When Your Birth Year is Not a Vintage Year

I know some people who like to buy a gift for the birthday girl or boy of a vintage LIFE magazine from the year they were born, or a crazy t-shirt or other gimmicky item shouting out their age - but I'm a wine gal and it's always a treat to find a great bottle of something for those lucky individuals who are born in trophy vintage year for wine or port.

If you were born in 1961 or 1966, you'd better hurry out to buy now (at top dollar) hard to find wines for your 50th in 2011 and 2016.

And if you were born in 1982, I saw some of my favorites today when I was out shopping. If you're turning 25 this year they'd be a perfect way to celebrate.

But what to do about a gift for a dear friend who is throwing a bash tomorrow night who is turning 50? Did you know that 1957 is about as bad as you can get on the vintage chart for recognition in any wine varietal.

So what's the friend (me) who is a wine lover to do?

Racking our brains, I realize that there is 50 year old Balsamic Vinegar on the web at $141.00 for a tiny bottle that might do.

My husband finds a first edition of "On The Road"  - a classic book from the era - for $8,000.

We try 50 year old Scotch - not caring when it was bottled but going for the theme of 50 - and find the prices ranging from $7,000 into the hundreds of thousands (I have very good taste but a very small budget for this gift!)

In and out of wine stores this morning, I find one thinks that they may have a '57 port - but it turns out to be the '58 (you can't give someone the wrong year!).

There's plenty of 18, 20, 30 and even 40 year old scotch for prices that are all over the place.

Feeling discouraged - and a bit exhausted - I pull into our local little gourmet mart on our corner hoping that they will have the 50 year old balsamic and that I'll be done with what has become such a big headache.

No such luck.

As I'm paying for a few items that will be tonight's dinner, my eyes travel above the register to the far upper wall. Cognacs, grappas, fine liqueurs - too high for me to reach - but I figure that it didn't hurt to ask, "you don't happen to have something up there that's not too off the charts expensive with a 1957 vintage on it?" I squeak out.

20 minutes later, we have four or five choices lined up by price. There's a beautiful artisanal looking bottle of Bas-Armagnac Distilled 1957 (aged in wood 40 years) that's crying out to me at a mere $285.00 (about $150 more than I wanted to spend).

But there it was. A simple wax seal, no box, just the bottle.

Really perfect. And when I suggest to my husband that if our friend wants to open it tomorrow night and do a toast with all of our friends present that at least we get two glasses between us and the memory of spending such an auspicious moment ... and with a smile he says, "if we can stay up that late!"

Every birthday is a special one. But if are born in one of those classic vintage years - you're one lucky gal (or guy).

Note to future moms: in addition to checking the horoscope of a potential newborn baby, consider the vintage year before taking the plunge.

JB