Wondering What to Give Mom? Why Not Wine?

(ARA) - The holidays are long over and your gift-buying duties are mostly done until the end of the year, right? Not so. Spring is the season of moms, dads and grads, and finding a creative, fun sophisticated gift can be just as challenging in the warmer months as it is in winter.

Increasingly, smart spring shoppers are turning to wine to demonstrate their spirit of giving. From wine seminars and dinners, to wine clubs and paraphernalia, wine continues to be a popular gift. "Few gifts combine the qualities of sophistication and fun quite so well as wine," says Bruce Boring, co-founder of The California Wine Club. "Wine is the essence of grown-up enjoyment. It can be exciting or relaxing, stimulating or soothing, simple or intricate."

From basic to smashing, here are some ideas for ways to give wine as a gift this spring.

* The Basic Bottle - "Wine is always welcome," Boring says. If you're taking Mom out to dinner for her special day, consider a nice BYOB place where you can bring along a bottle of her favorite wine. Or, if she doesn't have a favorite, consider chaperoning her to a wine tasting at your local spirits store. Check out www.localwineevents.com or similar sites for lists of local tastings, wine dinners and other related events across the country.

* Join the Club - Wine clubs cater to both true connoisseurs and neophytes. The California Wine Club, for example, offers levels of membership for those who know what they like and those who like to learn more. Each month, members receive two new limited production wines from California's small artisan wineries, delivered to their door with the club's magazine, "Uncorked," which features information on the featured wines, background on the vintners, wine education articles and recipes for foods that pair well with the selected wines. Members pay only the cost of the wines each month and you can purchase three, six, nine or 12-month memberships in advance to give as gifts. Visit www.cawineclub.com or call (800) 777-4443 to learn more.

* Take the Tour - If Mom lives in California, your job is easy. You can send her and four of her closest friends on a four-hour tour of one of California's famous winemaking regions, from Napa to Sonoma, for as little as $200 at www.californiawinetours.com. East Coasters can check out state-specific sites such as www.newyorkwines.org, www.ncwine.org or www.newenglandwines.com to find wine tours in their area. You may be surprised at just how close you live to a winery. For California tours, visit www.winecountrygetaways.com. For European tours try www.infohub.com/travel.

* Go Top Shelf - The truly indulgent gift-giver can provide Mom with an all-expense paid getaway at some of the top vineyards in the world. From California and New Zealand to Italy and France, many vineyards offer luxurious vacation getaways on the very grounds of the estate. To determine if Mom's favorite vintner provides this type of getaway, visit the vineyard's home page.

"The joy of a gift of wine lingers long after the last bottle is emptied," Boring says.

Courtesy of ARAcontent