How many gift giving opportunities have you had this summer? From birthdays to graduations to weddings to anniversaries, it never ends! Although a check is always appreciated and perfect for anyone who is difficult to buy for, it’s often more fun to actually gift that special someone with something tangible – especially if they’ve offered ideas or you know them well. A friends loves books? Your wine lover daughter needs a wine refrigerator for her new house? That cocktail aficionado (also a millennial) would appreciate a nice bottle of booze? Covered!
Sent as samples and reviewed below are three of my favorite ideas for those who love books, wine and gin. Yes, gin.
Jupiter’s Blood by Steven Laine
In this page-turner of a book, Dante Lombardi, an American wine expert, is having a difficult time dealing with his business partner and dear friend’s suicide. Simultaneously, his ex, Dr. Claire Durant, introduces him to a synthetic lab-produced wine she has developed. Replivino wines have the remarkable ability to match the finest and most lauded wines around the globe… at a shockingly inexpensive price.
Alas, Claire and the company’s “Vino Code” disappear and Dante rushes to Europe in search of her. Cue the clandestine “ruthless counterfeiter,” Dante’s many European wine industry colleagues who are dialed in to assist, and a myriad of dangerous adventures that only Steven Laine can conjure. You’ll have to read this book to discover if Dante Lombardi was able to save the worldwide wine industry from “ruin in the face of mass commoditization.”
Jupiter’s Blood ($30.99) is a quick read jam-packed with adventure, drama, romance and fun. Highly recommended. Available on Amazon.
Bodega Wine Cooler
We can never have enough wine storage and this product came at the perfect time. The 24-inch 48-bottle cooler comes in either single or double doors with either two settings for both red and white or one setting for either. I chose the single door, one setting (for my red wines since I have another fridge for the whites) and the front ventilation in the event we redo our kitchen then include it under a counter. Options include a back vent, though, so it can be freestanding.
Features inside the cooler include easy to use digital controls and adjustable wood shelves. The temperature range is from 41-68 degrees F with a power-off memory function and automatic defrosting. The compressor is quiet with no vibrations (!) and the door is a double layered tempered glass door with UV protection. On the exterior, the feet are adjustable. My favorite feature is the safety lock with two keys – hands off my wine! Easy to assemble, the cooler was ready to load with wine within 30 minutes after removal from the box.
Consider the Bodega Wine Cooler ($799) as a gift or for your own use. It comes in a variety of sizes and different features, so check it out HERE.
Revivalist Garden Gin
Yes, gin! I’m not a big spirits girl but I do love a good gin cocktail! The Revivalist Garden Gin ($39.99) was produced by Botanery Barn Distillery in collaboration with gin expert Brendan Bartley who just happens to be the Head Bartender and Beverage Director at Bathtub Gin in New York City and Los Angeles, and the Private Club at Central Park Tower.
By all accounts, the team of botanical experts, distillers and mixologists “has been inspired by ethnobotanical traditions practiced by cultures for millenia.” Carefully selected, locally grown botanicals are in this gin and the freshness is astounding. What I found in my first G&T were notes of herbs, flowers and earth with a savory, forest, fruit finish. Just wow! Soft and subtle notes were lively and delicious. It may be time for another spash!
Click HERE for more information about the botanicals and to locate a bottle near you.
Cheers! ~ Cindy
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