I was recently sent a wine gift set by Forte Promotions, a company that sells customized promotional items. The set, manufactured by Cutter & Buck, is handsomely stored in an attractive, (faux?) leather case, making a nice presentation for a gift. The inside is lined with a houndstooth fabric and the accessories are each nestled in their respective places.

The three-piece set arrived just prior to the holidays and was put to work soon after when a friend visited us on Christmas Day bearing a gift of wine (the best kind of gifts and the best kind of friends ;-)) The stainless steel corkscrew was adequate and is outfitted with a knife, which can be helpful for cutting the foil capsule. Upon removing the cork, the pourer, also in stainless, was placed in the neck of the bottle. We found the pourer, while stylish, to be difficult to use, resulting in some wine nearly missing its mark. Finally, the drip collar (again, stainless steel) was a poor fit, slipping down the neck of the bottle, limiting its functionality.

Accordingly, while this wine accessory set makes a good entrance, we were quick to exit it from our kitchen.