Gifts for those who have it all

PANAMA. Stressing out about what to get friends who seem to have it all? Don’t fret. Specialty boutiques, many filled with curiosities that would make any gift recipient happy, abound in the city.

Take Ma Maison on 49th Street, in front of La Posta restaurant. This wine boutique imports its wine and champagne from its own vineyards in France. While many may know it for the Wine Bar, Ma Maison has a small boutique at the far end of the premises that offers all types of specialized accessories for wine and champagne drinkers.

Among favorites, the most curious, and most likely to make great gift ideas are the shot glasses checkers board, the box of wine scents “Le nez du vin”, and the wine saber.

The shot glasses checkers board ($300) replaces the traditionally red and black chips with shot glasses. According to the instructions, in the sport of shot glass checkers the only thing you need to know is that if you get jumped you drink, while if you get crowned you drink twice.

The set of wine scents is an ideal gift for anyone hoping to perfect his wine connaissance. With 24 scents to a box, the “Le nez du vin” set ($500) teaches wine lovers to recognize wines with their noses before tasting them, in true connoisseur fashion. Earn brownie points by offering a gift that will allow your friend to rightly brag about his wine knowledge.

Unfortunately, Ma Maison’s wine saber, which in one swift move cuts open wine bottles without further hassle is not currently available.

A crowd-pleaser, nothing attests to its popularity as much as the fact that five doctors recently attending an event at the wine bar were so enthralled with its performance that they all dished out $200 each, grabbing the last 5 sabers. Ma Maison will not be getting any before Christmas, but be on the lookout starting next year? it would make an ideal birthday gift just as well.

For gifts that go easier on your wallet, Ma Maison offers an old-fashioned cork screw resting on a wooden frame to be attached on the wall for easy use, a champagne opener that holds on to the cork, other interesting items as low as $20, and their wine.