Valentine’s Day is coming. You’re bringing your sweetie a bottle of red wine in honor of the red-themed day, but that seems inadequate somehow. How can you punch up your gift?
It’s a Bottle of Red. It Needs a Decanter.
Credit: C. W. Cameron
Credit: C. W. Cameron
Anthony Yambor, partner at pH Wine Merchant in Peachtree Hills, suggests you consider adding the Houdini Decanter with Wine Shower to your gift. "It's an extremely functional, extremely attractive decanter. It aerates wine perfectly and at the price it's a very affordable gift that you and your friends won't be afraid to use." The decanter is hand-blown and comes with a "wine shower" funnel that aerates the wine quickly so it can be poured right after decanting. The stainless steel strainer takes care of any sediment that settled in the bottle. $30. pH Wine Merchant, 200 Peachtree Hills Avenue, Atlanta. 404-949-0702. http://phwinemerchant.com/
It’s a Bottle of Red. What Can I Say About It?
Credit: C. W. Cameron
Credit: C. W. Cameron
Perrine Prieur of Perrine's Wine Shop in the Westside suggests you add a copy of "Wine" (Filip Verheyden, Millefeuille Press) to your gift. She loves this book and carries it in her shop because "you don't have to be a wine expert to enjoy reading it. You learn a lot and the pictures are really beautiful." The book is meant to carry you from beginner to connoisseur with chapters on "What does good wine taste like?" and "How do I choose a wine from an overcrowded supermarket shelf?" to "How does climate influence a wine's taste?" $29.95. Perrine's Wine Shop, 1168 Howell Mill Road, Atlanta. 404-254-5077. perrineswine.com.
Oops. Spilled My Bottle of Red. What Now?
Credit: C. W. Cameron
Credit: C. W. Cameron
Jonathan Cronan, Wine Department Manager at the Town Center Sherlock's says if you're in the wine business, you're going to end up with a little wine on your shirt. Since discarding your clothes after every work day isn't an option, and chances are good if you're drinking red wine you'll also end up with a little wine on your clothes or linens, he suggests you consider a new product the store is carrying, Wine Away. It's a stain remover developed by a mother-daughter team in Washington state. It removes red wine stains and works just as well on coffee, ink, blood and sports drink stains. Apply it to fresh stains or dried, wait a few minutes and then wash your soon-to-be-pristine clothes or linens. $7.99 per 8-ounce aluminum bottle with spritzer top. Town Center Sherlock's, 135 Barrett Parkway, Marietta. 770-426-6744. http://sherlocks.com/town-center/
