5 fantastic wines for Father’s Day

FINDING THE PERfect Father’s Day gift can be challenging. Sure, you can always buy him a tie or a golf shirt. But you can’t just keep buying your dad the same gift year after year. You have to change things up. That’s what makes wine such a great gift idea for Father’s Day.

and Melinda Gates Foundation’s “Reinvent the Toilet Challenge.”

While laws prevent Epic Cleantec from selling the beer, which is brewed in collaboration with Devil’s Canyon Brewing Co., the company is allowed to give it away to “showcase the untapped potential of water reuse,” as Aaron Tartakovsky, the company’s CEO, said to CNBC.

I’m all for water conservation, but I’m not sure I’m up for trying this yet. But I applaud the idea.

Last but not least is an item about Harpoon’s UFO brand, which is holding a “Futuro House Getaway” giveaway. The winner will receive a stay for two at The Futuro House in Joshua Tree, California.

The Futuro House was conceived by Matti Suuronen in 1968 as a “portable” ski chalet. It is an iconic piece of architecture that was suppose to serve as lightweight home that could be placed anywhere. About 100 Futuro Houses were built between 1968 and 1978, with only 67 still in existence – 20 in the United States.

The contest ends on Aug. 1 at 11:59 p.m. The winner will be selected at random on or around Aug. 3. The potential winner will be notified by email and the prize is valued at $2,500. To enter, go to www.ufobeer.com/futuro housegetaway/

There are so many great wines from so many different places. And if your dad’s anything like mine, you can’t go wrong buying him a great bottle of wine. To say that my dad likes wine would be the understatement of the year.

Some fathers and sons talk about sports all the time. We definitely do the same. But we probably talk about wine just as much or even more –what wine we had the night before, wines we’re thinking about buying or having that night with dinner.

My dad wasn’t always crazy about wine. In fact, when he met my mom in New York City in the late 1950s, he didn’t even drink wine. My mom was the one who loved wine. She still does. But I think it’s fair to say that my 86-year-old dad probably knows more about wine than anyone I know, including myself.

So in honor of Father’s Day this week, I thought I would recommend a few great wines ideal for Father’s Day. I picked out five different wines – one sparkling wine, one white wine and three red wines. Three of the wines are from California, one from Germany and another one from France.

Let me add that I first tasted many of these wines with my dad. So this week’s column’s for you, Jim. Hope you enjoy.

• 2014 Balletto Brut Rose Sparkling Wine ($42 Suggested Retail Price)

Region: Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California

Grapes: 60% pinot noir, 40% chardonnay Made in the traditional method style similar to Champagne from France’s Champagne region, this dry, refreshing sparkling wine from California’s Russian River Valley (one of my favorite wine regions in California) has a light yet slightly earthy finish. Along with its crisp, mineral-like flavors, there’s also a delightful dash of strawberry and cherry without being too sweet. It’s the perfect sparkling wine for a warm, spring or summer afternoon.

• 2018 Stags’ Leap Petite Sirah ($47 SRP)

Region: Napa Valley, California

Grapes: 100% petite sirah

This is not a typo. The grape used to make delicious red wine is spelled petite sirah. Not to be confused with syrah (or shiraz as it’s called in Australia).

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