How Things Wine Up
Tina Benitez -- Gifts and Dec, 1/1/2012 2:00:00 AM
Surrounded by the largest wine regions in the country, DuBow can easily chat about seasonal wines or pairing with meals. Instead, DuBow prefers to tell listeners about some new accessories for "playing" with wine. Recognizing the popularity of some of these wine gadgets and how they enhance the atmosphere around wine appreciation, he offers hundreds of items in the category through his company Epic Products.
Corkscrews, bottle stoppers, wine glass charms and other miscellaneous accessories are part of the Epic lineup, but the company's wine cork cages barely stay in stock. A top seller, the sculpted metal designs let wine fans collect their favorite corks in an artful, decorative accessory. DuBow believes that these items are such a hit because more people are beginning to explore wine and favor an item that can also work as a gift or add to their decor. "There's this romance with wine," says DuBow. "It's different with other spirits. The presentation [with wine] is different whether it's decanters, preservation systems or home decor."
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The wine-chilling Corkcicle. $29.95. Corkcicle. 866.780.0007. corkcicle.com |
Paso Robles-grown olive oils. $25-$35. Pasolivo. 805.227.0186. www.pasolive.com |
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Cookie time: Red Wine Pairing Box. $7.95. Cookies & Corks. 888.499.3677. www.cookiesandcorks.com |
Lava Rock ITA Wine Coasters in burnt orange. $89/set of two. RabLabs. 650.704.1318. www.rablabs.com |
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Accessories Rock Out
Cages, rocks, jewel-like charms for glasses and other accessories take the see, swirl, sniff and taste to a whole new level. Although rocks are something most don't think of to go with wine, RabLabs' vibrant lava rock coasters can add an element of elegant earthy ambiance to any tasting or entertaining event. Each coaster is unique and made of natural rock, so no two are alike. The decorative aspect of the coasters and the company's other wine accessories fits into the merchandise mix of retail venues from gourmet and fine gift shops to jewelry and home decor stores.
When it comes to rocks, True Fabrications' Glacier Rocks are one of the more unique items in its range of home entertaining wares that include slate cheese boards, ceramic bottle stoppers and antique-style corkscrews housed in vintage-designed gift boxes.
"People have a great passion for wine," notes Andrea Evans, owner of In the Pink, a home decor boutique in Phoenix, AZ, which includes in its merchandise mix charms, special occasion wine glasses and something that isn't available anywhere else in the state of Arizona: Dr. Vranges' Rosso Nobile red wine-scented diffusers.
Truffles for wine and beer tasting. $12. Gail Ambrosius. 877.412.2462. www.gailambrosius.com |
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Wine Barrel Cork Cage. $29.99. Epic Products Inc. 800.548.9791. www.epicproductsinc.com |
Bottle Bracelets add bling to a bottle of a wine gift. $11. W.I.N.O.S. 888.488.9466. www.winosinc.com |
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Wine motif gallery trays with cork handles. $186/set of two ($80-$106 each). Two's Company. 800.896.7266. www.twoscompany.com |
Based in Florence, Italy, the highend import is a bit of a luxury but remains a top seller for patrons who want a special hostess gift instead of the usual bottle of wine. More perfume-based with notes of a fine Sangiovese-blended red of Montepulciano, Italy, the Dr. Vranges line has fewer alcohol notes than regular diffusers. Each diffuser comes with the oil packaged in an actual decanter. Evans was instantly attracted to the scent and the unique packaging. "As a display it adds to the decor, and it's also a fun way to give a gift," Evans adds.
New Taste Complements
Whether tasting or entertaining, food will always be the perfect complement to wine, but the general concept of just pairing wine with traditional fare seems so passé now with today's newer options: cookies and chocolate. Apricot and sage, zesty lemon and sea salt chocolate oatmeal are just a handful of Cookie Zen's Cookies & Corks off erings. Started by Leah Kuo, president, and Laura Englander, vice president of sales and marketing, the company off ers cookies specifically made to pair with wine. "It opens up a new door for food and wine pairing education," says Kuo. "People know a lot more about wine now. There's more access, and it's more down to earth wines - what's more down to earth than using good cookies."
The duo are always tasting new recipes and will have more cookies on the horizon. In the meantime, the focus is weddings and parties. Next stop: The Oscars. Kuo and Englander are feeding Hollywood royalty during the annual festivities in April. "If you show up to someone's house, it's typical to bring wine, but if you show up with cookies and wine, it takes it up a level," says Englander. "It's fun to see what flavors pop out to people and how the flavors work together. Plus, it's cookies and wine. You can't have more fun than that."
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Wine chiller keeps wine chilled for 24 hours. $35/500 ml; $45/750 ml. S'well. 646.371.9851. www.swellbottle.com |
Brix Extra Dark Chocolate. 3-packs and single book boxes on display. $9.99-$12.99, single; $38.85, three-pack. Brix. 866.613.2749. www.brixchocolate.com |
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Ceramic Stoppers. $5.98. True Fabrications. 800.750.8783. www.truefabrications.com |
Cookies are one thing, but chocolate is another less-than-obvious pairing with wine, though red wine and port are always a perfect pairing with chocolate, as chocolate complements the fruitiness, and sometimes creaminess, in the white or chocolate notes in red wines. Set among some of the country's top wine producers - Quintessa, Frog's Leap, Honig and Sullivan Vineyards - in Rutherford, CA, the artisanal chocolate makers at Brix wanted to expand chocolate tasting beyond the reds to white wine, sparkling wines and Champagne. Made of single-origin chocolate from Ghana, Brix Smooth Dark is a perfect match for whites, medium-bodied reds or ports.
Chocolate brings a whole different experience to wine tasting, according to Laura Shear, spokesperson for Brix. "It's expanding what people are already doing with wine tasting. You don't have to be a gourmet cook or know a lot about wine. It works with DIY entertaining since people are trying to bring new experiences to wine."
But don't leave out some more traditional offerings. Whether paired with breads, crackers, cheese or other dishes, olive oil also fits into the wine tasting spectrum. Located in the heart of Paso Robles wine country, Joeli Yaguda and her family tend the olive groves and press their own oils, Pasolivo, some of which are infused with organic lemon, lime and tangerine. "As far as being in wine country, it's appealing to the same audience," says Yaguda, a former thespian. "It's [the olive oil] for people who appreciate great wine as much as those who are interested in food and where it comes from."
Epic Products' DuBow sees the wine category continuing to expand everywhere. "It reaches so many different demographics," he says. "So many people enjoy wine. There's so much technology now, so wine is better and easier to produce. You don't have to spend a lot to get a good bottle of wine. And all the accessories are just a perfect pairing."
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