Tucson chefs will be turning your favorite Girl Scout cookies into amazing desserts to serve with wines in the inaugural Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona’s Cookies & Cabernet event this Friday, January 6, beginning at 6pm at Medicine Man Gallery, 7000 E. Tanque Verde Road.

The event will feature hors d’oeuvres, fine art, outstanding wines, and amazing desserts hand-crafted by Tucson’s chefs using Girl Scout cookies. Chefs from Feast, Pastiche Modern Eatery, Kingfisher Bar & Grill, Bob’s Steak and Chop House, HUB Restaurant and Ice Creamery, and The Abbey will be concocting the fare.

“This is the inaugural year for Cookies & Cabernet and we are very excited by the community’s response, especially the talented chefs who have teamed up with us to make this possible, and our wonderful host, Medicine Man Gallery,” explains Debbie Rich, CEO of the Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona. “Cookies & Cabernet will help kick off the Girl Scout cookie season in style and of course allow our supporters to have fun and enjoy great desserts as well.”

And good wines, of course.

Medicine Man Gallery will be donating 20 percent of the proceeds from art sold that night to the Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona. Proceeds will help support Girl Scout programs for the 14,000 girls served in the Council’s jurisdiction.

Tickets to the event are $45 online and $55 at the door.

Cheers to a fun event!

For all of my wine-loving friends, I extend a very happy holiday and five wishes all my own. I wish that:

1. Arizona winemakers enjoy a fantastic growing season with minimal adverse weather, experience healthy harvests, and produce stellar wines in 2012
2. Wine-producing friends everywhere continue to introduce me to new wines for reviews and those who plan wine-pairings continue to include me in the mix
3. Winemakers all continue to pursue sustainable farming and production practices
4. My wine-tasting pals regularly discover new wines to please their palates and share their experiences with me
5. I can persist exploring the subtleties of varietals and terroir, dig deeper into the history of wine and the wine-making process, meet and learn more about the people who make it all happen, and continue to create new and fun blogposts to share it all on Pour Me Some Grapes

I also wish for each and everyone’s responsible wine drinking–be safe out there, please!

Cheers to everyone for a very good 2012!

Wine-lovers on your gift-buying list might not always get a fair shake. Many think you can pass off any cheap ol’ bottle of wine and call it a day. Why not surprise the wino with a well-thought-out special gift that just suits their joy?

Look ma, no hands!

Hands free for hugging and juggling food at a buffet

First off, there’s a handy new little contraption on the market called The Winestrap, that I discovered at the AWGA Wine Festival at the Farm this past month. This handy lanyard-suspended holder accommodates a full glass of wine while the wearer is able to breeze through the buffet line hands-free to make his or her selections. Users can juggle a plate, take a photograph, or even write at the computer without spilling the wine. Price at $10 each or 4 for $35, you can email owner Kirk Hostert at kirk@winestrap.com, or call him in Carefree, AZ, at 480-595-1729  to place your order.

Danglies sort it all out

Wherever three or more winos gather, it’s easy to mix up glasses, especially if everyone is drinking from the same juice. Voila, enter ‘Danglies’—these custom-made cuties help sort it all out. Danglies are designed and marketed by two local appreciators of fine wines, Janice Ulrich and Nancy Stewart. They come 4-to-a-card and range in price from $8 to $15. Designs vary from wine charms to a wide range of beading patterns and jewels. This is a classy gift for that favorite host, and they make good stocking stuffers too. Danglies available at CataVinos Wine Shoppe & Tasting Room on North Alvernon Way; look around, other stores carry other variations, but these are made in Tucson.

Waffles and wine…

JJ's Pantry, Tucson, AZ

On the mornings I decide to start with a waffle, I drag out some JJ’s Pantry’s Cabernet jelly—the richest, most wine-tasting jelly concoction on the planet. It’s like having waffles and wines for breakfast (please don’t tell my mom).

Custom-made by local wine aficionado Jennifer Janzen, I must say she really knows how to pick her grapes. JJ’s Pantry also offers a Chardonnay jelly, plus an entire collection of homemade healthy and hearty foods ranging from soups to scones to breads—and home-made dog treats too. Jellies are priced at $4.00, check out Tucson-based JJ’s Pantry now.

Just the right wine

If you must settle on a wine for that special friend (hey, I’d never complain), take a few moments to search out a Tucson-owned wine shop (not those big box warehouses please)—you’ll have the pleasure of talking to a real person about what your friend would really like. Set your budget and with a few hints about your friend, a smart wine store grapista should be able to help you select the perfect wine. Consider buying a wine gift card or certificate if you’re not sure.

I’d be happy to suggest a few extra-delightful value wines I’ve discovered this season that are both palate pleasing and affordable. Consider ALIAS from California (both Cab and Chard), or Alandra from Portugal (red or white blend)—each priced well under the $10/bottle range.

Cheers to your holidays!