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Ah yes, the holidays; historically known as the time of year to over indulge in everything, favorite food and beverages being no exception. If you’re like me, you have no qualms about gaining an extra layer of insulation during the holiday season. After all, it is freezing outside. However, if you should choose to suppress your inner holiday glutton, you will be happy to know that you don’t have to choose between an after dinner glass of wine or dessert. You can have both!

Dessert wine, folks. If you’re too full for — or can’t possibly bear the shame of eating — a slice of turtle truffle double fudge pecan caramel swirl cheesecake, why not opt for a glass of dessert wine instead? A 2 or 3 oz glass will more than quench the sweet tooth, and you won’t feel cheated in the least. Best part is that it will only run you 100-150 calories; much easier to rationalize than the, ahem, 700 calories in the monster cheesecake!

Several domestic vineyards up north make some really nice ice wines out of everything from Chardonnay to Cabernet Franc. They’re a bit pricier than your average bottle of wine, but they make a lovely gift for your host. No time to run a quick errand to Michigan? No problem. A bunch of vineyards in warmer climates that can’t make actual ice wine (by letting the grapes freeze on the vines before they’re picked) are making ice-style wines by picking late harvest grapes, and then freezing them before they’re pressed. Dessert wine will generally keep for 7-10 days in the fridge, so you can enjoy this treat all week!

Now, to tackle the new purse or new shoes dilemma…

If Life is a Cabernet, then Sex is a Zin. And if you're reading this post, you could win this shirt!

As the holiday season approaches, you’ll undoubtedly find yourself scouring the ends of the internet searching for the perfect gift for the wine-o(s) in your life. I encourage you to check out Shirley Copperman’s latest endeavor. Shirley has generously offered a free item to a Terroirist reader.

Here’s the deal: Post a comment telling us about your favorite wine gift (gifted or received!) OR the wine gift you’re hoping for this year. On Friday night, we’ll select a winner at random. The only catch is that you must live in the United States. Read on for more of Shirley’s story…. Read the rest of this entry »

About three weeks ago, I came home from work to find my eight bottle wine refrigerator’s digital readout flashing 92 degrees. Sure enough, upon opening the unit, the bottles were warm to the touch, and several showed signs of seepage. The unit was working properly when I left for the office around 8AM, so the bottles were not exposed to extreme temperatures for any more than 10 hours. However, all of the bottles showed varying levels of seepage. I’ve since consumed seven of the eight bottles with varying results. You’ll find a list of the bottles below, as well as some information on their condition upon being removed from the refrigerator. Any care to guess how the bottles showed upon opening?

1. 2007 Sunset Hills Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon – Consumed within 24 hours
2. 1995 Burgess Cabernet Sauvignon Library Release – Consumed within 24 hours
3. 2007 Eric Kent Wine Cellars Pinot Noir Windsor Oaks Vineyard – Consumed within 1 week
4. 2006 Carlisle Russian River Valley Syrah – Consumed within 1 week
5. 2003 Girard Artistry – Consumed within 1 week
6. 2005 Chateau de Clairefont Bordeaux – Consumed within 2 weeks
7. 2007 Eric Kent Wine Cellars Pinor Noir Freestone – Consumed within 2 weeks
8. 2006 Patrick Lesec Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Bargeton –I’ve not yet consumed this bottle.

I’ll post later this week with a rundown of the results. Some of the results might surprise you. In the meantime, use the comments section to guess how the bottles showed upon opening.