http://articles.bottledlovemessage.com/rss.xml A blog about bottledlovemessage.com daily 365 1901-01-01T00:00+00:00 http://articles.bottledlovemessage.com/?a=36686 <p>by Gregg Hall</p><p>On any birthday, holiday, anniversary, or other special event, a gift basket will please even the fussiest recipient. Many of us have a passion for foods, wines, and all things chocolate! With that in mind, wouldn't a wine and food gift basket be perfect for your gift giving needs?<br /><br />Creating a wine basket over the Internet is not only time saving for you, but it is an excellent way to really personalize the basket. There are many unique spins that can be taken on a gift basket.<br /><br />Some may feel that a gift chosen online is impersonal. This is not necessarily true. Prices and selections are vastly improved when shopping online, so it is far easier to find a gem of a product that may not be available in your area. Having a wider selection is actually better, as it virtually guarantees that your gift will be one of a kind.<br /><br />Start by choosing a basket that will suit the taste of the gift recipient. If your friend or family member has a Mediterranean style kitchen, choose a basket in rich earth tones of brownish-red and aqua blues. For country kitchens, opt for a wicker basket. Modern kitchens with stainless steel appliances will look even better with a teak basket. The possibilities are endless.<br /><br />The contents of the gift basket are also full of possibilities. If the wine connoisseur, you can choose one style of wine, say a Shiraz, and then select a number of Shiraz's from different vineyards. This is an appropriate gift for the wine lover who enjoys picking out the different tones and bouquets found in any variety of wine.<br /><br />A beginning enthusiast will appreciate a basket with a few varieties of wines so that he or she can start narrowing down his or her favorite styles. You can add some wine glasses, wine charms, and a bottle stopper, as these are items a beginner may not already have on hand.<br /><br />If you have a local vineyard, they often can put together a unique basket for you. Typical vineyards offer wines with personalized labels, locally produced jellies, handmade chocolate truffles, local cheeses, and even some area breads and crackers. A gift basket from local products can be a real kick for someone from out of town.<br /><br />Wine is excellent with cheese and crackers. You can look into adding gourmet cheese products, some unique crackers, and other goodies. A great tip is to purchase things you know the gift recipient often refuses to purchase because he or she feels they are too extravagant. The items that a person most desires are always the ones he or she cannot afford.<br /><br />No matter what a person's tastes may be, they will be thrilled with a wine and food basket. It's a thought that truly comes from the heart.</p><h3 class="popup">About the Author </h3><p>Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Beach Florida. Find more about this as wine gift baskets at <a href="http://www.bottledlovemessage.com/">http://www.bottledlovemessage.com</a></p> 2006-11-30T20:55-05:00 http://articles.bottledlovemessage.com/?a=36685 <p>by Gregg Hall</p><p>Birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, new babies, college graduation, and even Christmas can leave many gift givers struggling to decide what to give that person who has everything. There are few people who do not drink or cook with wine. Therefore, creating a lavish basket full of wine and vineyard themed products can make for an unforgettable celebration.<br /><br />Wine baskets are a happening trend. No matter whom the gift is for, they are certain to love it. You can easily stock the basket to fit the needs of the recipient.<br /><br />A typical wine gift basket should include a bottle or two of wine, some wine glasses, a corkscrew, coasters, napkins, attractive replacement wine stopper, wine glass decorations, and maybe some chocolates or fruit. These items are then attractively displayed in a basket large enough to fit them. You can wrap the basket in cellophane paper for a glamorous gift.<br /><br />Select a basket that fits the occasion. If a couple is getting married, find a white basket and add plenty of sparkles. A couple celebrating their 25th anniversary will get a kick out of a basket that is trimmed in silver. Any craft store will have loads of inexpensive baskets from which you can choose.<br /><br />For the new mom, who may or may not be drinking yet, a bottle of non-alcoholic champagne, chocolates, fruit, and nuts can be a major timesaver. It can be bothersome for new moms to find time to fix a proper meal, so having handy snacks of fruits and nuts lying around can be uplifting.<br /><br />If the recipient enjoys wine but knows little about it, ensure the basket contains items for the beginner. Start with a bottle of red and a bottle of white, add a book on the different styles of wine, some wine glasses, wine charms, and a wine stopper.<br /><br />For the wine drinker who considers him or herself to be an expert, a couple bottles of wine with some nuts, dried fruits, and chocolates can be a classy gift. They are sure to remember your thoughtfulness.<br /><br />If the wine drinker is adventurous, consider creating a basket of wine that offers a few bottles of less popular wines. Toss in a White Shiraz, a style that is new to many, with a bottle of apple wine. The offerings can be endless.<br /><br />Another option is to create a gift basket full of wine kits. Brewery supply stores sell kits that can help a wine connoisseur create their own wines. This is an excellent gift basket for someone who enjoys cooking. Not all items will fit in a basket, but the essentials will and then the recipient can find the rest among his or her kitchen items.<br /><br />A wine gift basket is sure to please a fussy recipient. They will be thrilled with this wonderful gift that comes straight from the heart!</p><h3 class="popup">About the Author </h3><p>Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Beach Florida. Find more about this as wine gift baskets at <a href="http://www.bottledlovemessage.com/">http://www.bottledlovemessage.com</a></p> 2006-11-30T20:51-05:00 http://articles.bottledlovemessage.com/?a=29980 <p class="MsoNormal">The celebration of Valentine&rsquo;s Day owes its existence to an ancient pagan ritual. With the spread of Christianity, priests had numerous heathen practices to deal with among their constituents. One of these ancient rituals was the Feast of Lubercus which they changed to St. Valentine&rsquo;s Day changing the pagan practice of drawing girl&rsquo;s names with drawing Saints&rsquo; names. Young people would draw the names from an urn or box and then were expected to emulate that Saint&rsquo;s life during the following year. Unfortunately, by the 14^th century they had reverted back to drawing girl&rsquo;s names, in the 16^th century they tried again to have saintly valentines but it failed. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">According to lore there were seven men named Valentine honored with feasts on February 14^th. One of these men named Valentine was a priest during the reign of Emperor Claudius. Valentine was honored by the young and old, rich and poor, with people of all walks of life attending his services. At this time Emperor Claudius was heavily recruiting men to serve as soldiers for his wars without much success. The men preferred not to leave their wives, families and sweethearts to fight in foreign lands. Claudius became angry and declared that no more marriages could be performed and all engagements were cancelled.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">According to the story, Valentine thought this practice to be unfair and secretly married several couples. When Claudius found out, he had Valentine put in prison where he died. Friends and patrons of the priest retrieved his body and buried it in a churchyard in Rome.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Another version of the story tells that St. Valentine was jailed for helping Christians. According to this story, while Valentine was in prison he cured a jailer's daughter of blindness. Claudius became enraged and had Valentine clubbed and beheaded on February 14, 269 A.D. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Yet another story claims that Valentine fell in love with the jailer's daughter and wrote her letters that were signed &quot;From your Valentine.&quot;</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">All of the Valentines in time evolved into one. In 496 Pope Gelasius declared the day a holiday in honor of St. Valentine. Through the centuries the Christian holiday became a time to exchange love messages and St. Valentine became the patron saint of lovers. Lovers' quarrels come under his jurisdiction and, naturally, he is the patron saint of engaged couples and of anyone wishing to marry.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.bottledlovemessage.com/">http://www.bottledlovemessage.com</a> </p> 2006-02-14T09:44-05:00