The New York Cork Report 2011 Holiday Gift Guide

By The New York Cork Report Team

Here it is -- our first-ever holiday gift guide. You won't find any decanters, aerators or corkscrews on this list though. You won't find breathable wine glasses or magical wine wands either.  

What you will find is a handful of gifts that are sure to please your local-drinking, local-eating friends and family this year. How do we know? Because these are gifts we'd love to open this year. We want them too.

Cheesemaker's Getaway to Sprout Creek Farms
 Making cheese is a fascinating process that every cheese lover should try at least once. Once you go through the process from start to finish, you develop a completely different appreciation for something that most people take for granted. The folks at Sprout Creek farm in Poughkeepsie offer people just that opportunity. Spend a weekend up in the beautiful Hudson Valley, have a hands on day making cheese with the cheesemaker, and stay in their gorgeous guest cottage right on the farm. An opportunity to learn more about this rewarding craft, all while spending a weekend getting away from it all. Sounds like a perfect gift to me. -- Aaron Estes

Empire State Cellars Wine Club Membership
This is a wonderful gift for a family member or friend who loves wine, and they don't have to love New York wine. This is the kind of gift that is fun, always changing, educational, and gives the receiver something to look forward to every month.

And, now that it's coordinated with the best New York wine shop in the state, it will only get better. The first shipment is next month! -- Evan Dawson

Wine Map of Long Island from De Long Wine Discovery Tools

Beautifully detailed and far more comprehensive than I thought possible, this handsome map is perfect for the Long Island wine lover on your shopping list.

I don't have and office right now (our dining room table is where my laptop is near-permanently parked for now) but when I do, this is the first thing going up on the wall. It's in my cellar, waiting. -- Lenn Thompson

Subscription to Edible Buffalo, Edible Finger Lakes and/or Edible East End
We don't read all of the magazines published under the Edible umbrella -- which covers most of the country -- but from what we've seen, their editors work hard to bring fresh stories, local issues, and helpful information to readers. We always pick them up at our local wineries, farms and locally focused restaurants -- and it'd be a whole lot easier if they were just delivered to our houses.

(Disclosure: Several of our contributors have written pieces for Edible in the past and no doubt will in the future, but we're happy to say we were fans long before that began.)

Growler of Local Craft Beer 
What's more festive than a jug of freshly brewed local beer? Not much. I love the idea of giving (or receiving) a growler of beer -- probably a beer that isn't available in bottle or can -- and opening it to share with my family the same day that it's given.

And, with so many small, super-local breweries popping up on Long Island and beyond, the options are plentiful.

Am I treating this a bit like my personal Xmas list? Maybe, but if you're reading this site, chances are you're liking this idea as much as I am -- LT

Comments

[Debbie Gioquindo]

Sprout Creek Farm is fantastic. A wonderful educational facility and great cheese! Not to be overlooked is their mission and how far they have come.