December is the best month of the year! Right? Well yes, sometimes. But sometimes the busyness of December can get the best of us. Do you have all of your social engagements planned? Are you happy about them? Are you going to be able to see your favorite people? Have you figured out who’s staying with you or who you’re staying with? Do you have the right gifts for everybody? Do you have any days to yourself? The list of questions goes on and on and on. Given all of these questions, here’s the most important question: How the heck do you have a happy December? Even better, how the heck do you have a WINEderful December?
Tips for a Happy December
Powertochange.com has a fantastic article by Marsha Jordan called “10 Tips for a Less Stressful Holiday.” I highly recommend reading it and sharing it with family and friends.
I found a few of the Jordan’s tips to have nice tie ins to my wine offerings. So I will highlight those here:
- Celebrate family and community by scheduling time for fun and relaxation together.
- Simplify gift shopping.
- Create fun new traditions.
Host a Wine Tasting
Looking at the first tip, one of the easiest, least stressful ways to relax and have fun with family and friends is to schedule a wine tasting with me. A wine tasting gives you and your friends and family two hours of pure, unadulterated fun, something everybody can use in December. You schedule a date and time with me, invite your guests and provide light appetizers (a quick run to Trader Joe’s). I do everything else. The cost of a wine tasting is just $55 (plus your run to Trader Joe’s). For this amount, you get $125 worth of wine, a few goodies, and an opportunity to try great wine before you buy – taking the stress out of choosing wine for your holiday celebrations. More importantly, you have a ton of fun, and you capture some pictures that will last a lifetime.
Order Personalized Wines
Looking at the second tip, my favorite recommendation here is to buy a case or two of personalized wines featuring a personalized message along with your family photo, a photo of your pets, or one of WineShop At Home’s great holiday labels. For your friends and family who love wine, this is the perfect gift. A one-of-a-kind gift that features a great photo, a wonderful message and fantastic wine. And when you buy a case, you have six or 12 gifts in one fell swoop. That’s hard to beat. My favorite part of personalized wines is that you have some backup gifts for the people who you inadvertently left off your list. Your neighbor comes over with a lovely gift, and you quickly go into your office and pull out one of your “special” bottles. Everybody wins.
An Evening of Wine and Music
In my recent blog article “Pairing Music and Wine,” I talk about pairing music and wine and seeing what wine pairs best with what music. This could become a really fun Christmas tradition. Perhaps as you are decorating your tree, you take a short break and listen to a six Christmas carols while sipping six different wines. Have each person decide which wine pairs best with which carol, and compare notes. If you do this, please tell us about it.
I hope my suggestions help provide some sanity so that you can have a WINEderful, happy December.
Cheers!
As an independent wine consultant with WineShop At Home, I absolutely enjoy bringing a taste of the Napa wine country home to you one sip at a time. Whether you simply love to drink wine, would like to host a tasting, seek a special gift, or are in search of a new wine jobs opportunity as a wine consultant, feel free to contact me for a truly unique wine tasting experience!
Cheers,
Betty Kaufman, WineShop At Home
