fine wine

Eat Pizza on Your Fine China and Other New Year's Resolutions

So often New Year's resolutions seem to be about the things that no one wants to do: lose weight, go to the gym, spend less money or quit smoking or drinking. Here is a little different take on how to approach 2010; remember to keep your luxury items in good shape and stop saving all the better things in your life for special occasions.

Use your fine china. If you can stomach it, turn your special occasion plates into your every day dishes. This same attitude can apply to your fine crystal too. Really both can be put in the dishwasher on the fine china and crystal setting as we reported earlier this year.
Clean your diamond jewelry and make sure you get out of the house enough to wear it. If you have pearls examine them and decide if they need to be restrung.
Keep your Manolos, Jimmy Choos and any other designer shoes in shape. Bring them into your local shoe repair and have soles attended to, broken straps fixed and scuffs polished away. You can bring your fine leather goods, such as handbags in for the same treatment.
Drink champagne, not just on New Year's Eve, buy a case and open a bottle at least once a month.
If you have a wine collection go through it and make a list of the bottles that are properly aged. Invite friends over and open your wine when it is in its prime. If you don't have a collection start one.
Plan a nice vacation and make the time in your life to take one or two with the people who are most important to you.
Buy new socks and underwear. Upgrade and look for the nicest undergarments you can find. If you enjoy matching sets buy one for each day of the week.
Replenish your fine stationery supply. Make sure you have plenty of notes on hand to thank all the people who are going to give you great gifts or invite you for the weekend in 2010!
If you have a watch collection, rotate the watch you wear weekly. Even if they are valuable, take them out of the leather storage box and enjoy. Time passes quickly.
Keep your silver polished. If you need to, set aside a day a month to check on silver frames, platters, candle sticks and flatware to see if tarnish has accumulated. If it has, use a cloth or polish handy so that if you decide to use your silver it is ready at a moments notice.
Cook with luxury ingredients, have special vinegars, truffle oil, saffron and other delicacies in your pantry.
Go out for dinner. At least occasionally try a high-end restaurant in your area. If it has a sommelier have them recommend a wine you've never tried before. Ask them give you the label to take home at the end of the evening, it is an easy way to keep track of new wines you enjoy.
If you have fine rugs, have them properly repaired and cleaned.
Get a massage it can be good for your health.
If you have a beautiful home, or a special bottle of scotch, invite people over and entertain. Life is better when shared with friends.

Last but not least, if you are fortunate enough to have a luxury lifestyle: count your blessings, enjoy and use your beautiful possessions, share your life with friends and family, and give very generously to those who are less fortunate.

Happy New Year!

Tags: fine wine, FineWine, jewelry, New Years Resolutions, NewYearsResolutions, vacation, watch collection, WatchCollection

La Tour D'Argent Wines Up For Sale

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine, Auctions

An AP story doesn't make it sound too appetizing (old wine bottles covered in black fungus anyone?) but the upcoming auction of wine bottles from the Tour d'Argent restaurant in Paris, France has oenophiles very excited. The restaurant, a landmark that traces its history all the way back to 1582, has a 450,000-bottle cellar and is selling 18,000 bottles at an auction in December. The auction through French auctioneer Piasa will include everything from modest 10-euro bottles of wine to those fungus-covered bottles of 1875 Armagnac Vieux (estimated at 400-500 euros) and other notable oldies.

The restaurant is paring down on its bottles and wants to modernize. Some of the usual suspects at fine wine auctions including vintages from Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Cheval Blanc and Chateau Margaux will also be up for sale and the grand total is expected to be over one million euros. The provenance of the bottles may also be a selling factor not just because the integrity of the bottles, which were bought directly from vinters, can be assured but also because the bottles bear the restaurant's insignia, the famous tower.

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Tags: cheval blanc, ChevalBlanc, fine wine, FineWine, tour dargent, TourDargent, wine, wine auction, WineAuction

Fine Wine on Super-Sale?

by Laura Malesich (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

It seems with the decline in the economy came a rise in wine sales but only for bottles less than $35. The finer wines priced between $50 and $125 have struggled. Desperate to clear space for the new vintages that will be harvested and bottled soon, retailers are slashing prices on the good stuff. Which makes this an ideal time to stock-up on or sample the higher-end of the wine spectrum. For example, the 2003 Chateau de Valandraud from Bordeaux currently sells in NYC at Union Square Wines for $80 whereas three years ago it was selling for $250 per bottle. Many retailers are offering these discounts both in-store and online. Don't hesitate -- the sales may only last until the end of the month, before holiday shopping begins, and it's best to have an inside track through email lists. You can even get deals now and save them for holiday gifts!

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Tags: discount wine, DiscountWine, fine wine, FineWine, wine, wine discount, wine sales, WineDiscount, WineSales

Clarendon Hills 2003 Syrah Astralis Vineyard

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

The 2003 Syrah Astralis Vineyard from Clarendon HIlls is the latest addition to my list of fantasy wines. Usually the thought of an Australian Syrah doesn't inspire me to dream of the day my ship comes in and my wine cellar runneth over but this is no ordinary Syrah. This wine has received high marks from Wine Advocate which proclaimed it as being nearly as good as the 2002, a wine Robert Parker referred to as being "akin to midnight oil." Parker has anointed Clarendon Hills winemaker as one of the world's best. The Astralis vineyard is planted with the old clones of low-yielding Syrah grapes and matured in French oak barrels. The 2003 has an inky purple color with aromas of white flowers, chocolate and espresso roast. It sells for $319.99 from wine.com and should be cellared for another five to eight years for maximum enjoyment.

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Tags: australian wine, clarendon hills, ClarendonHills, fine wine, luxury, syrah, syrah grapes, wine

Used Automobile Parts Wine

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Fine wines usually feature exotic names, chateau this and domaine that. But in the tradition of less evocative names like Screaming Eagle, Don Sebastiani & Sons have announced a new luxury label with the quirky name of Used Automobile Parts. The Bordeaux-style wine, a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec sourced solely from Napa Valley vineyards will cost $50 per bottle and also comes in three packs for $150. The three packs will feature three different closures: screw cap, Zork, or the new German Vino-Seal. The bottles have lettering in 22K gold screen printed and fired onto each bottle.

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Tags: california wine, expensive wine, fine wine, napa wine, sebastiani, wine