Great Arrivals.com Gift Baskets

Includes:
Robert Mondavi Private Selection Cabernet Sauvignon Red Wine
Wolf Blass Yellow Label Shiraz Red Wine
Louis Jadot "Macon Villages" Chardonnay White Wine
Castello di Gabbiano Pinot Grigio White Wine
Epicure European Bakery Italian Double Chocolate Raspberry Cake
Lindt Extra Dark Chocolate Truffle
Fielding's Fine Belgian Truffles
Brent & Sam's White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies
Beth's Chocolate Chip Cookies
Torani Chocolate Milano Biscotti
Cabernet Cheddar Wine Flavored Cheese Spread in Wooden Hoop
Zesty Cheddar Flavored Cheese Spread
CaPeachios Specialty Cracker - assortment of six flavors
Trenton Original Wine Crackers
Capelin Caviar Imported from Iceland
Mille Lacs Gourmet Pre-Sliced Beef Summer Sausage
Portlock Smoked Salmon
Wind & Willow Tuscan Olive Cheeseball & Appetizer Mix
Dry Roasted Peanuts
East Shore Seasoned Pretzels
Granforno Grissini Garlic Breadsticks
J & M Original Cheese Straws
...in a very large Rectangular Seagrass Gift Basket with Metal Trim. 

Robert Mondavi Private Selection Cabernet Sauvignon Red Wine

The Cabernet Sauvignon, crafted from grapes grown primarily on California's Central Coast, displays the dark cherry, berry and chocolate aromas and flavors characteristic of high-quality California Cabs. With seamless structure, velvety tannins, well-integrated oak and rich fruit character?enhanced by the addition of small amounts of Syrah, Merlot and Petite Sirah this wine may be savored on its own or paired with a wide array of dishes, including rib roasts, grilled steak, spare ribs, lasagna, roast duck and flavorful hard cheeses.

Castello di Gabbiano Pinot Grigio White Wine

Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Trentino-Alto Adige and the Veneto are the three regions that are collectively known as the Tre Venezie. Wines created from grapes sourced from at least two of these three regions are known as Delle Venezie. Located in the northeastern corner of Italy, Tre Venezie is known for producing Italy's premier white wine. Bordered on the north by the Julian Alps and Dolomite mountain ranges, and on the south by the Adriatic Sea, the Tre Venezie boasts some of the most ideal micro-climates for cool weather grape varieties such as Pinot Grigio.

The Gabbiano Pinot Grigio is a sunny straw-yellow color. Floral notes caress the nose, with nuances of pear and honeydew melon. Citrus flavors are evident on the palate delivering complex flavors of green apple, orange and faint lemon. The mouth feel is lively and full in structure created by the excellent harmony of fruit and acid. The wine is light-bodied, with a long finish that reveals hints of citrus and almonds. Enjoy with pasta primavera, or with grilled seafood.

Wolf Blass Yellow Label Shiraz Red Wine

The Wolf Blass South Australia Shiraz is vivid, dark red with a bouquet of strawberries and raspberries. The palate is full-bodied with a creamy texture, integrated oak and a firm finish.

"Shows distinctive Barossa style, with a touch of alcoholic warmth to the super ripe blackberry liqueur flavors. Ample oak imparts toast, vanilla, mint and chocolate complexity. It's a big, full-bodied wine, but because of its ripeness is approachable now."-Wine Enthusiast

Louis Jadot "Macon Villages" Chardonnay White Wine

The Meconnais is a transitional region not only of Burgundy, but of France: it links the Cote d'Or and Chalonnais with the Beaujolais, and begins to turn the northern landscape gently meridional. Though Burgundy's most populous viticultural zone, it retains a charm and small naturalness belonging to another era. A trapezoidal area of roughly 25 miles north to south and nine miles east to west, its vineyards cover 12,600 acres of which only slightly more than half produce white wine. Generally undistinguished Gamay, red wines are relegated to the lowest common denominators of Macon or Mecon-Superieur. In contrast, Chardonnays from the concentration of villages in the region's southern third fall under the Macon-Villages appellation, with or without a village name; and those at its southern extremity, in Pouilly-Fuisse and the surrounding villages, reside at the summit as the crus of the Macon. At 90,000 hectolitres, Macon-Villages represents over 80 percent of the average annual white wine production of the Maconnais.

Despite its presence during the Roman occupation, viticulture only became important in the Maconnais in the 11th and 12th centuries under the monks of the Abbey of Cluny. For centuries the wines were consumed exclusively in their region of production. Story has it that they escaped obscurity through the efforts of a grower named Claude Brosse. Enterprising, erudite and unable to sell his wines at home, in 1660 he determined to enlighten the court at Versailles of their qualities. He set out with two casks of his finest wines and after 33 days arrived. Soon afterward, he attended mass at the chapel, and as Louis XIV entered, Brosse knelt with the rest of the assembled. His imposing stature, however, made him appear still to be standing, and following the mass, Louis XIV summoned him. Brosse's motives intrigued the king; he tasted the wines and immediately pronounced them far superior to his current source of supply. Claude Brosse's fortune, and the repute of the Maconnais, were delivered.

The Maconnais' varied soils are dominated by chalk and stony limestone mixed in some areas with slate, well suited to the Chardonnay vine. Maison Louis Jadot maintains purchase agreements with growers in the region based on the quality of the wines in each vintage. Macon-Villages Jadot is a clean, fresh Chardonnay with typical varietal fragrance and elegant, citrus and white fruit flavors on the palate. Vinified without oak contact, the delicate acid balance carries into a refreshing, crisp finish.

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GREAT GIFT IDEA (5.0 Stars)

by LORING J

07/26/09 - Gift item. Recipient seemed very pleased. Arrived on time.

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