Some wise advice on showing gratitude with a bottle of wine

One thing about the timehonored tradition of bringing a bottle of wine as a thank-you: Wines, like small children, have a tendency to "fall asleep" after a ride in the car.

Because wine is constantly changing as it ages in the bottle, a good ride in the car can cause the wine to shut down and not offer the most it has to offer (you've all experienced the cranky small child right out of a nap).

When taking a bottle of wine as a thank-you to your hosts, you should not expect them to open the wine that night.

If your host enjoys wine, he or she will probably already have wines prepared (decanted or chilled to the correct temperature) to enjoy with dinner.

And more than likely the wine that has been in the car will need a bit of time to settle and wake up so that the imbibers can enjoy the full body, fruit, tannin and loveliness that the wine has to offer.

Never consider this a slight to your gift- perhaps your host will invite you again to enjoy the wine once it's awake. Kristin Latzer Simi Valley