Pretty as a pitcher
Add a seasonal touch to the summer table with the graceful Summer Bounty Pitcher, part of a collection of Fair Trade products offered by Ten Thousand Villages. Handcrafted in Vietnam using time-honored techniques and a traditional blue-and-white design, the dishwasher-safe ceramic piece ($39) is both pretty and practical.
Spirit-ual awakening
The NEAT (Naturally Engineered Aroma Technology) Glass features a shape designed to optimize a spirit’s true flavor profile. It must work, since it was recently selected as the official judging glass of the Spirits International Prestige Awards in California – the latest of such honors. Ideal for spirits with more than 22 percent alcohol by volume, the patented glass is available to connoisseurs individually ($14.95) or in on-the-go sets complete with monogrammed tote ($199).
For more, visit theneatglass.com.
Rising to the occasion
There’s nothing like the smell of fresh-baked bread. Bring that to your own home any morning with the Actibread from T-fal. Easy-to-operate buttons allow you to make 15 different types, from gluten-free to French. Adjustable for loaf sizes and crusts, the machine comes with a recipe book to spark your imagination. It’s $179.99 on Amazon.
For more, visit t-falusa.com.
Summery sips
There’s something about a Rosé that seems synonymous with summer. A few have caught our attention of late. Domaine du Tariquet Rosé de Pressée, featuring a bouquet of wild raspberries and flower petals, is made from a combination of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Syrah. The DMZ Cabernet Rosé 2013, Stellenbosch, South Africa, a 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, is a fruit-forward choice with hints of strawberry and watermelon. And for those becoming more familiar with pairing the bubbly with food, a lively option is the Krone Rosé Cuvée Brut MCC 2012 Tulbagh, South Africa. At less than $20 each, you can keep quite a few on hand for the most casual entertaining.
For more, visit westchesterwine.com.
For the perfect pour
Billed as “The Wine Lover’s Dream,” the Krups 2-Bottle Wine Aerator and Dispenser stores and preserves two varieties of wine at once with state-of-the-art elegance. Wine lovers will delight in its features, which allow the customization of the chilling chambers, advancement of the “breathing” process and a seamless way to vacuum-pressure the contents to delay oxidation. It’s $499.99 at Bed, Bath & Beyond.
For more, visit krupsusa.com.
JUICED UP
The Omega NC900HDC Nutrition Center Juicer ($379.75) takes juicing to the next level. Masticating juices at low speeds minimizes heat build-up and oxidation. An auger system forces produce into a tight chamber, grinding and pressing the food to squeeze out the juice from items as fine as wheatgrass and leafy vegetables. And you can even make all-natural nut butters, baby food, soy and almond milk and a variety of other healthy snacks. What’s not to love?
For more, visit omegajuicers.com.
