Wine Gifts for the Holidays
Not everyone likes fruitcake, but Lil Lepore and Shari Frazier, owners of Vino 100, are pretty sure most love wine!

Staff picks this holiday season include Abbazia Enchanted Rose, a sparkling Malvasia rose that, simply put, is "romance in a glass." It features a delicate feel of roses and ripe fruit, with just a touch of sweetness. White Knight by The Other Guys is a Viognier that delights the senses with traces of nectarine, orange blossom and lemon meringue, pairing perfectly with Jamaican jerk chicken or tacos with mango salsa. Ole! If you yearn for a rich, full-bodied red, try Yalumba's The Scribbler, a Cabernet/Shiraz blend from Australia with notes of red and black currant, blueberries and plums with hints of spices, licorice and chocolate. Last, but not least, is Black Saint Peter, a delicious Zinfandel blend that is soft and supple yet lush and rich with intense flavors of dark black berries and fig with a touch of cardamon.

In addition to fine, wonderful and affordable wines, there are a plethora of different gift ideas this holiday season. Wine club membership is a gift that keeps on giving throughout the year. Wine-related gadgets like aerators, electric corkscrews and, one of the newest items, the Corkcicle (a unique way to keep wine chilled without the use of ice buckets) are popular. Or choose cork cages, wine charms, wine-label removers, journals and more; 294-6886

Pulchella Winemakers Harvest in Paso Robles
Nate Hasper and Steve Lemley, the winemakers at Pulchella Winery, have been very busy in Paso Robles for the last three months - harvesting the 2011 vintage. Along with the favorites, they are very excited to be working on a few completely new wines. One is a dry-farmed vineyard that produces a "field blend" of Zinfandel, Alicante Bouschet and Orange Muscat. Although most of the vineyard is Zinfandel, the Alicante Bouschet is one of the few grapes in the world that actually produces red juice naturally. This grape and the Orange Muscat were planted in place of the less-vigorous zinfandel vines over 40 years ago. This is what Steve and Nate had to say about the vineyard: "As many know, our true passion is Paso Robles Zinfandel and we are so excited to be making this field blend; there is such a cult following to well-made field blends with a Zinfandel base. We hope that not only our loyal wine club members but also our tasting room customers will enjoy this truly unique wine when it's released."

Pulchella Winery's tasting room renovations are complete and the new back patio is available to enjoy. They are also offering a holiday special through December that includes one bottle of their famous Everyday Red Blend and two stemless logo-etched glasses for 25 percent off. It's a great gift at a great price - only $25. To celebrate their tasting room's one-year anniversary, all wine club members will receive an additional 10 percent off all case orders through December.

Pulchella is open for wine tasting and more Thursday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. without an appointment at 24261 Main Street in the historical district of Old Town Newhall;
799-WINE (9463)

Take a Roman Holiday
Roman Holiday Wine Lounge (located next to J. David's Custom Clothiers on The Patios) is all dressed up and ready to help you celebrate the holidays. With extended hours for your holiday luncheons and parties, you can breeze through the holidays, making everyone think you worked hard. (Wink!) Roman Holiday has wonderful small plate offerings, salads, paninis, meat and cheese plates, specialty pizzas and delicious desserts. Call or stop by to make your reservation, then finish your shopping list by picking up custom baskets and gift cards for your family and friends. (Grab a bottle - or a case - of champagne or sparkling wines from around the world while you're there, too. New Year's will be here before you know it.)

Not a wine lover? They have handcrafted top-shelf cocktails tailored to your liking, plus classes that will teach you how to make the perfect drink; 799-7221