Here are suggestions for wine lovers on your holiday gift list. Shop at wine stores or order wine accessories from Wine Enthusiast (800-356-8466; www.wineenthusiast.com). Do not delay. Wine shops can special-order recommended wines, but it may take up to a week for them to arrive.
       

Inexpensive (under $20)

        • Glass Stoppers ($15-$17, depending on size): These 2 1/2-inch glass spheres are designed as airtight tops for decanters. But let your wine lover roll them out of his or her stocking and guess their use: paperweights, art objects or rejects from The Caine Mutiny?

        • Duet Non-Vintage Cream Sherry “With Essences of Natural Hazelnut, California” (500 ml; $17): This after-dinner drink may offend stuffy purists, but the touch of hazelnut will appeal to most wine lovers. Full-body, medium intense flavors come in an attractive art deco bottle that looks great sliding out of a stocking.

        • Ca' del Solo 2000 Moscato “Frizzante, Monterey County” ($16): For sheer fun, it's hard to top California's homage to Italy's Moscato d'Asti. This light, sweet wine comes from the master of fun, Bonny Doon Winery's Randall Grahm.

        • Pirramimma 1998 Late Harvest Riesling “McLaren Vale” ($16): Of course, Germans produce sweet, elegant rieslings, but they can't beat the Aussies for high quality at modest price. This dessert wine features good color depth, strong true-to-the-variety aromas and clean, full-bodied flavors that taste like honey.
       

Affordable ($20-$50)

        • Estancia 1998 Red Blend “Duo, Alexander Valley” ($24): This California blend of cabernet sauvignon and sangiovese has fine color and aromas, but give it because of its wonderful taste. There's medium-full body, moderately soft tannins, vivid fruit and strong personality.

        • The Taster, Les Impitoyables Tasting Glass ($40): The most uniquely shaped wine glass you're likely to see is also excellent at enhancing the aromas of wine. The stemless glass has two indentations, one on the side for the thumb and one on the bottom for a finger. As you swirl the wine in the glass, the side indentation causes turbulence that releases aromas that are retained and concentrated by the inward sloping walls of the glass. Designed for tasting wine, not for sipping.

        • Penfolds 1997 Shiraz “St. Henri, South Australia” ($45): This isn't your average high-volume Aussie shiraz. Bold color, bold aromas, bold flavors and refinement, too. This wine has it all.
       

Expensive (over $50)

        • Quick Silver corkscrew ($60): This sleekly styled chrome and black corkscrew is an excellent, reasonably priced alternative to the top-of-the-line Leverpull. Comes with a foil cutter and a base that doubles as a coaster for opened wine bottles.

        • Beaulieu Vineyards (BV) 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon “Georges de Latour Private Reserve, Napa Valley” ($100): An exceptional wine from an exceptional vintage, this beauty boasts dark, purplish-red color coupled with in-your-face aromas that, although fruit-based, are powerfully complex. Topped off with refined yet full-bodied flavors and tannins strong enough for cellaring but soft enough for enjoying today, this is high on my list of best wines tasted in the past year. It's a special treat for a special cab lover.
       Contact John Vankat by mail: c/o Cincinnati Enquirer; fax: 768-8330.

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Gifts slip nicely into wine lover's stocking
Reserve a homey table today for Christmas Eve