There are exactly 48 days left until Christmas and while some retail establishments have been accused of jumping the gun, the fact is Christmas has a huge impact on a retailer’s bottom line. After almost five years of economic lethargy, retailers may finally have reason to expect a Merry Christmas, especially if they have developed an online presence. In Deloitte-Touches’ annual Canadian holiday retail outlook survey, a growth of 1-2% is predicted over last year.

Deloitte also states that they anticipate almost 60% of Canadians will use the internet for their Christmas shopping, whether it’s researching prices or conducting product research,   moving away from the traditional bricks-and-mortar. And over 55% of Canadians plan to complete some of their shopping online.

However, Canadians are slow to embrace using mobile applications on their smart phones and tablets for their shopping.  Only 40% of smart phone/tablet owners plan to complete their purchases with these devices.  But it is interesting to note that 70% will use their smart phone/tablet for research.  Purchases over these mobile devices could very well increase in the coming years as this is where internet purchases were just a few years ago.

While the most common type of Christmas wine-related present is a good bottle of the grape, there are now numerous other wine associated gifts available.

In order to get the most enjoyment out of wine, not only is decanting and decanters de rigueur, so is choosing the proper wine glasses. There are many types and styles on the market, from the somewhat expensive hand-blown, lead crystal to the old saucier shaped champagne glass. Choosing a good set of glassware is something new wine lovers learn to appreciate early in their education. However, it is not necessary to take out a bank loan just to buy glasses or stemware as long as a few simple rules are followed.

When choosing wine glasses, pay attention to the bowl of the glass. This is where the wine will rest and to properly appreciate the wine, the glass should be clear, without any designs or logos on them, and not tinted so that the true colour of the wine shows through. The colour can tell you quite a bit from the type of grapes used and about the age of the wine. Beautifully cut crystal may look nice on the table but I personally feel that they are completely inappropriate for the appreciation of wine. Use these types as water glasses.

In stemware, size really does matter. A proper glass should be of sufficient size to allow a fair measure of wine to be poured so that half of the glass is still empty, allowing the wine to be swirled without spilling over. This swirling releases aromas and flavours which is very important to the development of the wine. A glass of ten to fourteen ounces works very well.

The International Organization for Standardization or ISO has recognized a particular style of glass that has become the benchmark for international wine judging competitions and is extremely suitable for everyday home use. The type of glass is the standard tulip shape with a lead content of about 9%. The size should be about 6 inches tall with a two inch stem, a four inch bowl, about two and a half inches at its widest diameter and two inches at the rim. This shape allows the aroma to be focused towards the nose and prevents it from escaping.

In days gone past, the traditional Champagne glass was the saucer-type glass patterned some say after a pair of Marie Antoinette’s attributes. While this provides a nice little bit of wine trivia, there is no evidence that this is true and that shape does absolutely nothing for the wine. The classic flute glass, which is tall and narrow, prolongs the chill and bubbles wine much better. A standard tulip shaped glass will suffice in a pinch.

No matter which type of glass you use, cleaning them is very important. If you wash them by hand, make sure they are done separately from other dishes and use the hottest water possible with very little detergent. Rinse the glasses thoroughly. Any residual soap will affect the next glass of wine. If using a dishwasher, again wash them separately and use no detergent. The heat of the water will clean and sterilize them. Remove any water spots with a soft lint or chamois cloth before storing.

Some wine drinkers agree that different types of wine demand different styles of glasses. This has led to the development of glasses for Syrah, Pinot Noir, Brunello and others. Riedel is the name most synonymous with these glasses and while some may say its great marketing, there is truth in that wines benefit by using a specific glass. While some of Riedel’s glasses are as expensive as a bottle of Champagne, there are some value-orientated ones available. There also other producers of this type of glassware so check them out also. Whether you need to have a glass for every wine that is produced may be over-kill but to each their own.

Wine news:

Advanced tickets for the 35th Vancouver International Wine Festival went on sale November 1st. The Festival runs from February 25th to March 3rd, 2013 and features 176 wineries, with 63 of these from the Theme Region of California.

The festival attracts some of the biggest names in the international wine industry and is firmly established as Canada’s, if not North America’s, premier wine event. It is an extremely rare opportunity to meet owners, winemakers, and senior winery representatives from around the globe.

Tickets for International Festival Tastings and other advance tickets events are available online  at www.vanwinefest.ca or by phoning 604-873-3311 or toll free at 1-877-321-3121 or in person at the VanWineFest Box Office, #305-456 West Broadway, Vancouver.

Weekend Wine Picks:

A spectacular wine, the 2006 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Schlossberg Auslese Riesling ($120 PWS…Reduced by $40) is full of juicy peach, red apple and grapefruit with hints of mineral, honey and petrol. A classic Riesling in every sense of the word, this is one of the finest Rieslings on the market. Try pairing with spicy Thai or Indian fare. This wine has the potential age for 20 or 30 years. This is a great opportunity to give a rare, very special bottle of wine for Christmas to the wine aficionado in your family.

The Perrin’s are one of the oldest winemaking families in the Rhone if not France.  Their stunning achievement is the iconic Chateau Beaucastel.  However, their 2009 Perrin Vinsobres ($25) is a winner.  One of the best value Cru wines on the market, this wine is incredibly dense with a ruby/purple colour, the intense black raspberry, cherry, cassis and kirsch liqueur-like fruit is followed by gorgeous aromas of licorice, smoke, incense, leather and a hint of oak. The texture on the palate is pure hedonism with its full-bodied character of black and red fruit, herbs, incense, and spice.  This wine literally tastes more like a Châteauneuf du Pape ($60-$100 per bottle).  And why not.  It is on the same level as a CDP but without the price tag.  The finish is full-bodied, and opulent with soft, velvety acidity and very firm tannins, which is in keeping with this top-notch vintage.  Cellar and drink this marvelous wine over the next decade.

Loaded to the brim with luscious fruit aromas, the 2011 Wild Goose Pinot Gris ($22) is full of pink grapefruit, apricot, pear, Fuji apple with peach, nectarine and a hint of honey.  The flavours of citrus and tropical fruit and honey carry on and on through to the soft, slightly off-dry finish.  Superb with pan-seared jumbo prawns or scallops with garlic butter, Basa fillets or Fettuccine Alfredo.

Produced from Malbec and Corvina Veronese, the 2010 Masi Passo Doble ($17) is a wine that has typical attractiveness, elegance and friendliness of wines from the Veneto with an Argentine twist. Produced in the Tupungato region of Mendoza, the Corvina grapes are given a brief appassimento treatment, which loses some of their water content and concentrates the grape sugars.  The wine displays an intense, perfumed aroma of raspberry, cherry, plum and prunes with hints of morel mushrooms, smoke, leather, tobacco and vanilla.  The warm, smooth yet medium-full bodied palate finishes with soft acidity, firm tannins and a delicious, fruity taste.

Lodi is to Zinfandel what Napa is to Cabernet. Lodi Zins are delicious wines with great depth and complexity.  This wine comes from vineyards with not just old vines but ancient vines, some 100 years old.  The vines are low yielding but provide fruit of excellent quality.  A big wine for the price, the 2010 Flying Winemaker Old Vine Zinfandel ($23) is loaded with complex aromas of black cherry, raspberry, red plums and cassis with hints of raspberry jam, smoke, Asian spice and a smooth vanilla-scented oakiness.   Rich and full on the palate with ripe cherry, blackberry, plums, spice and a hint of vanilla culminating in a lingering finish.  Soft, chewy tannins add to the luscious texture of this excellent wine.  Great with a rotisserie grilled pepper-crusted roast.