a shot while the pasta is cooking.

Buy: Headwind Vodka ($21.95)