Whether it’s a token bottle of cheer or serious wine for the biggest grapefriend in your life, we’ve got your entire gift list covered. token of cheer Holiday season means lots of need to bring an affordable bottle to a host or a party. Crémant to the rescue! This is basically one of the best secrets … Continue reading
Category Archives: free run juice
black friday wine plan
Avoid insane mall crowds at all costs and just go grapey for all your gifts! Now you either have plenty of time to go to a wine bar, or if you did have to hit the stores you’ll need wine. Set yourself up with this gorgeous Trousseau, a light red filled with currants and violets. It’s from … Continue reading
pinot to the pilgrims
With a smorgasboard of dishes and flavors, there’s almost no wrong wine to serve at Thanksgiving. But of course you want to choose a red and a white that can please the whole table. For bread stuffing, veggies and sweet potatoes, I usually go with a crisp, apple-pear scented Pinot Gris. And for the dark … Continue reading
make your extra hour happy hour!
I’m all for an extra hour, especially if it’s Happy Hour! Pour out some great Cab Franc and serve it with ashy-rine cheese – my new favorite combo. Cab Francs from Chinon in France’s Loire Valley tend to be excellent. Here are three I liked when I was there in September: The Nicolas Bourgeuil Concerto pictured … Continue reading
it’s merlot month!
Getting super into Merlot again. Now that it’s come back from its Sideways bashing (Myles was all about the Pinot, but does actually drink a Merlot-heavy Cheval Blanc in the fast food place towards the end), people are rediscovering the velvety, plummy grape. A bunch of wineries even declared October Merlot Month because it’s nice and … Continue reading
bubbly for the emmys
Luckily, Game of Thrones leads the Emmy nominations since the clips we’ll see are all we’re getting of this show for over a year! It’s killing me. For tonight’s awards, I’ll get through the pain with my personally-etched 70th anniversary bottle of Ferrari. Hailing from the Trentino area in Italy, the metodo classico Ferrari Brut has been the official … Continue reading
perfect your picnic
Most people think picnic and think casual wines. I say, rock the high-low and elevate your basket. The 166th edition is the latest Krug Grande Cuvée ($159 here). Full of deep brioche, light hazelnuts and fine bubbles, it’s a gorgeous bottle of Champagne. Champagne is always a blend of wines from three grapes, and this one is made … Continue reading
the other P rosé: pinot noir
Last month we delved into Provence, but this month let’s talk about the other great P in pink wines: Pinot Noir. Now, this is a grape not a region like Provence, but it’s a grape that makes some of my most favorite rosés ever (especially from the Willamette Valley in Oregon). Try these: Sanford: very dry … Continue reading
grilling, no spilling: best bbq wines
Grills are lit all across the summering world. Although we pop so much refreshing rosé and white when it’s hot, we also need some good reds for all of our meaty BBQs. Get your tongs in one hand and a glass of one of these grilling greats in the other: malbec I actually never liked … Continue reading
american sparklers for the 4th!
As an American holiday that involves fireworks, there’s only one thing to drink: American sparkling wine! A few domestic wineries use the same grapes (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier) and winemaking method as Champagne. Here are a few I like: Iron Horse: Often served at White House dinners, they well represent domestic sparkling wine. $38.99 BUY HERE … Continue reading
