As a fabulous wine-loving woman, are you looking for ways to make your life easier? You have come to the right place. I found three products that are essential for holiday parties that you will want to use the whole year through to keep your party dress spill-free, your teeth sparkling white, and your luscious lips not only kissable, but invisible to Baccarat, Mikasa, Riedel, Schott Zweisel or Waterford.
Keep Your Lips off my Glass 
I have a love-hate relationship with Facebook. Truth-be-told it is the biggest time killer of my day. But it is also the place where I connect with nearly 5,000 friends, family or followers with whom I most certainly would not have time to call on a daily, weekly or even monthly basis. And for an introvert like me — yes, you heard right, I am actually an introvert — Facebook is a great way to keep up with people who I may never get to talk with otherwise.
The very cool thing about Facebook, besides seeing what former significant others are up to, how they have grayed and put on just as much weight as I, is that I can get recommendations on all sorts of things. The best to date came just as I was leaving for a Wines from Spain seminar hosted by the delightfully charming Karen MacNeil, author of The Wine Bible, when I posted:
We can put a man on the moon, clone sheep, fly drones but can’t invent a lipstick that doesn’t come off on coffee cups and wine glasses?
When you do a lot of wine tasting, the quickest way to spot a poseur is to look for lipstick, right? The waxy residue makes it difficult to clean the glass for the hostess or restaurant, and it makes the wearer look like a vanity queen. But without it, many of us look like the undead. What’s a girl to do?
Not 10 minutes later, my friend Micha Rains posted a link to Chanel Rouge Double Intensite’ Ultra Wear Lip Colour. Micha said she could even sleep in the stuff and it would not stain the pillow case. So I ordered a tube. Ladies, and men who wear lipstick — it works!
Just paint on the “colour,” give it a few minutes to set, and then add the gloss to seal! It comes in 15 different shades. This is “Daring Red.” Order online directly from Chanel here, or pick up wherever fine cosmetics are sold. $36, perhaps a bit pricey, but worth every penny not to look like a jerk at the next wine tasting.
Flash Those Pearly Whites
After a day of red wine tasting, your teeth can become positively purple! It does not matter if you swallow or spit, those pearly whites look like you gargle with grapes. Enter Wine Wipes, little pads of all natural goodness that will restore your smile.
Borracha’s Wine Wipes are a proprietary blend of stain-removing and teeth-protecting ingredients that are easy to use and will not interfere with the taste of your wine. Wine Wipes owe their power to a unique combination of the following ingredients, according to the manufacturer’s representative:
Baking soda – For more than just science-fair volcanoes, clean refrigerators and traditional toothpaste, once dissolved, baking soda gives off free radicals which penetrate the surface of the tooth’s enamel and make stain molecules clear. It also neutralizes acids that can corrode enamel.
Salt – Often referred to as the “polite teeth cleanser,” salt is a natural cleanser and antiseptic, helping remove stains and alkalinize the mouth to fight germs.
Hydrogen Peroxide – A real germ slayer, a small amount is included in the formula to help kill bacteria and viruses in your mouth. Peroxide also imparts a mild bleaching action, but not enough to strip enamel or whiten.
Calcium – Known for strengthening teeth, calcium will adhere to teeth enamel and can help with re-mineralization, which is necessary on a regular basis to keep teeth healthy and strong.
Glycerin – To protect from further red wine stains, glycerin will coat teeth to keep your smile bright and white even through your second – or third – glass of red.
Orange Blossom – A flavor found naturally in red wine, orange blossom acts as an antibacterial palate cleanser and antiseptic. Don’t worry if you swallow it – it’s actually been known to aid in digestion.
I got mine as a review samples, but you can order yours online here, in a two compact set with 30 Wipes. Keep one for yourself; give one to a friend. $15.00
Never Wear White to a Wine Tasting
I do not wear white to wine tastings, unless it is a requirement, per the invitation. Which is exactly what we discovered for our media trip in April to Montpellier for Terroirs et Vintages en Languedoc. White? To a wine dinner? Truth be told, the majority of our wines for the evening were white as well primarily Picpoul de Pinet and Blanquette de Limoux at Le Carre’ Mer, but a few winemakers slipped in their reds to the table. How does one prepare for such an evening?
Stain Rx® stain removal products are made in the U.S.A. and work well for wine tastings because they are fragrance free. Another leading wine stain remover works well, but it smells a bit like Durian (or Bourbon Street at 4 a.m.) — enough to make me lose my desire for any wine or food. Stain Rx® stain removal wipes quickly and easily remove not only red wine stains, but also berry stains, tomato sauce, coffee stains, lipstick and blood. While it is not recommended for Rayon, acetate or “Dry Clean Only” silk, Stain Rx® should work on your natural fiber, and polyester blends. It also has been tested to remove stains from carpet, upholstery, stainless steel, mica, plastic, and porcelain, plus it even cleans diamond, gold and platinum jewelry. The products are bleach, peroxide and phosphate-free and are made from a readily biodegradable surfactant.
Stain Rx® products are available for purchase at wineries nationally, select retailers and online through Amazon in both spray bottle and a packet of 18 wipes:
– Stain Rx Wipes – Portable Stain Treater Towelettes – Pack of (18) Wipes
– Stain Rx Fragrance and Dye Free 10 oz. Stain Remover with Spray Cap
There you have it: three party essentials for the fabulous wine-loving woman or perhaps, man. Now you’re ready for the holidays and to ring in the New Year.
And now for a little holiday fun from the folks at Cork Envy.
Cheers!
The WineWonkette
