Q&A: Wine & Food Questions
gift idea
i have a girl friend and she says her parents know thier wine(not sure to what extent), this is our first holiday season together and i was wondering if a box set of Excelsior Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay would be an acceptable gift. they are nice people but i dont want to seem cheap, will that combination be ok? does it taste good or just good for the price? if this is a bad idea what can you recomend?
Answer From Expert Roger C. Bohmrich, MW
Do you mean the Excelsior wines from South Africa? Was there a specific reason to choose this winery or country? If you're giving a gift to people who "know their wine", you may want to find out, if you can, what types of wines they tend to drink. It's always safer to choose the variety or region that the recipient enjoys, rather than venturing into other areas - unless, of course, they are people who like to experiment and discover new tastes. If they like South African wines, you could choose, for example, Mulderbosch Sauvignon Blanc, Thelema Cabernet Sauvignon, or Kanonkop Pinotage, to name just three quality examples. One bottle of one of these rather than two from Excelsior might be more impressive to serious wine drinkers!
About The Expert
Roger has enjoyed a lengthy career in the wine trade as an importer and retailer, and at present he is an educator, speaker and consultant. He set up and managed Millesima USA, a New York merchant affiliated with Europe's leader in direct sales of fine wines to consumers. Previously, he served as senior executive of Frederick Wildman & Sons, traveling regularly around the world to visit wineries and taste the new vintage from barrel. Roger became one of America's first Masters of Wine in 1993.
Visit Roger C. Bohmrich, MW's web site
