Proper wine storage is very important ensure the preservation of a wine’s flavor in addition to enhancing the aging process by a small degree. This is why many individuals and wine oriented businesses like high end restaurants or wine shops will go to the trouble and expense of building a climate controlled room that can arrange their inventory of wines on custom made wine shelves.

For the majority of enthusiasts who to do not have the funds or resources to attempt building a dedicated wine cellar or wine room of any size in their personal residence, a few different alternatives are available at a fraction of the cost of building a small to medium sized room. Wine coolers, which resemble small refrigerators, can house a small collection of wines at the optimal temperature and humidity levels for only a few hundred dollars. For smaller budgets, a cool or dark space like a kitchen pantry or laundry room can be an acceptable alternative.

If you want to give wine gifts baskets for gifts this holiday season, it is never too early to get started with making some decisions about the types of products which should be included.

Which types of wine should you include?

Much of your answer to that question is going to revolve around the people receiving your gifts. Serious wine drinkers may enjoy Pinot Noir from time to time while that wine might be too small and light for the average consumer who is more familiar with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

International wines might provide better value, but there is little internationally which can match California’s historic Napa Valley in terms of respect from the average American consumer whom looks at California with not only a sense of appreciation, but respect. There are fewer wine regions in the world (save Bordeaux and Burgundy) which create more of a conversation than Napa Valley.

A red wine club from the Alexander Valley AVA gives you plenty of choice, but perhaps none are as unique as Seghesio Vineyards and Winery. Originally opened by Edoardo Seghesio in 1902, the winery has steadily increased production while retaining quality since it’s opening so many years ago. Interestingly, Seghesio was one of the last Sonoma vintners to shift it’s focus from bulk wine to bottled wines after Prohibition ended, but that didn’t stop the family business to quickly growing to well over a hundred thousand cases of wine per year. The current generation of Seghesio family owners have also done a wonderful job at keeping the majority of production as estate wines, meaning that they craft their wines from grapes grown only on the vineyards directly next to the processing facility and tasting room. For a winery of this size, that is an incredibly impressive feat and one they should be very proud of.