Valentine's Day is nearly upon us and, sorry to say, those roses and that clichéd drugstore greeting card are just not going to cut it anymore.
It's time to update your gift-giving.
The bad news is that the economic downturn doesn't leave many of us with a whole lot of extra cash, so "updating" your gift-giving simply cannot mean "upping" the price tag of the gift. The good news is that the economic downturn has required all of us to think more creatively, whether it's in the office or at the grocery store or wine shop.
Here are three suggestions for extending that creative-thinking-on-a-budget to your Valentine:
Enlist the help of knowledgeable sales people. But do your homework first: be ready to talk to the salesperson about your lover's likes and dislikes when it comes to wine or food.
Do they try to eat locally-grown food? Look for the new apple ice wine from Still River Winery in Harvard. Do they order Chinese take-out once a week? Then look for a wine that goes well with Asian food, like a dry Riesling or a Gewúrztraminer.
The idea here is to come away with a story about the wine and how it relates to your lover. Bonus points rack up because a) you took the time to notice a few things about what they like to eat or drink, and b) you made the effort to match up those habits with a friendly and appropriate wine.
Put together a list of ways that makes it easy for your partner to learn about wine. Take wine tastings. Ned's Groceria on Washington Street in Gloucester hosts wine tastings on Thursdays from 5 to 7 p.m. The Beverly Wine & Beer Co. in the Shaw's Plaza in Beverly does its weekly tastings on Saturdays from 3 to 6 p.m. Do a little more digging — it isn't hard — and you can easily find low-cost, near-by activities several times a week.
The tastings themselves are free, and normally they feature a different theme every week - wines from Argentina one week, sparkling wines another. Plus you'll often get a discount on any wines you decide to purchase.
Bonus points on this idea? Invite yourself to tag along.
The third idea is summed up in one word: Champagne.
The real stuff.
Because Champagne puts everyone in a good mood - some of us have even been known to start giggling whenever we think about it ¬— and all you have to do by way of introducing the gift is to say is that you're celebrating.
Celebrating what?
The person. The relationship. Your second date. Whatever.
I can hear the bonus points racking up already.
Cathy Huyghe is a resident of Manchester and a regular Times columnist. She also coordinates a Web site called 365daysofwine,com, covering the food and wine industry throughout the Boston area.
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