Single Bottle Red Wine Gift Baskets

The Prisoner was first created by a 27-year-old Dave Phinney, after a particularly cold and wet year left him with several sub-optimal grapes. Sometimes challenging times yield exceptional results, and such was the case with The Prisoner. It was different than the current Napa Valley trends. It brought a revolution to the world of California reds with experimental grape varieties, as well as the macabre design which used Francisco Goyas etching, colorized with a menacing red tinge. The brand became a success and Phinney went on to sell it in 2008. It came into the hands of Constellation Brands in 2016, and 180,000 cases are sold yearly, making it one of the best-selling brands of luxury wine. Today The Prisoner is the most recognized Napa Valley red blend and contains Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Sirah, Syrah, and Charbono varieties. The growers that are crucial to the wine are the Solari Family Vineyard from Calistoga and Korte Ranch in St. Helena, among others. More than 80 vineyards from the Napa Valley contribute and The Prisoners Winemaker Chrissy Wittman carefully inspects each lot to achieve the perfect blend. Its aged in a combination of French and American oak barrels, 30 percent new.Grab a bottle now!

Orin Swift Cellars was founded in 1998 by a 25-year-old David Swift Phinney. After spending a semester in Florence, Italy, he was introduced to wine and its production, instantly becoming fascinated with the process. He started working at the Robert Mondavi Winery in 1997 but soon decided he would rather pour all the hard work into his own venture. Naming the operation after his fathers middle name and his mothers maiden name, Orin Swift Cellars was born.When Phinney bought his first two tonnes of Zinfandel, he couldnt get it right and ended up selling the wine in bulk. His greatest early success came in 2000 with The Prisoner, which instantly took off. He sold The Prisoner brand in 2008 to focus on Orin Swift. Today their main focus is on Rhne-style blends, Napa Cabernets, and old vine Grenache. The grapes come from more than 100 vineyards all over California. The success of his bold wines owes in part to the quirky, unique labels as well.8 Years in the Desert is named after the first short story from Phinneys book. Its a blend of Zinfandel, Syrah, Petite Syrah, and Grenache that is aged for 8 months in French and American oak barrels, 37 percent of which are new. Its sourced from famed vineyards such as Monte Rosso, Bismark, Korte, and Frei Ranch. There are going to be 8 vintages of this wine in total, each with a different label in the signature style of the brand.Grab a bottle now!

The Pinot Project is the brainchild of Michael Skurnik, an importer who started his business at just over 20 years of age. The goal with the brand was to create a versatile, delicious, and accessible Pinot Noir wine. They scoured the cellars of Northern California to release their Pinot Noir, which instantly took off with its fruit-forward and silky profile. Since then they have expanded, offering a Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Ros. They come in bottles as well as convenient cans."When Harmon and I set out in 2009 to make an honest, affordable Pinot Noir that people could feel equally good about popping the cork on Monday nights as well as on Saturday nights, little did we know then that we were somehow tapping into THE sweet spot for American wine drinkers. We are proud of the runaway success The Pinot Project has achieved," says Michael Skurnik of the brand.The 2018 vintage of The Pinot Project Pinot Noir is made with grapes from Sonoma County, Monterey, and Central Coast vineyards. Fermented in stainless steel, 20 percent of the blend has spent 5 months in French oak barrels.Grab a bottle now!

Harvest after harvest, Silver Oak's Alexander Valley vineyards produce some of the very finest Cabernet Sauvignons that California wine country has ever seen. Laden with deep garnet colors and aromas of black currant and blueberries, Alexander Valley Cabernet is always exceptionally balanced, lusciously ripe, long in the finish and poised in the aftertaste.

One of our fine Cabernet Sauvignon gifts.

One of our fine Rose gifts.

One of our fine Champagne gifts.

One of our fine Cabernet Sauvignon gifts.

We think the Altos Las Hormigas Gualtallary Malbec is a knock-outred wine from Argentina. Altos Las Hormigas works beautifully with manymeat dishes. If you feel like steak, grill it, slice it thinly, and drape it on an arugula salad with shaved parmesan and a garlicky vinaigrette. Pan-friedpork chops with a plum/cardamom compote will work beautifully too. Old habits die hard winelovers. Make a sage, white pepper, salt and garlicbutter in the food processor and then spread it liberally under the skin of a small chicken. Roast until the skin is crispy, and serve with silky mashedpotatoes. Youll be glad you did. Or, make a classic Coq au Vin with mushrooms and onions. Thin crust sausage pizza with a couple of anchovies layeredon is another delicious choice for this versatile wine. On the lighter, meat-free side, putting a glass of this Mendoza Malbec next to a mushroom lasagnawill not disappoint either. Its spaghetti and giant turkey meatballs for dinner around here... Suculento!

The Woodlands Margaret is ready to open now, and will open beautifully with a terrine of chicken liver pate made with Madeira, served with brandied fruitand grilled country style bread. The earthy side of this wine is perfect for braised lamb shanks with cannelini beans. For a lighter meal, make it SauvignonBlanc-steamed mussels with garlic toasts. Craving comfort? Make a big dish of red chile-chicken enchiladas. And then, open another bottle to go with amild brie and some more of that grilled country style bread. Youre going to want to get to know this Margaret better winelovers.

From a bulwark of the venerated Napa Valley wine community, the Forman Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Its just about ready to drink, and has remarkable ageability. Its not youll find all over the place, and we were lucky to grab some. Youve got plenty of time to think about your pairings, the setting, the occasion, and the lucky people youll share it with. Let everyone ooh and ahh over this stunning Napa Cab and offer the first glass without accompaniment. Or, you could have blue cheese sliders on the side if you felt like showing off the tannins in the wine... Pan-roasted veal chops with a fresh herb salsa will bring out the savoury side of the wine as well as its elegance. For the wow factor, and to brag about the bold, powerful side of this Forman, make it a rosemary-black pepper rib roast of beef with porcini gravy. Some buttery, garlic mashed potatoes on the side wouldnt hurt either. Short ribs braised with mushrooms and tomatoes over creamy polenta will satisfy the comfort food category, and still make for a memorable pairing. What dreams do you have for your Forman??

One of our fine Cabernet Sauvignon gifts.

Bottle design may vary. From beloved producer Domaine Pierre Gelin, and renowned Cotes de Nuit appelation, only 100 cases of thisDomaine Pierre Gelin Clos de Meixvelle GevreyChambertin were imported to the US, and we got some. How is your Burgundy assortment looking?

One of the oldest estates in the DOC, it dates back to the 1200s.Inhale deeply and you just might be transported to a tiny trattoria in the heart of Tuscany. This is only one of the wonderful things which may happenwhen you first encounter the Castellin Villa Riserva Chianti Classico. Its no wall flower. Rather, its a big, bold, complex superstar of a red winewhich has it all: ripe, dark fruit, ample acidity and tannins, spice and earth notes, and layers upon layers of tasty goodness. Its made for hearty, meatydishes, so put away the puff pastry... Your call as to the complexity of the cuisine. Sear the heck out of a beautiful, thick cut of marbled steak afteryouve seasoned it liberally with your favorite seasonings and then finish it off in the oven. Meat sauces on sturdy, preferably homemade pastas, and tomato/redwine braising sauces will show off the pedigree of this wine like a stage and a spotlight. Whats on your marquee for dinner?

This luscious Rodney Strong Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is the perfect companion for hearty meat and lamb dishes. Pour a glass and serve it witha ripe Camembert and some austere water crackers while you consider your energy level for the meal. We love this California Cabernet with Spanish beeftenderloin Asturias, pan-seared beef tenderloin steaks bathed in a delicious blue cheese-white wine sauce. The rich complexity of the wine willmatch the decadence of the cheese beautifully. A simpler but equally mouth-watering option is grilled lamb chops with a balsamic/shallot reduction. Thedark, ripe fruit and spice notes in this Knights Valley Cab works terrifically with the sweet notes in the balsamic. Serve the lamb chops with a fried,and then baked eggplant dish. The gorgeous texture and fruit of this Rodney Strong will end the meal on a very high note if you open that last bottle andserve it with a dark chocolate/brioche bread pudding with a red berry sauce. Wheres the corkscrew??!Ultimate Beverage Challenge: "This wine is aromatically seductive with tempered dark chocolate and blackberry preserves. Bold on the palate,flavors start savory with red bell pepper and tomato paste before turning to black plums and soft, vanilla-spiked tannins. A compelling wine that continuesto open in the glass."