Van's Gifts Summer Gift Baskets!!!

Summer is still here and our 'summer gift baskets' are still available!!!

For only $59.95, An elegant & large assortment in our exclusive 'Tuscan-Style' basket. Summer Elegance Gift Basket

Perfect picnic anytime. Even great for office gifts. Check out our Vineyard Picnic with Chardonnay Gift Basket

For more information, please visit us at www.vansgifts.com

Red wine and health – Moderation is the key

Red wine has become much more popular these days as its health benefits for the heart have become more defined.

The French have been drinking red wine for as long as they can remember and their diet consists of much fattier foods, yet their death rate from heart disease is 2.5 times lower than in the United States. Now this doesn’t mean that you should go out and drink 4-5 glasses of red wine. The average amount of red wine a male should drink per day is two glasses and one glass for females. It is important to note that if you over drink red wine (above the average), then the opposite affect can happen and you can actually make your heart disease worse.

What makes red wine gifts so great for the heart? The secret is in the flavonoids and polyphenols, which inhibit platelet clogging factors. There are flavonoids in grape juice however they are definitely not as potent as in the red wine. White wine also does not contain a large amount of flavonoids as they are not normally crushed with the skins of the grapes. Red wine also includes catechins (cancer fighting agents and help with heart health) , anthocyanins (powerful antioxidant that gives the grape the pigment) and tannins (suppress the peptide that causes artery hardening) that can prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol and therefore prohibiting atherosclerosis.

Red wine can be incorporated into many recipes, especially in soups and sauces, but to receive the best health benefits from red wine you should just pour yourself a glass as the cooking can take away its properties.

Source: examiner.com

July 4th Gifts

Happy Fourth of July Gift Basket
Our exclusive acrylic beverage cooler comes fully loaded with gourmet goodies… perfect for serving your favorite beverages chilled to perfection. It's actually two gifts in one.

Includes: Emeril's Bam BBQ Sauce, basting brush with recipe card, Lindt chocolate truffles, Vineyard crackers, J&M cheddar cheese straws, Partners black pepper crackers, blueberry crunch candies, Lindt chocolate truffles, Grab an O Olives, Feridies Salted Peanuts and Santa Barbara pepper salsa.


Estrella Wine Tote
An elegant gift to receive for July 4th celebration!

Includes: Estrella Proprietors Reserve Chardonnay '06 (Citrus nuances...fresh & & delicious) & Cabernet Sauvignon '05 (Soft & fruity). These wonderful wine baskets arrive in our exclusive tote...an everlasting gift in itself!


Emeril's Bam Bbq Basket
Fire up the grill with our delicious Barbeque gift basket featuring Emeril's Bam! Kicked Up Barbecue Sauce. This unique BBQ gift set is sure to please anyone who likes to grill.

Includes: Blackstone Winery Cabernet Sauvignon '05 (Aromatic with intense cherry & plum flavors), Emeril's Bam BBQ Sauce, basting brush with recipe card, Lindt chocolate truffles, Grab an O Olives, Feridies Salted Peanuts, Ghirardelli dark chocolate square.

Father's Day Gift Baskets

Happy Father's Day Gift Basket
Surprise your dad with the gift that includes everything he loves. Our Happy Father's day gift basket includes gourmet coffee and a coffee cup. With a great selection of gourmet foods, wines, keepsakes and more your gift will be enjoyed and remembered.
Includes: Dean & Deluca Dark Chocolate Bar, Brown Derbys Chocolate with White Chunks cookies, Primo Dolce Chocolate tea biscuits, Dolcetto chocolate pastry cookies, Cashew Roca buttercrunch toffee, Don Francisco's Fresh Ground Coffee, and our exclusive mug.


Bbq Time for Dad
Fire up the grill with our delicious Barbeque gift basket featuring Emeril's Bam! Kicked Up Barbecue Sauce. This unique BBQ gift set will give dad a great back yard grilling experience.

Includes: Sterling Vintners Cabernet Sauvignon '05 (Rich & full bodied), Barnier Mediterraneen Cocktail Olives, Feridies Salted Peanuts & Emeril's Kicked up Bam bbq sauce with bbq brush. comes with Bold & Spicy Chicken Recipe Card.


Dad's Snack Tower
Surprise Dad with tasty treats. The perfect gift for your dad filled with delicious snacks. Remember Dad this Father's Day and show him how much you care with Dad's snack tower.

Includes: Otis and Betty's chocolate savory snack mix, Ceylon White tea leaves, Primo Dolce Vanilla Tea Biscuits, Primo Dolce Chocolate Dipped Truffle cookies, Feridies salted peanuts, Gavina gourmet blend coffee, Ghirardelli milk chocolate with caramel filling squares, Italian herb cheese spread.
This wonderful gift set will arrive with all items conveniently packed in the gift tower sections.

Blast from the Past!

Ever miss those candies you used to eat when you were a kid? Van’s Gifts has them!


Blast from the Past - only $14.95!
Long lasting fun for everyone...Our candy basket is packed full of classic bars & candies to make 'em smile!

Includes: Boston Baked beans, Big Cherry, U-NO & Hook bars, Chocolate flavored smarties, Cashew Roca, CupoGold, Abba-Zaba, Rocky Road & Big Hunk bars, Red Vines Licorice twists & Mike and Ike Berry Beast!

National Doctor's Day

Godiva Deluxe and More

National Doctor’s Day - Monday, March 30

National Doctor’s Day was created to show appreciation to your doctors. Doctors perform vital diagnosis, treatment and care for yourself and your family. When you are well, your doctor keeps you well. When you are sick, there is no other person more important to you than your doctor.

Send gift baskets to your doctor(s) to let them know that you appreciate all that they do for you and your health.

Visit our website at www.vansgifts.com for some great gift ideas. We offer free shipping and discounts up to 25% on selected items.

Mother's Day Gift

Mother's Day Gift Basket

Mother's Day is a time of commemoration and celebration for Mom. So this Mother's Day send her something special from Van's Gifts. Pamper her with our fine spa products from one of our Spa Gift Baskets.

Our Luxury Spa Gift Basket is one of our top seller it includes: Our exclusive & wonderful teapot warms the cup underneath, an ancient tradition. Chai chocolate, green & Ceylon jasmine teas, L'Occitane olive scrub, fizzy sugar cubes for the bath & milk soap, luxury fluffy body puff, two body massagers from L'Occitane decreases stress and increases blood flow. We included a wood back & neck roller to release tension, a duet of hyro candles, after spa mints, green tea filled biscuits & our fall leaf plate to serve them on.

Easter Gift Baskets

Easter Sunday April 12, 2009

Easter Gift Baskets

Are you searching for the perfect Easter basket? Then visit Van’s Gifts for the finest collection to choose from. When you shop with us, you will find everything you need. From corporate packages to tasty treats for friends and family, there is something for everyone on our site.

New Items!

Our new exclusive items! Now available! Visit our website at www.vansgifts.com for more information.

Sunshine Glass Purse
$24.95
Candy filled glass bag. Hand blown perfect for spring time! An everlasting keepsake.

Includes: 12 ounces of chocolate caramels and one hand blown golden glass bag.





Comes in three different colors

- Green
- Gold
- Blue






Springtime Picnic
$59.95

Perfect picnic anytime. Even great for office picnic.

Includes: Bistro soft cheese, Jalapeno cheese straws, Partners all natural pepper crackers, Santa Barbara roasted garlic salsa, Mediterranean cocktail olives, Carr's table water crackers, Coldstone creamery jelly beans, Cinnamon apple green tea, Feridies jumbo nuts, Otis & Betty's sweet & savory nut mix and Primo Dolce vanilla cream sandwich biscuits.

P.S. Our willow picnic basket includes complete set of plates, cutlery & napkins and two sewing baskets perfect for crackers and/or bread.

For more new items, visit our gift baskets website!

Online Shoppers Fall in Love This Valentine's Day With VeriSign EV SSL

Ghirardelli(R), Sarraf Jewelry(R) and Van's Gifts(R) Rely on VeriSign(R) Extended Validation SSL Certificates to Win the Hearts of Security-Minded Consumers
February 10, 2009: 11:06 AM ET

This Valentine's Day, consumers can send their affections securely with help from VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSN), the trusted provider of Internet infrastructure services for the networked world. Flowers, chocolates, gift baskets, cards and romantic dinners are just a few of the Valentine's Day staples that consumers purchase every year. Ghirardelli, Sarraf Jewelry, Van's Gifts, and thousands more online merchants, are providing consumers with the assurance that comes with shopping at sites protected by Extended Validation (EV) Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) from VeriSign.

When a site is protected with an EV SSL Certificate, the latest high-security browsers show prominent visual cues to signal that the site has been authenticated to a higher level. For instance, Internet Explorer 7 and 8, as well as Firefox 3, display a green address bar and a field with the name of the organization that owns the site. Both are instantly recognizable signals to consumers that they have reached a site whose identity has been certified by a recognized SSL Certificate Authority such as VeriSign.

"Consumers have to trust the sites they visit and must be able to log on, place orders and make purchases without fearing that their personal information will fall into the wrong hands," said Yvo Smit, vice president of Restaurant & Retail at Ghirardelli Chocolate. "We value our customers and they deserve premium security."

On the heels of the Christmas holiday, Valentine's Day is another major shopping season where consumers will turn to the Internet to shop for bargains. The National Retail Federation predicts total Valentine's Day spending to reach $14.7 billion this year, down slightly from last year due to the economy.(1) With online retailers chasing fewer dollars, it is more important than ever for businesses to assure their customers that their personal information is safe online.

"We have seen that when a company makes the effort to provide a trusted online experience, customers respond -- and so does the bottom line," said Tim Callan, vice president of product marketing at VeriSign. "From an uplift in revenues and conversion rates to meaningful reductions in abandoned shopping carts, many customers are realizing real-world benefits from their use of VeriSign EV SSL Certificates."

WINE QUOTES

"Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance." --- Benjamin Franklin

"Men are like wine - some turn to vinegar, but the best improve with age." --- Pope John XXIII

"Wine … offers a greater range for enjoyment and appreciation than possibly any other purely sensory thing which may be purchased." --- Ernest Hemingway

"Wine... the intellectual part of the meal." --- Alexandre Dumas, 1873

"Making good wine is a skill; making fine wine is an art." --- Robert Mondavi

"Wine improves with age. The older I get, the better I like it." --- Anonymous

Van's Gifts Discounted Items!!!

We know that times are tough and you're looking for the best deal that will suit your budget and still feel good about the product you're going to purchase. We have a tremendous offer that you cannot refuse to resist. We are currently featuring our new Double Savings gift baskets, FREE SHIPPING + DISCOUNTS!

Gift on the Round
Gift Basket



A 360 degree view...A dazzling Thank You any which way you look at it! Our exclusive entertaining bowl is a wonderful 'keeper'.
Includes: Vineyard crackers, Javabon cappucino caramel candies, Dolcetto chocolate filled pastries, Kasilof smoked salmon filet, Apple crisp candies, Espresso sweets, Guylian chocolate seashells, King Leo soft peppermint puffs, Otis & Betty's sweet & savory nut & crunch mix, Brown Derbys chocolate fudge cookies, Primo Dolce strawberry creme filled cookies, Bistro cheese, Feridies Virginian peanuts, Divina Greek olive mix,... and more...
Standard S&H: FREE
10% OFF WAS $89.95


Classic Selection
Gift Basket



A favorite for years with a NEW look...Full of the best brands.
Includes: Soft peppermint puffs, Godiva rich cocoa, Otis & Bettys nut & savory mix, Ghirardelli chocolate & caramel square, Bistro soft cheese, Inglehoffer sweet hot mustard, Vineyard pepper crackers, Gavina gourmet coffee, Java caramel cappucino candies & Dolcetto chocolate filled pastries.
Items size:10" X 6" X 14"h

Standard S&H: FREE

For more of our discounted gift baskets, please visit us at Van's Gifts

The Year Of The Ox

(1/26/2009 - 2/13/2010)

According to the Chinese Zodiac, the Year of 2009 is the Year of the Ox. The Ox, or the Buffalo sign symbolizes prosperity through fortitude and hard work. Those born under the influence of the Ox or Buffalo are fortunate to be stable and persevering. The typical Ox is a tolerant person with strong character. Not many people could equal resolution and fearlessness that the Ox exhibits when deciding to accomplish a task. Ox people work hard without complaints at work or at home. They know that they will succeed through hard work and sustained efforts, and do not believe in get-rich-quick schemes.

Famous Ox People: Barack Obama, Catherine Freeman, Heather Locklear, Jane Fonda, Jack Nicholson, Julietta Lewis, Margaret Thatcher, Meg Ryan, Meryl Streep, Princess Diana, Vivien Leigh and George Clooney.

Different Type of Chinese New Year Gifts

Apart from the traditional "lucky money" there are other gifts that can be gifted on the Chinese New Year. Usually Chinese people prefer practical and useful gifts over fancy items. So, high tech gadgets like digital planners, laptops, ipods, organizers, digital calendars, cameras and many more stuffs will be welcome gifts as they will assist the recipients in their daily chores. Wine is another popular choice for gifts. Medium Dry Wine, Great Wall Dry Wine, Dry Red Wine, Medium Sweet Wine are some of the famous wines that are apt for gift giving. Chinese calligraphy is one of the great form of art so Chinese calligraphy art works are great gift ideas. Flowers and blooming plants are considered lucky in Chine as they signify rebirth and new growth. One can even send the greetings of prosperity in the coming year with the fresh blooms.

Please visit our Chinese New Year Gift Baskets 2009 collection.

Zinfandel: The big, red Valentine wine

Hearty, fruit-packed zin should be a perfect match for romance By Jon Bonné

It is big, deep red, packed with fruit, hearty and soft-edged and meant for sheer pleasure. Zinfandel should be the perfect Valentine’s wine.

“Should,” you ask?

In theory, zin is custom-tailored not only for a day devoted to romance, but one in the midst of a chilly, dark month that begs for warmth and heat. (Mind you, we’re talking about the red stuff. White zin has its place, but pink and indecisively sweet is the sort of Valentine’s Day we left behind in first grade, along with those oddly inappropriate A-Team “Be Mine” cards and flimsy construction-paper mailboxes.)

Yet finding good zinfandel is more of a challenge than it should be. Our recent tasting of over 40 California zinfandels yielded few worthy contenders, and too many wines that smelled alcoholic, lifeless or just plain faulty.

Some of this may be the result of a $25 price cap, though as one friend recently quipped, “Shouldn’t all zins be under $25?” For a Valentine wine, zinfandel seems to have a cruel side. Whether that’s ironically appropriate, I leave to you.

By its nature, zinfandel embraces traits that kill other wines. It revels in big, hearty gobs of fruit flavor, chiseled with earthy tones; my Platonic zin template is the aroma of ripe plums rolled in fine, dry dust.

While most other wines can be beaten into submission by high alcohol levels, zinfandel grapes burst with natural sugar. A 14 percent zin is almost a baseline; while 15 percent frequently signals a wine out of balance, the top zinfandel in our recent tasting clocked in at a head-spinning 15.6 percent. (Hence a side effect for Valentine’s Day: One bottle shared between a happy couple, and your intended could well be tipsy.) While I’d normally champion a red wine at 13.5 percent, the zins we tried at that level were mostly wimpy and watery, like fruit punch for a child who’s being punished.

That wasn’t all. Too many wines had notable faults, as confirmed by pained looks on the faces of my tasters as they slogged through one after another hot, imbalanced bottle — including several with hints of volatile acidity (a smell approximating nail-polish remover) and the lean, pungent scents that indicate incomplete winemaking. These are not the smells to kick off a Valentine’s interlude.

Still others were just plain boring, showing basic fruit flavors but little else to make themselves shine.

Prices gone wild
What’s up? I have one theory. While zinfandel is perhaps the closest thing America has to a native, unhybridized grape variety — even if it’s essentially an identical twin of Europe’s primitivo grape — its pedigree has been rising in recent years. That California has nurtured the market for $75 cult zins is a credit to marketing savvy, if not taste. While some of the best zinfandel makers in the country, including Ridge, Rosenblum and Robert Biale, have kept top prices under $50, it has become harder than it should to find good, enjoyable zin under $15.

After all, zin is meant to be a populist wine — a guilt-free element in a romantic evening of good eating and meaningful looks. To achieve that, you’re going to need a trustworthy wine merchant and a few good recommendations.

We generally found our happiest results in some of California zinfandel’s less known corners — the Sierra Foothills and San Francisco Bay in particular — though good specimens were found from Lodi, Paso Robles and Dry Creek. Napa managed just one spot on our final list, perhaps a reminder that it’s not prime zin territory.

I have a soft spot in my heart for zinfandel, and I’ll look for any excuse to relieve it from its well-worn Thanksgiving duties and assign it to a more appropriate holiday. So I’ll stand by my Valentine recommendation.

Just be sure to choose wisely, and keep a bottle of bubbly on hand to lighten the mood amid all that sultry, heavy red wine.

Page 2From TODAYShow.com

Please try our collection of fine wine gift baskets.

Did you know?

Chocolate makes you feel good. A large part of the allure of chocolate lies in the taste. It satisfies the most intense cravings but also causes several chemical reactions. Chocolate stimulates the secretion of endorphins producing a pleasurable sensation. Chocolate is loaded with vitamins and is high in potassium and magnesium.

Chocolate, with the right red wine is a match made in heaven…
Dark Chocolate and red wine creates an unparalleled tasting combination.

We recommend a CABERNET SAUVIGNON or ZINFANDEL. Together, chocolate and red wine contains an abundance of antioxidants that stabilize our blood and make our cells healthier. A glass of red wine a day is good for your heart and general health enjoy with fine chocolate and the possibilities of well being and happiness are endless.

P.S. Now You Know!

Please visit our Chocolate Gift Baskets page for great deals!!!

'Tips For Shopping For Wine Gift Baskets'

If you are shopping for wine grant baskets, there are a few things you need to know. Many companies package cheap beverages in pretty wrappings that make them appear better than they are. First, just an arrangement contains a bottle of what appears to be a high quality beverage, doesn’t mean that it is a high quality arrangement. Some companies that sell these arrangements will choose an excellent beverage. Make sure you with care check the brand and vintage of the beverages in a basket you are considering buying.

Next, you also need to be aware that there is more to wine grant baskets than just the beverages they contain. Another thing you might find is that these companies put shoddy items into their arrangements. However, the beverage is so pricey, they will then put cheap foods in the basket to make it look full. You want to find an arrangement that couples an excellent beverage with quality foods that will enhance the flavor of the drink, not detract from it.

Another thing to look for when shopping for arrangements is the container that the arrangement is in. These things are items the person you are communication the instant to will on no occasion use. One huge concept is to look for an arrangement that is housed in a beverage-cooling tub, so the container is good for even during the time the recipient is still using the contents!

One mark that indicates that you have found high quality wine donation baskets is if you find arrangements that contain of use tools, such as a corkscrew or wine opener. the best quality arrangements be housed in attractive and good for containers, not plastic tubs that are weal for nothing when the cargo have been consumed. After all, a benefit beverage cannot be enjoyed if it cannot be opened.

Don’t forget to look at the way the arrangement looks. This shows that the company making the arrangement has consideration of what the recipient will need as soon as he receives the gift. Also, they may decorate the arrangement with items like bows or faux grapes that highlight the bale beautifully. The best vendors will gingerly arrange their products so that the beverages are showcased and offset by the other items the arrangement contains. This online garner had its beginnings as a paper catalogue vender. By finding a company that shows attention to the details included in creating the arrangement, you will be assure that you have found a company that will pay attention to putting the best foods and beverages into their products.

Article Source: http://www.unique-ezine-articles.com

Van's Gifts Valentine's Day Gift Baskets

Darling Heart

$24.95
Keepsake heart boxes to treasure forever
Includes: Ghirardelli rich caramel milk chocolate and distinctly silky dark chocolate; Mocha Rocha, toffee with chocolates, cashews & coffee pieces & King Leo gourmet soft peppermint candies.

Standard S&H: $7.95




















Godiva Chocolatier

$49.95
Recognized & well received worldwide. Our new and exclusive chest is filled with signature favorites & more.
Includes: NEW! From Godiva Chocolatier, creme brulee dessert medallions, dark chocolate enrobed cherries, signature biscuits, solid extra dark & milk chocolate bars, rich special roast cafe, the truffle 'Opera' box. We added our star candles & oval present filled with dark caramels.
Items size:11" X 8" X 10"h

Standard S&H: $8.95


For more Valentine's Day Gift Baskets, Visit us at Van's Gifts!