12 Days of Christmas gift idea for wine lovers
Let’s face it. The last thing anyone wants for Christmas is 10 lords a leaping on the living room furniture. Or eight maids and their cows getting milk all over the kitchen floor. So, we rewrote the song with a better 12 Days of Christmas gift idea sure to have everyone on your list saying thanks for not putting seven swans in our swimming pool.
Why shove a pear tree through the front door for a single partridge to call home when you can have eight premium Duplin wines, plus one non-alcoholic wine, plus two exceptionally easy wine drink mixes for spiced wine and wine slushies, plus one pack of irresistibly munchable garlic parmesan oyster crackers, all delivered in a neat box right to their door.
We call this package the Snow Worries Tasting Kit because it takes all the stress out of the holiday season (and the world right now for that matter). At more than $47 Off plus Free Shipping for a limited time, it’s a fine 12 Days of Christmas Gift. Why not gift it to yourself too? Use some of the wines for Thanksgiving dinner; save the rest for Black Friday weekend with the in-laws.
Or plan a wine tasting party!
Follow along with the video above and share the kit’s tasting sheet with guests. You’ll experience Duplin’s finest wine, complex Queen Anne’s Revenge red. The fizzy muscadine-moscato blend Southern Mist is in there. So is new Flamingle Jingle blush with a pair of festive flamingos on a label you’ll want to keep. Both spiced wine and mulled wine mixes, along with winter berry Jingle Juice wine slushie mix are all included.
Read on for tips to host your own Snow Worries holiday wine tasting party and see descriptons of all the wines at the end of this blog.
How to taste wine like a Duplin pro
See. Swirl. Sniff. Sip. Savor. Use this 5-step system for each wine on the tasting sheet included in your kit. Here's how.
See: First, hold a glass of wine up to a light and look at the color. It will allude to the variety of grapes used and what the wine will taste like. Is it Scuppernong? Nobel? Carlos? Another? Color also indicates flavor. A bright, saturated hue often means a more intense flavor. See if you can guess the grape and flavor before you sip.
Swirl: Consider the wine's body next. Swirl the wine in your glass to determine if it is light or heavy. You're looking for the viscous streaks running down the side of the glass after you swirl. They're called "legs." Sweeter wines will leave streaks to cling or move slowly. That means a heavier body.
Sniff: After you swirl, really dip your nose into the glass and inhale the aroma, which wine pros call the "bouquet" or "nose." Pausing to experience the bouquet heightens your senses and anticipation of the first sip. Think about what you are smelling. Is it fruity? What kind of fruit? Berries? Ripe banana? Musky honeydew melon? Pure grape? Are you getting floral notes like honeysuckle or gardenia? See if you pick up unexpected smells like pine or fall leaves. Describe the bouquet and discuss it.
Sip: Take a sip slightly larger than normal and hold the wine in your mouth for 3-5 seconds. Let the wine coat the tongue and the inside of your mouth. Wine releases more flavors as it warms on your taste buds. Before swallowing, purse your lips and breathe in gently, allowing the air to travel across the wine in your mouth to get the full flavor profile.
Do the flavors you're experiencing match the wine's nose? When and where are you tasting those flavors? Are you getting, say, banana bread on the first sip and then astringency or acidity at the end, which is called "the finish." Where do flavors hit you? On the tongue? On the side of your mouth.
Think back to the wine's body. Compare the texture of different wines, how they feel in your mouth. Light as water or heavier, like the texture of sweet iced tea? If you're sampling a sparkling wine, do the bubbles feel fine or medium in size. Compare your experience to the wine's description and see if it matches.
Savor: As you continue sipping, note how the sensation is slightly different from what you experienced when the wine was resting in your mouth on the first sip. This is the point when you taste and feel the wine's finish. As you continue tasting, note how the wine pairs with the Duplin Gourmet crackers and Muscadine Pineapple Habenero dip. See which wine you like best with those snacks and others you may be enjoying during your at-home or virtual tasting. Cheers!
Now, let's begin your wine tasting!
Midnight Magnolia Reserve
Lazy, summer days down South beg the shade of an old magnolia tree. The swing bench is calling. Can you hear it? “Come sit a spell with a glass of Midnight Magnolia Reserve.” Gracefully sweet, elegantly balanced and a delightfully crisp finish, all thanks to a 2022 Duplin Estate Vineyards’ harvest that was the best in our history.
Naughty & Nice
Some things about Christmas never change, thank goodness, including the fact that this wine is so delectable, it truly makes naughty folks nice and nice folks, well, a wee bit naughty. Oh so drinkable, this Duplin classic serves smooth sweetness. Perfect on ice with cocktail party nibbles right through New Year’s Day. Exceptional with every course of Christmas dinner.
Southern Mist
Vivacious and sweet, with notes of honeysuckle and rose petals that tickle the nose. Perfect in flutes for celebrations. Equally delicious when it’s just me-time at the beach. Delectable with charcuterie, chips, blackened salmon, pesto shrimp pasta, barbecue and spicy Thai, Indian or Mexican dishes.
Orange Blossom
Refreshingly juicy citrus notes and light marmalade sweetness sparkle in this finely carbonated wine. Elegant enough to pour for special seafood dinners like grilled snapper or crab-stuffed shrimp, but also fun and easy for those times when only cold, leftover pizza and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos will do.
Flamingle Jingle
Everyone wants to “Flamingle” when holiday bells jingle on sparkling sugar-sand beaches. Shimmy all holiday season with a sweet pop of Christmas fruit. Perfect for holiday parties paired flavorful nibbles, such as bacon wrapped crab-stuffed grilled shrimp, cheese fondue and pumpkin pie.
Sangria Rosé
Fruity, mellow and just sweet enough, with a hint of citrus, Sangria Rosé is refreshing poured into a pitcher full of frozen strawberries. Pair it with late summer/early fall dishes such as steamed shrimp, chilled oysters, grilled salmon, butternut squash soup and spicy barbecue chicken sandwiches.
Christmas Wine
Punch bowls and grand toasts around the Christmas tree. Grandma’s special cookies warm from the oven. Shaking presents and sneaking kisses under the mistletoe. Everyone gathered in the kitchen to “test” the holiday ham. 'Tis the season to make sweet memories and pour Christmas Wine. Winter berries and a hint of spice make the season merry and bright.
Queen Anne's Revenge
Bold-bodied, with a distinctive bite at the end, this wine will take you from chilly fall nights around the fire pit to festive holiday tables laden with roast beef and turkey. It even pairs well with chocolatel-y winter treats, such as Yule Log Cakes and Candy Cane Hot Cocoa and Reindeer Bark.
Jingle Spice
Cinnamon, nutmeg, a burst of apple and just a hint of citrus blends oh so smoothly with a little Duplin Christmas Wine and a little Duplin Muscadine Cider. This spiced wine could not be easier to make. Stir it together in a large pot on the stove or keep it warm all day in your slow cooker. Garnish your mugs of spiced wine with sliced oranges and cinnamon sticks.
Jingle Juice Sweetzer
Oh, what fun it is to ride the frosty flavors of Jingle Juice Sweetzer wine slushie mix all the way through the holiday season. Have a winter berry, ribbon candy Christmas every time you whiz up a batch in your blender. Just add new Duplin Flamingle Jingle blush wine (plus a snort of vodka or coconut rum if you’d like) and ice. So easy!
Blister Fried Peanuts
The boiling time, cooking time, oil temperature, and salting process are all precisely maintained according to Bertie County Peanuts' recipe, thus guaranteeing you the best-tasting peanut you've ever had. Lightly salted and packaged in a tamper-proof recyclable plastic jar with our signature red and gold foil label, these peanuts are a gift everyone is tickled to receive.
* Garlic Parmesan Oyster Crackers that are featured in the video have been substituted with Bertie County Blister Fried Peanuts.
