Be they clubs, books, glasses, fridges, gadgets or wine, here are ten gift ideas for wine lovers: My Wines Direct The My Wines Direct Wine Club makes a great gift for any wine lover. With both 3 month and 6 month options, My Wines Direct offers 3 bottles of wine delivered each month (either 3 bottles of red or 2 reds and 1 white). The wines are included in the club are from “small undiscovered vineyards around the world” and are chosen through consumer tasting panels that the company holds each month. Over the course of the club, recipients can expect to taste a variety of wines from California, Europe, South America and Australia. My Wines Direct wine club information / Wine Shipping Information . Christmas Wine Gift Recommendations New Years Eve Champagne Recommendations Books There are a lot of wine books out there and any wine geek has likely learned that people love to give wine books to wine geeks. In other words, they probably have a dozen wine guides to this or that collecting dust on their bookshelves. If you are going the book route for a gift, consider Julia Flynn's book on the Mondavi Family, The House of Mondavi: The Rise and Fall of an American Wine Dynasty . It's a quick read on the first family of American wine and provides an interesting perspective on the evolution of the US wine industry.

In the region of Campania (see related article on Lacryma Christi ) there is red wine that is worth knowing about and which merits acquisition. This wine, named Taurasi, is made from the Aglianico grape, the same grape discussed in the article on Aglianico del Vulture from Basilicata. Indeed, the Aglianico grape is utilized over much of southern Italy. For reasons which will be explained below, the Aglainicos from Campania are some of the best made anywhere.

Size Isn't Everything Rheinhessen's long winemaking history and large size are the building blocks of its reputation in the world of wine – and there are pros and cons associated with both. Rheinhessen's most famous wine, Liebfraumilch, while well known as far back as the mid-1700's, might well be called "infamous" today because of its reputation for insipid sweetness. Still, it's hard to argue with brand-name success, so you're likely to find Liebfraumilch prominently displayed in your local wine shop's German section.

The name Burgundy conjures up images of lush pinot noirs and chardonnays with expensive price tags, served to you with a French accent. It’s most wine lovers dream to visit the region and immerse yourself in pate, pinot and pastries.

The Piemonte is one of the finest wine regions in the world. Wine is made there utilizing so many different grapes. This column has discussed Barolos (made from Nebbiolo), Barberas and the light sparkling wine Moscato d’Asti. This article will examine another great Piemonte wine: Dolcetto.

The wonder of nature has finally made its way to your cellar. The grapes you nurtured and fermented have relented. The bubbles of carbon dioxide have slowed from a turbid percolation to a fine sizzle and the lees have fallen. It’s time to choose a storage vessel, the place where and how your wine will age.

Cariñena's winemaking heritage goes back a long way. The Romans who built Carae, today's Cariñena, discovered that the local inhabitants mixed wine and mead – a fermented beverage made from honey and water – as early as the third century before Christ. The Romans continued this winemaking tradition, as they did wherever they settled in western Europe.

Between the Rhine River and the Odenwald forest, in the area between Heidelberg and Darmstadt, you'll find a tiny German wine region, the Hessische Bergstrasse. Its name means "Hessian Mountain Road" in English. Long ago, the Romans named their trade route through this part of Germany the "strata montana," or "mountain road."

It is said that wine and cheese go together. The real question though is WHAT wines pair with WHAT cheeses. IntoWine's panel of wine experts recently chimed in with their suggestions for the best wine to pair with goat cheese: What usually comes to mind is chevre, so let's think about something different. Think Norway, for a second...the most amazing cheese I know is Gjeost (pronounced yay-toast), and if you don't know this, you must try it. My Grandmother's family was from Bergen, Norway, so I grew up feasting on this sublime cheese. It looks like caramel, and it's sweet like caramel too, but savory at the same time. It's firm, brown, and naturally sweet. I've had it with very dry Champagnes, and Madeiras, but the strangest, tastiest combination is Buy Vin Jaune Vin Jaune from the Jura in France. From a small wine region in Eastern France, this unusual, yellow colored wine gets its character from being matured in a barrel under a film of yeast called the "voile", on the wine's surface. It's a bit like a Fino Sherry, but unlike Sherry it isn't fortified. I think it's a stellar combo with Gjetost- the dry, nutty wine is delicious with the sweet, rich cheese. It may be easier to find the cheese than the wine. A well distributed brand of Gjetost is "Ski Queen", but the wines from the Jura are more obscure. It's worth the hunt! - Laely Heron , Owner/Winemaker, Heron Wines