“I like to compare food-and-wine pairing to relationships. The food and the wine should be equal, and they should enhance each other. Some pairings are just OK, they go along without really hurting each other, but they don’t really interact. Some just suck. And then there’s the best possible matches, where the food and the … Continue reading
Author Archives: grapefriend
happy happy hour!
Clara C Prosecco rose, Veneto, NV Waiter: “Ecco Prosecco!” Clever. Continue reading
drinking games
So the other night I was out to dinner at SD26, on Madison Square Park, and the sommelier handed the wine menu to one of the guys. This gave me anxiety. I like to be in charge of what I’m drinking, and usually waiters automatically hand the wine menu to a guy. So this guy … Continue reading
friend request: grüner veltliner
Here’s what you need to know about Grüner Veltliner: 1. biggest characteristics: white pepper and green grass 2. it’s from Austria and is pronounced “GROON-er VELT-leen-er” 3. it’s sooooooo good! A while ago I was reading Jay McInerney’s Bacchus & Me (which I love, btw) and there was a whole chapter about Grüner. A whole … Continue reading
happy happy hour!
2009 Domaine Paul Blanck Riesling, Alsace Continue reading
petrus: my moby dick
Supply and demand. That’s pretty much why some wine is ridiculously expensive. I have an insane respect for the people who work in vineyards selecting the best grapes one by one and for the winemakers who are basically artists and scientists and farmers all in one and work to make the best wine possible. Still, … Continue reading
smarty pants
The pulp in almost all wine grapes is colorless. A wine’s color comes from the skins of grapes. So, you can even make white wine from red grapes! Continue reading
madonna & britney—they’re just like wine!
One of my favorite magazine columns ever is US’s “Stars—They’re Just Like Us!” It’s seriously mundane stuff like “They text! They carry their kids! They cross streets!” And every one has an exclamation point after it. So in homage to that genius, I’m naming this column after it to show how celebs can give you … Continue reading
friend request: monastrell
I’ve been on a Spanish wine tear lately, and Monastrell is one of my favorite grapes from there. So yummy – heavy, inky, blackberry, spicy. It’s like a punch in the mouth in the best way possible. (Btw, in France it’s called Mourvèdre, and it’s usually blended with Grenache and Syrah in the Rhone region.) … Continue reading
the ramona epidemic
We’re living in scary times. The economy is a seesaw, terrorism still looms and people are drinking way too much Pinot Grigio. With literally 100’s of white wine choices, it’s a little bewildering why people choose this one. American versions are usually watery bland or have a pukish acidity to them. I’m a huge fan … Continue reading
