My name is Ryan O'Connell, and I make wine.

O'Podium

This gift set has three bottles that make an experiment out of a fine wine. Each bottle is the exact same wine except for the aging process.

We split one of our Merlot-Cabernet blends into three equal portions, aging one third in stainless steel, one in new American oak and one in new French oak. The result is a pure gustatory delight and an educational experience to boot. You can taste three wines which are alike in every way from production to vinification to filtration except for one variable.

This is a memorable and delicious wine gift. It never ceases to please as a delightful present and conversation piece. People like to learn about wine, and we're glad to let them in on the processes we winemakers have to choose from.

O'Podium Steel The wine with no oak treatment displays that bright, fruit characteristic and shows exactly how good this wine is without any oak treatment.

O'Podium American Oak The American oak, which is harder to cut and more porous, affects the wine in an important and immediate way, marking it with flavors of imparted vanilla and cocoa.

O'Podium French Oak The French oak, with its subtle aging profile, brings the wine to the structured level of a traditionally oak-aged wine. Taste the difference for yourself!