Earth Day might be over, but that doesn’t mean wineries stop being sustainably-minded of course. Segura Viudas, cava from Penedes Spain, is part of Wineries for Climate Protection, which certifies Spanish wineries for meeting sustainable criteria. One of the key areas they concentrate on is water management, which sets limits on the amount of watering they do in the vineyards. … Continue reading
Author Archives: grapefriend
pairing perfection: chardonnay day
Chardonnay Day is May 26 this year, and I’ve got the perfect recipe for it. This Hamilton Russell Chardonnay is really restrained and almost citrusy. I’ve had a few great Chardonnays from South Africa now — not as oaky and lush as California ones. ($43 here) Perfect pairing: This savory mustard chicken – something piquant in the wine that went great … Continue reading
mother’s day fizz
We all love Prosecco for its easy, fruity fizz. You can basically get Riondo Prosecco anywhere, but now it has a new style. They recently created this full spumante instead of its usual frizzante. What’s the difference? Spumante has more effervescence, while frizzante has just a slight fizz. I love getting granular about bubbles. I use Prosecco for … Continue reading
earth day bubbles
Less than 4% of Champagne’s vineyards are certified organic, but Leonardo DiCaprio became in investor in one of the houses that’s going to up that number. Champagne Telmont is on track to convert all estate-owned vineyards to organic agriculture by 2025 and their partner wingrowers’ by 2031. Currently their Réserve de la Terre is already all organic. In addition, they’re going green in many other ways: … Continue reading
more cowhorn
Coming off of last month’s International Whisky Day, you may want to spend this month sipping some cool new experiments. Waterford Whisky in Ireland has been exploring how historic farming and growing techniques impact their whisky. Luna is the first single malt ever to be made from biodynamic barley, which has been farmed using techniques that treat the land as a single ecosystem. … Continue reading
spring pours
As we finally start getting some signs of spring, one of my favorite things to pop is a light red you can chill. Here are two great ones: Argiolas Perdera 2019: a super pretty wine from Sardinia made from 100% Monica grapes, $15 Jean-Baptiste Adam Pinot Noir: I think we all know how I feel about Alsatian Pinot … Continue reading
pink champagne on ice
Hotel California might not have had wine since 1969, but they have rosé Champagne. These sparkling pinks from the Champagne region get their color from the skins of the red grapes, which in Champagnes are Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. They also usually cost more than their non-rosé counterparts (starting around $50/60 and heading up to … Continue reading
super wines for the super bowl
Fire up your chili as the Bengals and the Rams battle it out. Pair it with beer? Please. The deep black fruit of Syrah is a great compliment to chili’s hearty meat and beans (or whatever version is your favorite). And while the Super Bowl is wholly American, I tried a few from all over the world. … Continue reading
less-grapey gift guide 2021!
Now that we’ve gone through what wines to give everyone, we’ve got some other gifts to cover. If you know the person in your life has plenty of wine but still wants to celebrate how great it is being a grapefriend, these are the gifts for them. Blue Quail wreaths: The McFadden family grows herbs to … Continue reading
grapey gift guide 2021!
It’s that time of year when everyone hits me up to ask what they should get people as gifts. Here are my go-to categories. Champagne In the $50 price range, you can’t go wrong with Champagne. I love G.H. Mumm Grand Cordon for its Christmas-y green and red-ribbon bottle. Cabernet Always a safe choice, and people will love … Continue reading
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