2016 Holiday Wine Fest 1 - 10 of 21 tips Anyone with an extended family knows that the holidays aren't just a time for fellowship and gift giving—they're also a time for wine…lots of wine. And to help you prepare your palette for those upcoming seasonal gatherings (and to ensure you bring a better bottle than your siblings), The 2016 Holiday Wien Fest invites you to try your tongue at an extensive lineup of local, regional, national, and international vino. The largest tasting exposition in the Pacific Northwest, the festival also pours samples of ciders and spirits, as well as showcases gourmet cuisine and wares from artisan vendors. Switch to Desktop VersionBottleneck Drive Wineries will all be festive for you. Enjoy the sparkle of the season while touring Summerland wineries. All Bottleneck Drive Wineries will kick-off the holiday season with a newly expanded sixth annual Light up the Vines celebration. “Each year, our amazing wineries and cideries along Summerland’s Bottleneck Drive light up their vines and open their doors to mark the start of the festive season,” says Bottleneck Drive Winery Association President Christa-Lee Bond.

In response to the event’s growing popularity, organizers have added an additional day: Light up the Vines runs 3 – 8 p.m. Saturday Nov. 19   AND   Saturday Nov. 26 & Sunday Nov. 27. Visitors will enjoy wine tastings, sparkling lights, refreshments and music while stocking up on some of the region’s best wines and ciders for holiday entertaining and gift-giving. While touring collect stamps from five wineries to complete a Light up the Vines passport and be entered to win a prize package valued at over $500. buy fair trade wineContact local tour operators about guided tour options or participate in a self-guided tour. dry red wine no 1Bottleneck Drive members will also be providing wine tastings during Summerland’s annual Festival of Lights on…new wine 2015 village map

Holiday Gift Guide9 Incredible Holiday Gifts For Fans of Adult BeveragesJohn KellLiquor companies have again pulled out all the stops to get you to buy swanky gift sets this holiday season.Each year, the industry's biggest producers—including Diageo and Pernod Ricard—as well as smaller upstart brands, come up with innovative, wild, opulent gifts that can be paired with their brands. On this year's list, we've even got a bourbon-kissed denim jacket, as well as a watch, a "whiskey wheel," and a copper gnome. The idea is that shoppers will be enticed by some unique sets and partnerships, rather than just buy a simple bottle of vodka or whiskey.The Distilled Spirits Council has estimated that around 40% of the industry's nearly $72 billion in retail sales occur in the final three months of the year. That jolt is attributed to gift giving around the holidays. Champagne and wine producers, as well as some brewers, also see increased sales in the final months of the year.Here are nine new gift ideas for the adults on your shopping list.

Jim Beam Original Grain WatchJim Beam partnered with Original Grain Inc. to make just 500 hand-crafted watches, which use authentic Oak Jim Beam bourbon barrels. .Basil Hayden’s Bourbon’s 2016 Sipping Companions collectionBasil Hayden is working with local arts to create a selection of six items that are meant to pair with a bottle of Basil Hayden's (the liquor is shipped separately in cities that ReserveBar ships to). The various gift sets include a travel bag, bar cart, and candle set, but we especially love the "Whiskey Wheel"—which features a revolving tray of six glasses. .Absolut Elyx's annual gift item this year is a copper gnome, which the company is calling "Felix." Parent Pernod Ricard makes Absolut in Sweden and the gnome has ties to that region—called "Tomte" in Swedish, gnomes feature in folklore there and are strongly connected to the winter holiday season. .Crown Royal Vanilla, available for the first time this holiday season, seems like the perfect fit for the season.

Diageo suggests mixing it with sodas (for a vanilla twist on the 'hard soda' alcohol trend), as well as classic cocktails like the Vanilla Old Fashioned or the Vanilla Hot Toddy. .Jameson whiskey is one of Pernod Ricard's biggest brands and despite the size, it continues to sell strongly. Annual sales for the latest fiscal year jumped 12% by volume, as the world continues to fall in love with whiskey. .If Academy Award winning actor George Clooney is to be believed, this box of tequila is a tasty treat for the holidays. Yes, the Oscar winner is one of the owners of Casamigos—he shares ownership with Mike Meldman and Rander Gerber (the latter is the husband of model Cindy Crawford). Casamigos has been a fast-growing tequila, benefiting from consumer interest in smaller brands that are viewed as "craft." .Bulleit and Noble Denim JacketThis item is not consumable but still includes a form of whiskey. The denim jean jacket, made by Noble Denim, was actually aged in Bulleit bourbon barrels, and is available in limited quantities online and at the Bulleit Frontier Whiskey Experience in Louisville beginning in mid-November.

.Highland Park is releasing only 28,000 bottles of this edition of the brand's single malt Scotch whisky—and just around 4,400 bottles will be made available in the U.S. market. It is a 15-year-old single malt that was bottled at 45.2% ABV and Highland Park says the beverage itself has aromas of red fruits and vanilla, as well as some cinnamon and dark chocolate: $300, highlandpark.co.uk.The Kerrygold brand, which is owned by about 14,000 Irish dairy farmers, is launching an Irish Cream Liqueur in the beginning of December. The item will be a mix of Irish dairy cream, real chocolate and aged Irish whiskey. The beverage is already winning some praise: it was declared the World's Best Cream Liqueur at the World Drink Awards. $.Happy holiday and happy drinking—in moderation! Finding the perfect gift is never easy. Chicago Woman has put together several gift guides based on the interests of those special people in your life. Gift well, gift thoughtfully, gift with style! Where to find us