Schiava! My new friend from Alto Adige. This used to be most grown grape in the region, basically used to make table wine in bulk. Schiava actually means “slave” in Italian – a real workhorse grape for them back in the day. Now people have dialed back the yields and are pumping out some really … Continue reading
Garganega is a white grape mostly found in the Veneto region in northeastern Italy, and the predominant grape in the smaller Soave region there. Recently we headed down to Chinatown to have a (huge) dinner to drink through a bunch of wine from Soave: Garganega can throw off a lot of lemon and white florals. It’s pretty … Continue reading
These two grapes are both reds from the Jura region in France, and totally my new favorite reds for spring (though I’m sure will continue into summer too). I used to associate the Jura mostly with white wine (and I’m not a huge fan of the Chardonnay or the Savagnin from there even though sommeliers … Continue reading
We’re nearing the end of summer,but it’s not going out without a fight. It’s been muggy and humid, and that’s why we need wine. As per yesterday’s suggestion, Riesling is great for humid days. But I wanted to also recommend one of my other summer faves: Pinot Blanc. I bust this out when it’s sweltering … Continue reading
Even though we’re about to get full-force on summer, I have a perfect spring wine. It’ll also be good for summer, but there’s something about Grenache Blanc that is super springy. That might be because it has an amazing scent of hyacinth and honeysuckle flowers. It’s also got good white peach and yellow apple flavor. … Continue reading
In NYC, you tend to do a lot of rooftop drinking in the summer. I know I’ve done my share, so I started thinking about wines made at high altitudes, and then I thought about the highest winemaking area in the world: Salta, Argentina. And what do they make there that’s great for summer sipping: … Continue reading
As you may remember, one of my New Year’s resolutions was to try at least one new grape every month. I’ve been far surpassing that, so I’ll just share the ones I really like and that you should add as a friend. Godello is one of those. It’s not the most popular grape in the … Continue reading
One of my New Year’s resolutions was to try a new grape at least once a month. This month was a great one: Romorantin! Maybe the dead of winter in NYC isn’t the time you normally think about eating oysters, but not us. We started out with a bottle of Muscadet, a crispy and briny … Continue reading
Some common descriptors of wine can sound so gross. Who would normally want to drink liquid versions of leather, slate or forest floor? I actually love tasting all of those things in a glass now, but I get how it could sound like a total turnoff. That’s how I felt when someone told me I … Continue reading
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
grapefriend 