The other day, I was sitting at the counter at Bokumo and talking with a customer about year-end gifts.
"Our company has shrunk a lot compared to how it used to be.
The coronavirus has made things even worse, and now our budget is just a pittance.”
I thought so.
While remote work has become the norm in some workplaces, I feel that the customs of giving year-end gifts, visiting people to say hello at the end of the year, and holding year-end parties may not return to the way they were before COVID-19, even next year and beyond.
Speaking of year-end gifts, I have a few memories from my childhood.
My father was a salesman in the manufacturing industry, so he must have had a fair amount of contact with clients, and although the number wasn't large, he would send me year-end gifts every year.
The best part was the ham. That's good.
The thick meat sealed in a tight vacuum pack is irresistible just from the look of it. It's not just a lump of meat, it's more like a lump of luxury.
All you have to do is cut and bake, so it's easy for mothers too. A ham assortment is a great way to please the whole family.
A gift from someone with the nicest taste.
How does beer compare to that?
No way.
A set of canned beer that is unnecessarily heavy and big. I was excited when it arrived, but was disappointed when I opened it. What the hell is Ichiban Squeezed? It's Hyakuban Squeezed, which is the lowest ranked canned beer for children.
However, one winter, something changed.
I guess this big, heavy thing is beer again this year. What a lack of taste, I thought, when I opened the box.
What!
There it is!
Half beer and half juice!!!
It's a set of Ichiban Shibori and Kirin Hyper 100!
This is already ecstatic.
My mother's policy was that we weren't allowed to buy much juice in our household, so the opportunity to officially and openly drink juice was extremely rare.
Of course, I'll be competing with my brother for the Kirin Hyper 100.
I'll have an apple! I'll have an orange! Well then, how about a mixed juice?
Oh no, rock-paper-scissors! Ahahahaha!!
The stock of the person who gave the gift has skyrocketed.
"If it's all beer, the only one who'll be happy is Dad. This year, I think I'll mix in some juice for my son. I'll check the box next to "6 beers and 6 juices" in the order column next to "12 beers."
you!
Just doing that can make people so happy. I am still grateful for your thoughtfulness (although I don't know who it is).
But back then, I never imagined that when I grew up I'd be working at a server pouring that first squeeze every day.
Now, I am grateful to Ichiban Shibori. Thanks to you, I can eat my fill today too. Naturally, I have risen 99 ranks and come back to number one.
Well, having said that, Bokumo Wine has launched a year-end wine gift set.
Oh come on, if the children of the recipient family see this, they'll be like, "What? Wine? There's no juice? What a lack of taste."
Yes, that's right. Sorry.
However, Bokumo Wine is a wine shop and does not sell juice, so there's nothing we can do about it.
Let's hope that the children of the recipients will be in a good mood when their parents drink the New Zealand wine and say it's delicious, and that they will give them extra pocket money! (forceful)
I hear that the amount of year-end gifts given by companies is decreasing, but I don't think that the amount of year-end gifts given as private gifts will actually decrease that easily.
In fact, when I look at the customers who come to Bokumo, I get the feeling that there is a recent trend towards placing more importance on personal connections.
I'm sure there are a certain number of people who want to give gifts at the end of the year. I hope that for those people, this year they will consider New Zealand wine, which is a bit different from other wines.
This time, I created three sets: 5,000 yen (white), 6,000 yen (red), and 10,000 yen (white and red).
For the wine, we chose Cloudy Bay, a representative winery in New Zealand and a well-known name among wine connoisseurs, and to pair it with a bottled drink from Hiramatsu Foods , a long-established seafood processing company in Toyokawa City, Aichi Prefecture, we chose a snack to go perfectly with it.
Surprisingly, Sauvignon Blanc and pacific saury in tomato sauce go incredibly well together!
The Pinot Noir and soy sauce flavored simmered dish goes without saying.
If you like, please try window shopping in a separate window.
Sauvignon Blanc and snack set from New Zealand's prestigious Cloudy Bay: 5,000 yen (white)
Pinot Noir and snack set from New Zealand's prestigious Cloudy Bay: 6,000 yen (red)
New Zealand's prestigious red and white wine and snack set: 10,000 yen (white and red)
This week's pairing suggestions
Well, this week we are again proposing pairings of Bokumo's food menu with New Zealand wines.
A classic appetizer these days is the Greek salad.
It's a salad, but it doesn't use any leafy vegetables.
A salad made with tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, young corn, olives, etc. topped with Greek feta cheese.
It's the perfect snack to go with white wine.
It would go well with any white wine (sparkling or rosé would be fine), but I would especially recommend this one.
Giessen Organic Sauvignon Blanc 2020
This is a new product that was released last week. It is a Sauvignon Blanc that meets New Zealand's strict organic standards.
The taste is definitely grapefruit. It has a New Zealand feel to it. It's a pairing that reminds me of putting grapefruit dressing on a salad.
It's definitely delicious!
