MINNESOTA LANDSCAPE ARBORETUM
Featuring 1,200 acres of natural beauty, talented instructors, inspiring subject matter, and fun social connections, the Arboretum team invites you to learn and experience something new this season. There are so many wonderful classes available I can’t begin to highlight them all, so start by giving a peek here. I’ll be taking Drew Horton’s home wine-making class in March and hope to see you there!
Not sure which class to give? Grab a gift card in any denomination, or give the gift of an Arboretum membership.
MORE WINE GIFTS FOR WINE LOVERS
These aren’t local or online picks you’re guaranteed to get in time – but if you’re like me, its perfectly acceptable to wrap up a print-out of what you ordered while its en-route 🙂CHAMPAGNE BOOK SET
This beautiful boxed set comes with an incredible book and comprehensive maps of producers and terroirs of the Champagne region. Just released October, 2017 there’s a chance this isn’t in every oenophile’s library, yet.
PRIVATE PRESERVE WINE PRESERVATION SYSTEM
If you missed my experiment on wine oxidation and preservation methods, you can catch up here. The frontrunner was the Private Preserve Wine Preservation System, which works by blanketing the wine with a layer of gas that slows the aging process and keeps wine fresher longer.
The use of gas in winemaking (i.e. Private Preserve) is common practice and protects from the effects of oxidation. Gas that is heavier than air — and non-interactive with the wine — is often used to displace oxygen from a vessel and protect the wine from the effects of oxidation. A simple example of oxidation: take a bite of a fresh apple and let it sit a few hours. Notice how the piece that was bitten turns brown? Now, take a bite from the same section again. Compare it to a bite from the other side of the apple. Notice any changes in flavor?Most likely, you’ll notic e the piece you bit again exhibits a loss in flavor (and texture!)
$9.75 for a can (good for about 120 uses) from Private Preserve up on Amazon.
What’s on your wish list this year? I’d love to know – let me know in comments!
