The cooler days are now here, and you’ll need to have some red on hand. Chateau Pegau’s Cuvée Maclura Côtes du Rhône ($22) brings out blackberry and black pepper notes in this blend of 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre, and 10% Cinsault. So good with comté cheese: nutty and creamy but sharp at the same time. They say …
Was in Venice recently and learned about Select—described as something between bitter Campari and sweet orangey Aperol, but to me was extremely close to Campari. The slight differences: Select was created in 1920 in Venice (not Milan, where Campari is from), has 17.5% alcohol (not Campari’s 24.5%), and is a proprietary blend of 30 botanicals like juniper and rhubarb which …
Most people think of party wines and spritzes when they think of Prosecco. But Prosecco took on a different hue on a recent trip to explore Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG wines, which make up about 20% of all Prosecco production and have stricter production rules. It’s a mouthful to say, but rather than lots of Italian …
I was expecting the hyper-colorful doors, bountiful flowers pouring over balconies, and rustic beaches. But I was not expecting the incredible cocktail scene in Cartagena! In general, Cartagena had an impressive design aesthetic, with bold interiors and amazing attention to detail in shops, hotels, and restaurants. Given that, it made sense that would travel into …
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 …
In other sport GOAT news, David Beckham gave Lionel Messi a Methuselah (equal to 8 bottles) of 2008 Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino for his 37th birthday. Voted the World’s Best Winery of 2023, Catena makes some truly incredible wines. Made from the best vines on the estate, the Zapata grapes are hand-picked and the production is low. According …
Have as much fun learning about wine as you do when you’re drinking it! We share what wines you should drink for each month’s biggest events, whether it’s for the Super Bowl or the super moon, the premiere of Stranger Things or the finale of Succession, Tuesday night values or Saturday night splurges. So sign …
The grapefriend wine totes have arrived!!! They’re totes amazing (get it?), and not just because they hold wine. I lug a lot of wine around. A lot. To friends, to dinners, to events, away for the weekend. I was tired of trying to find bubble wrap or random pieces of cardboard (liquor store style) to stuff in …
The little critter didn’t see his shadow, so we’re in for an early spring! Let’s start celebrating now with a winter rosé. I pulled this Villa Gemma Masciarelli Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo ($16.99) to try the other day and loved it. Made with 100% Montepulciano d’Abruzzo grapes, it has lots of cherry and great minerality along with a fuller, more structured body … Continue reading
If we were just going by the wines they produce, obv SF would take this hands down. (Though Kansas does have 52 wineries, FYI.) The mayors of San Francisco and Kansas City have made their Super Bowl bets to each other, with the loser having to come to the winning team’s city and eat some … Continue reading
I know a lot of people are doing dry January, but here at grapefriend we’re doing TRY January. And, we’re extending it through the whole year. So every month this year, let’s pledge to try one grape or region we’ve never had before. In? Of course you are! We all have our go-to grape varietals, … Continue reading
It’s the best, booziest awards show of them all. They always have those big magnums of Moët on the tables, surely the source of some of the more entertaining speeches over the years. This year they’ll be pouring 125 cases of Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage 2009 and Moët Imperial Rose Magnums. But they’re also serving … Continue reading
Thanksgiving is a smorgasbord of events. Cooking. Company. And confusion, if you don’t know what wine to pour. So if pairing wine for the holiday has you feeling like this: Just stick with grapefriend and you’ll soon be feeling like this: My one rule: drink American, for obvious reasons. OK, let’s get started and take this course … Continue reading
It’s fall, and though I love popping open my light reds while watching football I’ve lately been cracking open some cider too. They have that touch of fruit without being sweet, give you some fizz, and are lower in alcohol so you can drink more which works well for game-watching. Ciders have been getting more … Continue reading
Light and refreshing Albariño is perfect in summer. But as we approach fall’s cooler weather, I sometimes tend to gravitate away from some of my favorite wines for heavier ones. So it’s always good to know about other versions of great grapes that you can drink all year round. That’s why I was excited to explore … Continue reading
Given that TV is way more exciting than movies these days, the Emmys are sort of THE awards show to watch. Grapefriend went to the Emmys and the Governors Ball after-party with Ferrari, which has been the official sparkling wine of the Emmys for the fifth year in a row. The house started in 1902 with the … Continue reading
ESPN seriously needs to up their reporting skills because it’s clear that the real reason Andrew Luck retired is so he can make wine like so many other retired players. Look at Charles Woodson, living his best life post-NFL. He just came out with a new wine line called Intercept (since he was one of the … Continue reading
Reality: they named it the Open because you should be opening wine. Duh. The official wine of the US Open is Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc. New Zealand varieties are always super zesty, zingy, and punchy with grapefruit. Kind of like some people’s backhand I guess. They serve it all over the stadium but you can find it … Continue reading
