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.