L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano PAGE��� 44 wine and fun of New years��� Eve. In researching this article I discovered that d��cor changes are in progress both in and out of the rooms and cottages, at all times respecting the heritage of its tradition. The spa will be upgraded Holiday Getaways Near & Far FRANK���MANGIO CONTRIBUTOR A growing number of people I know have had it with the ���rush hour��� mentality of the days leading up to Christmas and extending into the New Years holiday. Those intrepid individuals tend to park their cars in the driveways of out-of-the-way resorts with quiet ambience that signal a meditative, relaxed way to celebrate. But first they promise themselves no more shopping malls and supermarkets for their wine and other personal gifts to family and friends that count. ���Cyber Monday��� on November 26 was exhibit A that consumers are flocking to the internet for their special gifts. Sales were up 30% over last year, while ���Black Friday��� on the 23rd sales were up just 4%. If you were one of those that already did your shopping on the ���net��� you now have time to plan a getaway to the Inn at Rancho Santa Fe. Anytime is a lovely time to stroll the greenbelts and soak in the sunshine in the areas of rest and relaxation at the Inn. This time of year, you can enjoy the seasonal fantasy of Christmas d��cor, and the food, Food and Beverage Manager and Wine Sommelier Sean Dawson manages the wine program at the Inn at Rancho Santa Fe. to bring it up to date and some cottages will offer ���country elegance,��� on this serene property, just minutes from downtown San Diego. A portion of the great lawn will be enhanced to include community events. The Inn���s restaurant is already showing personality changes with a menu profile that is being crafted by Executive Chef Todd Allison who has been creating dishes since July when he came over from Anthololgy in the Gaslamp of San Diego. ���I am emphasizing French dishes within the classic Mediterranean style. I pick up fresh vegetables daily, along with fresh fish like prawns, mussels, rockfish, scallops and trout,��� he revealed. His earlier work was with the legendary San Francisco Chef Michael Mina when he ran Aqua, at the St. Regis Monarch Beach, in Orange County. I also can recommend meeting the wine sommelier Sean Dawson who is a big backer of California wines. He advised me on the Napa Valley Hall Cabernet with a 2008 vintage, the top Napa Valley wine from Wine Spectator last year. It was magnificent with a New York Strip Steak. ���This is a small production, very well balanced, organically grown Cabernet,��� he pointed out. Dawson expects to be introducing a ���Wines of the Pacific Coast��� monthly series of events. If you stay away from the shopping centers, you can watch the waves crash just moments away at nearby Del Mar or Encinitas or walk the coastline and breathe in the Pacific. Catch a room reservation or a dinner by visiting www.theinnatrsf.com. My ���far��� recommendations include the Vintage Inn/Villagio Inn & Spa, both linked at Oakville in the Napa Valley. Both are running a Great Escape promotion that you can check out at 800-351-1133. The other I have, if price is no object, is Meadowood in St. Helena, a quiet and cushy Napa Valley gem that features daily wine tastings, golf, tennis and croquet, and of course a full-service spa. See more atwww.meadowood.com. Frank Mangio is a renowned wine connoisseur certified by Wine Spectator. He is one of the leading wine commentators on the web. View and link up with his columns at www.tasteofwinetv.com. Reach him at mangiompc@aol.com. THURS DAY, ��� DECEMBER��� 13, ��� 2012 Holiday Gifts for Wine Enthusiasts DAVID���WHITE TERROIRIST.COM Time is running out to finish up your Christmas shopping. For those looking to impress a wine enthusiast, these final days are daunting. Malls and departm e n t stores offer little that w o u l d please an oenophile, and the staff at Best Buy doesn't know a about thing wine. The internet, of course, can be overwhelming! Wine Relax. lovers are easy to please, regardless of your budget. Here are my top picks. First, consider a wine club. Whether you're shopping for a complete novice or the next Iron Sommelier, everyone appreciates trying new wines. TastingRoom.com is worth checking out, as it literally brings the tasting room to your living room. Launched three years ago by a tech entrepreneur, the company transfers wine into miniature bottles, allowing consumers to sample a host of wines without having to purchase an entire bottle. Wine club memberships start at $30 per shipment. If you���re shopping for someone who enjoys wines from Napa Valley, consider the ���Bordello Wine Club��� from Vintner���s Collective, a multi-winery tasting room in downtown Napa. While the club is expensive ��� the average shipment runs $165 ��� the collective is home to some of Napa���s most celebrated, smallproduction winemakers. If you���re shopping for a fan of Oregon Pinot Noir, there���s a similar collective in the Willamette Valley called Carlton Winemakers Studio. For novice wine drinkers, newspaper wine clubs are fun. These have proliferated in recent years, and the New York Times��� selections tend to get the highest marks. That said, many local retailers have their own clubs that offer a better value. Books also make good gifts. If you're shopping for a budding oenophile, pick him up a copy of Kevin Zraly's "Windows on the World Complete Wine Course." For good reason, it's been in print for nearly 30 years. If you're shopping for a wine enthusiast who already has a stocked bookcase, pick her up a copy of ���Wine Grapes,��� the justreleased guide to 1,368 grape varieties by Jancis Robinson, Julia Harding, and Jos�� Vouillamoz. The book is hefty ��� it clocks in at more than seven pounds ��� and has a price tag to match, retailing for $175. But it���s a reference book that every wine geek is desperate to own. A more affordable choice is ���How to Love Wine,��� by New York Times chief wine critic Eric Asimov. Part memoir and part manifesto, the book thoroughly combats the poison of wine snobbery through an honest and personal evaluation of America���s wine culture. It was my favorite book this year. Actual wine also works. But to make an impression, you'll want something that���s recognizable but isn't easily found at the supermarket. Champagne is always memorable, and in recent years, wine enthusiasts have gone gaga over ���Grower Champagne,��� or wines made by the farmers who grow the grapes. Just as we understand why an apple grown in Virginia tastes different from an apple grown in Massachusetts, we understand why a Sonoma Chardonnay tastes different from one produced in Napa. Champagne is no different. And Grower Champagne conveys that sense of place. Egly-Ouriet, Pierre Peters, and Vilmart are three top Growers. Their wines are pricey but delicious. Of course, if you go this route, don't hesitate to ask the knowledgeable staffer at your local wine shop for advice. She might steer you toward something else that���s equally impressive, like a well-known Bordeaux or Super Tuscan. Stemware and decanters also make for great gifts. Look for brands like Riedel, Spiegelau, and Schott Zwiesel. Whatever you do, don't waste money. I've never seen the point of a wine stopper and no wine enthusiast wants a kitschy, hand-painted wine glass. The latest gadgets, too, are typically a waste -- cordless rechargeable wine bottle openers always seem more difficult to use than traditional waiter���s tools. David White, a wine writer, is the founder and editor of Terroirist.com. His columns are housed at Palate Press: The Online Wine Magazine (PalatePress.com).

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