OK, so this may be a sponsored post (yes, we’re getting paid to say nice things)… but, I promise you, they are not paying us to say that this is one of the coolest. gift. ideas. ever.

Windsor Vineyards has been among the top three most award-winning wineries in the U.S for over 50 years. It was actually founded by wine legend Rodney Strong in 1959 (yes, the Rodney Strong!). At that time, so many customers asked Strong to reserve their favorite wines that he started putting their names on the labels. And therein started the tradition of custom, personalized labels.

That’s right, you get to pick the wine and then customize the label. For free (the label, not the wine). Add a photo. Add a personalized message. Or design the whole darn thing yourself, from scratch.

Somehow managed to get a great family photo this year? Bam! Add it to a Windsor Vineyards Merlot and you’ve got the perfect gift for friends and family. Got a funny photo of cousin Thelma from the last Girls’ Night (the one that went a little, well, shall we say, overboard)? Wouldn’t she love to see herself on a bottle of Private Reserve Pinot Grigio!?! OK, maybe not, but it would be funny anyway. Prefer not to see familiar faces on a wine bottle? Then just add a custom message: “Holiday Cheer from Vinny and Stella” or “Sprightly and Gay with Fruity Character” (ok, we stole that last one from a wine bag we saw once).

The best part? They ship their wine to 42 STATES. The list includes many of those states where you usually can’t get wine at your doorstep (that means you, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Massachusetts!) If you are unlucky enough to be from AL, AR, DE, KY, MS, MT, OK, SD, or UT (the only eight states where they aren’t able to ship) you’ll just have to have your wine sent to your relatives across the border.

The wines, starting at $10/bottle are very affordable, especially when you consider the quality. (Remember ladies, these are hand-crafted, award-winning California wines. The kinds you savor—not chug.)

Gift sets range from 2-12 bottles with boxes and more. They even have mini-bottles which would make great favors for your holiday party (way better than the Elvis snow-globe you gave last year). Wine varietals include classics from Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon (a personal fav) and Merlot, to special wines such as Sparklers, Riesling and Gewürztraminer.

Cool, right? Even cooler is the fact that they’re offering a special discount just for us! Use promo code “momneedswine” when you shop and save 20% on all regular priced wines OR use promo code “shipfreemom” and get free shipping on orders over $60.  For more information, and to place your order visit www.windsorvineyards.com

Unless you’re in my book club, in which case, don’t even THINK about stealing my gift idea…

“In the glass, our 2007 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir offers expressive aromas of ripe cherry, spicy clove and licorice punctuated by fresh floral notes. Bright cherry continues in the mouth, joined by plum, orange peel and tea leaves, giving a mouth-watering juiciness to this wine. Balanced acidity and sturdy tannins round out the mouth.”
Melissa Stackhouse, Winemaker

If that’s not a great sales pitch, we’re not sure what is. The best part? It’s totally true. In fact, one of our wine reviewers so loved the La Crema Pinot Noir that she admitted she could “literally bathe in it.”

That sure sounds better than having to push away the rubber duckies and foam letters to step into some tepid leftovers after the kids are tucked in.

No matter how you choose to “bathe” in this smooth Pinot Noir, you can’t help but be transported to the spectacular Sonoma Coast from where it hails. A region that, not unlike the Burgundy region of France, offers an unusually long, cool and even growing season. With an extended “hang” time on the vines, the results at harvest are small berries with firm acidity and highly concentrated varietal aromas and flavors.

La Crema recommends a number of recipe pairings for this wine. We’re partial to the “BBQ Chicken Sliders with Pinot Verjus Coleslaw” http://www.lacrema.com/wines/foodandwine_chixbbq_sliders.html

To purchase this wine online, click here.

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