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Wine Makes a Winning Gift for Mom

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(NewsUSA) - Gone are the days of buying Mom a vacuum cleaner or frying pan for Mother's Day. Most adult children and husbands are more creative. But if you need help in choosing a gift that is a cut above, consider a gift of fine wine.

For some people, choosing wine can seem like a roll of the dice, with one bottle too strong and mouth-puckering and another bottle too syrupy and sweet. The endless variety that is such a source of pleasure to experienced wine buffs can be a stumbling block for the beginner.

But it need not be that way. For those who don't mind a little homework, there are plenty of resources, from helpful wine shops, magazines, books and online sites, to explain the ins and outs of selecting an enjoyable bottle.

Making it even easier for beginners is a new class of winery that specializes in the pairing of wines with food. One such venue is California's Viansa Winery & Italian Marketplace, a destination winery in the Carneros grape-growing region at the entrance to the Sonoma Valley.

But if an on-site visit is not in the cards this Mother's Day, you can always visit the winery's Web site at http://www.viansa.com from the convenience of your home to learn about its food-friendly "Cal-Ital" wines and culinary delights. Its Tuscan Club offers direct-to-consumer wine and food shipments.

Two of Viansa's most popular offerings for Mother's Day are "Athena" Dolcetto, a soft red wine with gentle fruit flavors, and Frescolina, a slightly sweet white wine with fresh flavors of apricot, peach and honeysuckle with just a bit of citrus zing. The Athena is best slightly chilled and works well with casual picnics, barbecues or grilled salmon, while the Frescolina white can be served alone or with fresh fruit platters or cheese plates of Gorgonzola or blue cheese.

For more information about Viansa's wines, go to your local wine shop or visit the Web site at http://www.viansa.com.