Five Unique Gift Ideas for Father’s Day.  Because We Deserve It!

It’s June.  Yardwork, home repair, baseball, grilling out and Father’s Day; what’s not to like.  Think of all the reasons to appreciate dad…and then remember how hard he usually is to buy for!   It has been years since the kids have selected ties or belts for dear old dad as a perfect gift. (There is a God!) They’ve learned over the years that dad has hobbies.  A couple of dad’s hobbies are really perfect for gift ideas.  So here are five unique, creative, unusual and totally cool gifts for Father’s Day that dads (like the wine oaf) would richly appreciate.  (Besides, who wears ties anymore?)

Father’ Day Gift Idea One: Dad’s own Branding Iron for grilling out

Perfect for: Dad’s who grill out.  Which is almost every dad I know! 

So here is the idea…dad has the family gathering out on the deck and he is at his usual post…he’s manning the grill.  And what’s on the grill? …dad’s famous steaks, chops, burgers, salmon fillets… just fill in the blanks.  It’s all about tradition.  This is comfort food from the masculine side of the family.  What would be cooler than dad bringing in a platter of burgers or chops and there…right on top…”Dad’s own brand” seared right into the meat.  Alma mater, favorite driver, something clever like “Roadkill” or just a branding iron induced monogram, kind of like a guarantee or trademark cooked into the grill fare. 

Where do you find such a creation? SteakBrands.com Inc.

Father’s Day Gift Idea Two: Cool glassware for enjoying wine

Perfect for: Dad’s who enjoy wine and/or entertain those who do
Crystal is not dad’s “thing”. It looks funny in the hearty hands of the guy who used to put your bicycle back together after you tried to jump the creek with it…for the third time. What does a dad like that deserve to drink wine from.. a much cooler glass. Part tumbler, part wineglass and perfectly built for the enjoyment of wine. Especially red and all dad’s drink reds, right?  Also, decanters improve the wine experience but most of them look a little less than exciting, doesn’t a really cool decanter make a good conversation!  Don’t good cheap wines look even better in a styling decanter?  The one pictured above looks like it came out of a modernistic sci-fi flick..and dad introduced you to sci-fi flicks, remember?  Where do you find pop-pleasing glassware? I found these on wine.com:  Glassware

Father’s Day Gift Idea Three: Great coffee

Perfect for: Duh, dad’s who like coffee maybe?

I wrote about this coffee in an earlier article.  I promised to let you know if I liked the coffee made by Mystic Monks.  I didn’t like it…I loved it!  You don’t have to be Catholic to enjoy coffee made by the monks of  Mystic Monk Coffee. I had a dark roast, my own preference, but there is a great selection of fair trade, organic and lighter fare.  This is kind of a payback for dad staying awake those nights before Christmas’ putting together that bike (you kept wrecking) the first time!

Father’s Day Gift Idea Four: High quality wine tools

Perfect for: Any dad who likes gadgets and enjoys wine

Remember when dad used to have heart-warming talks with you like, “Don’t use my tools if you’re not going to put them away right!” and, “Are you nuts? You can’t use my ratchet as a hammer!”  Ah yes… dad likes his tools.  He has a garage full.  But I bet you he is still opening his wine bottles with a corkscrew similar in quality to a cheap 99 cent plastic handled imported mass-produced screw-driver you would never catch him using to fix a broken mower.  Help dad use the “right tool” for his wine enjoyment.  Rabbit 6-Piece Wine Corkscrew Tool Kit – Corkscrews Accessories

Father’s Day Gift Idea Five: Healthy beef for the grill
Perfect for: The same dad as in every gift idea above!

Dad likes his meat on the grill (and so do you, admit it) but everyone should eat healthier and red meat, sometimes…well, you feel like you need to “sneak a steak“ onto the grill.  (it’s a conspiracy by big-chicken, like big-tobacco only..you know with chicken)  So how can you enjoy your red meats and still eat healthy?  I found La Cense.  They say on their site, Montana raised, no hormones, no antibiotics, no pesticides, no feedlots, no grain..these are grass fed cattle that produce leaner healthier meat.  So, you got to use that new branding iron from Steakbrands on something right?  Here’s a deal from La Cense listed on their website:  
Lacense® Grass-Fed Beef
Buy Delicious Grass Fed Beef. Free Shipping on Orders Over $45!
And  if you succumb to the idea that one should be grilling tuna or salmon instead of steak (not really a compromise, just change the wine!) check out this offer:

Of course there is always the obvious gift of WINE or something more unique like the Wine Club membership programs we reviewed in our article Wine Gifts for Mother’s Day.  Either way, give dad’s gift some thought! (hint, hint) Here is a special from Wine.com:
Get 20% off any 12 month wine club membership at Wine.com! Enter code DAD20 at checkout. Offer expires 6.15.08

Personally speaking, as a father, as a brother and as a son…thanks for everything guys…thanks dad!  Thanks for being last and making those you love first!  Happy Father’s Day from the wine oaf.  And to my kids this message, “Thanks for making me a very proud father!”

Cheers

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Wine and Wine Club Gifts for Mother’s Day!

Every once in a while…I am a genius. I know, it’s hard to believe, but ask anyone (besides my wife. Is “Dip” a term of endearment?) After being bombarded with Mother’s Day ads for everything from pearl pendants to carbon offset coupons I hit upon an idea that merited some investigation, why not wine! Mother’s Day is all about being pampered, right? Mother’s Day is all about being appreciated, right? So why not give something that shows your appreciation and love and is a gift you don’t have to go to a mall to buy! Why not wine! Picture your mom (or your long suffering wife) sitting comfortably on the patio enjoying a light crisp chardonnay that YOU (now the favorite child or appreciated husband) gave them as a personal token of your appreciation. Genius!

The only trouble is, many of us probably have no clue as to our mom’s favorite wine and dad’s are notoriously little help in a situation like this. (Caution, they may even steal your idea! Can’t you hear it, “Hey son, that’s great…thanks”… click) So what to do? Why not give a trial membership in a wine club? Again, Genius. But which one?

Maybe Google can help? 

A quick Google search revealed this to be a real simple task: “Results 1 – 10 of about 708,000 for wine clubs. (0.13 seconds)” A quick Google search…hmmm… So let’s see, 708,000 results to review will take about 3 minutes per review which equals…yikes.  Maybe we’ll just look at the ads on page one instead.  Doing so, in my first Wine Club Quest…I found three different clubs I really like. Take a look.

Wine Club One: California Wine Club- Delivering hand-selected, boutique wines each month.

What’s to like? First of all I want an authority dealing with the tastebuds of those I love. California Wine Club looks like that authority. Some good write-ups on wineries , books, gift baskets, different types of clubs to join and short-term membership trial. Good varietals in reds and whites as well as ability to select a wine color preference of all red, all white or mixed. Also there is a Mother’ Day Gift package available. A good choice. But wait…there are more!

Wine Club Two: Cellars Wine Club 

What’s to like? Well…the term “discount” is very close to the term “cheap” and , well… that’s not all bad. Mom would want you to save money! It gets even better. Cellars actually is starting a “Champagne Club” and they feature it on their Mother’s Day ad! Certainly your mother celebrates every single day that she gave birth to such a wonderful thoughtful child so why not help her celebrate with a little bubbly? Cellars, like California Wine Club, has short term programs, various price ranges (from $29.95 to $299.95) and good wine information. Most importantly, I like their selection. Another good choice. So that’s two clubs to buy from.

So far this is simple, one could buy a Cellars club membership for mom and a California club membership for the wife and we are done. Time to fire up the grill. That is unless you like confusion and decide to check out…
Wine Club Three: wine.com

What’s to like? Simply put, like the first two clubs, wine.com is pretty awesome. Gift baskets, great selection, great themes like “Tour de France”, good wine information available… Also check out this offer: Save 15% off any gift basket at Wine.com. Enter coupon
code LSGIFT15 at checkout. Offer valid 5.1.08 - 6.30.08.

If I had only checked out two clubs this would be easy. Now, you have to make a choice!

And…Oh NO… how about local options, our friends at Wine Necessities also have a great wine club. They will even custom design a label for Mom. (You could use your baby picture!)

Maybe grandmother would like a gift of wine? Mother-in-law? Somebody female over the age of 21? Well, let’s figure it out soon because next up..Father’s Day – and in this life you only get as good as you give!

Have wine clubs or wine gifts you like? Share the word! But not until I’m done shopping please.

Cheers and Happy Mother’s Day shopping from the wine oaf! Good luck!

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