Have you been exploring along? Here are this month’s grape and region suggestions, and if you’ve had them before then pick your own adventure! Grape: Cab Franc This is one of the five grapes found in a Bordeaux blend, but all on its own you get plum and green pepper. Bernard Baudry is one my favorite …
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 …
When it comes to New Zealand wine, you probably think about the punchy, tropical, zesty Sauvignon Blancs. Fair enough, since that’s 72% of their production. People there sometimes call it Savvy B which I thought was sort of funny, but then a winemaker told me to never cheapen it like that. I’d rather have my …
Yum to the rum. Just got back from Negril, and when you’re in Jamaica that’s what you drink. My favorite rum cocktail was the Dirty Banana – super refreshing and you’ll never feel guilty if you have it very early in the morning because it’s basically a nutritious shake! So here’s the recipe for 2 cocktails: …
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 …
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
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
“Winemaking and filmmaking are two great art forms. In both cases, you have to start with top notch raw materials whether it’s the land or a script.” That’s what Francis Ford Coppola when he came out with his Director’s Great Movies collection and made this Merlot, with grapes from Sonoma and Monterey counties. I love the … Continue reading
People may be debating who’ll take home more Moon Men awards on August 20: Taylor Swift or Ariana Grande, who got the most nominations with 10 each. But at grapefriend, we debate who’s the bigger grapefriend. Ariana: She recently bumped into Piers Morgan at an LA restaurant and bought him a glass of “very expensive Californian red.” Unclear if … Continue reading
Fino sherry is super refreshing for summer – light, dry almond skin and served cold (often with a plate of great jamon) – but you can also put it into a cocktail. Make a bare-bones version with just fino sherry and soda water, or you can follow the official recipe: 2 oz Tio Pepe Fino … Continue reading
Not sick of rosé yet. Nope, not at all. At this point in the summer I’m half woman, half rosé. Let’s up that percentage with more of these recent faves: Gérard Bertrand Gris Blanc: You’ve probably seen their Cote de Roses everywhere, but we had a ton of the Gris Blanc in the south of France last month … Continue reading
