I recently went to Sicily, not to follow the White Lotus life but to explore the wines of Etna, whose official DOC was formed in 1968. All the vineyards are situated in a half-ring at the foot of the volcano, whose eruptions have completely shaped the land and infused the soils, grapes, and wines with a bold, ashy … Continue reading
When you say Finger Lakes and wine in the same sentence, most people wince. But for grapefriends who know better, this region has really elevated their wines in recent years. I just sampled through a bunch of their 2023 rosés, which I’d never had before (the region is probably mostly known for Riesling). Also, they’re all screw caps … Continue reading
And for those of you who want to keep the party going all August long, here are a few rosés I loved lately: Chateau Peyrassol Rosé: Incredible how much flavor this has for such a pale pink. Tons of Mandarin orange and zesty pink grapefruit with a crazy long finish. Peyrassol isn’t your typical Provençal — this … Continue reading
As you enter summer’s pink zone, here are a few tips to expand your palate. 1: rebel against the rules Méditerranée IGP (Indication Géographique Protégée) is the term for an area that covers Provence but also includes some of the Rhône Valley and Corsica (love their rosés). 75% of the region’s wines are rosé and … Continue reading
I was recently inducted into the Ordre des Compagnons du Beaujolais. Created in 1948, the organization celebrates wines from the Beaujolais region. The ceremony involved a lot of Beaujolais drinking and one moment of guzzling from a tastevin which then had to be held above your head to prove you finished it all. This year, they toasted the 100th anniversary … Continue reading
We’ve already had our first Heat Dome, and I immediately started popping frosty rosés. Here are a few favorites to kick off your summer and keep you cool: Want to be the first to get the monthly newsletter recommendations? Woo hoo, sign up here! Continue reading
Went to an interesting wait-staff education session the other day, where Catena taught the staff about the lighter bottles they’re using in their Vista Flores Malbec. Who knew the weight of a bottle contributes most to the energy suck in the winemaking process? But 60% of carbon emissions come from the weight of the bottle. The average bottle weighs 550 grams, … Continue reading
Rosé is so associated with sunny days, and Domaine Carneros just released a wine primarily produced by the power of the sun. They installed 400 solar panels in the winery 21 years ago, the largest collection of any winery in the world. This Solar Microgrid prevents the generation of 494 metric tons of CO2. It also helps make some good wine. … Continue reading
Healthy soils maintain the natural ecosystem in a vineyard, nurturing the vines to express their true nature. Viñedos Organicos Veramonte develops self-sustaining vineyards to stimulate and regenerate the life and biodiversity of the soil by using natural compost and cover crops in between vineyard rows to improve soil structure, reduce erosion and fix nutrients. As head winemaker Sofia Araya says, “We need to … Continue reading
Usually I like to educate people about styles and grapes you can then go find on your own, since finding a specific bottle can be an issue depending on what your local wine store happens to have. But lately I had a bunch of good reds under $30, which can be hard to find. And … Continue reading
