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 …
Marika Vida used to spotlight excellent female winemakers with these great dinners when she was the wine director at the Ritz, and she’s now doing a SOMM Series to continue the tradition. And what a revival last week, with an all-Taittinger dinner with Vitalie Taittinger, who recently took over as President of her family’s Champagne … Continue reading
I haven’t had many wines from Switzerland, and with good reason: The whole country only produces about 150 million bottles a year (for context, Mondavi and Yellowtail produce about as much each). Out of that, only about 2% is exported outside of Switzerland, and mostly to nearby Germany. Made at high altitudes, Alpine wines are crisp … Continue reading
Or did it ever end? With the ridiculous explosion of Aperol spritzes forming seas of orange in piazzas and bars worldwide, these all-in-one Almare Spritz cocktails are fantastic to have on hand. Comes in three flavors: Classico is your typical Aperol style with lots of bittersweet orange; Hugo which has very pretty elderflower in it; and our … Continue reading
As you get ready for those pink-bud selfies in the park, tap into another taste of Japan with some awesome Japanese whiskey. I’m a huge fan of the more delicate texture of these, and recently had the slightly heftier Takamine 8 Year Old Whiskey ($99). It’s full of really delicious burnt orange peel and just a touch of … Continue reading
A great spring dinner is lemony chicken piccata with an equally citrusy Sauvignon Blanc. The zest in Matanzas Creek’s Sonoma County SB ($25) is balanced by some lovely white floral notes. Perfect for Earth Day, as Matanzas Creek is certified sustainable and has fields of lavender that attract all kinds of pollinators and insects. Want to be the first to … Continue reading
All the flowers are inspiring, but the temperatures aren’t quite ready for us to have rosés or whites all the time. Pop the corks on some light reds that fit the in-between bill. Varvaglione Primitivo 12 e Mezzo: Could there be a more springlike label? Luckily the wine is just as vibrant, bursting with red currants … Continue reading
And now for a few non-wine gifts (yes, they exist). Chill out with this Veuve Clicquot wine mini-fridge, designed by smeg in honor of the Champagne’s 250th anniversary. So chic, and a great way to keep your bubbly all together. $4000 This wine advent calendar will be sure to get you through any holiday stress. You get 24 mini bottles and … Continue reading
It’s that time of year when everyone starts asking me what wine to get for all the people they need to give a gift to—friend, family, boss, doorman. Here are some excellent suggestions, all under $100. Reds: Two reds that taste like they’re twice the price. White: Try expanding someone’s wine world with a fantastic white. Sparkling: A … Continue reading
As with all wines, the land the vines grow in is critical to how the wines turn out. So I recently went hiking with Austrian Wines in honor of the eight Styrian Wine Trails that lead hikers through the vineyards, hills and thermal spas in the region. Sadly, we were just in upstate New York instead … Continue reading
It’s time again for that mishmash of holiday foods all on one table. I always drink American, so here are some basic styles that will be able to flex across all your flavors. Starting with bubbles, try Domaine Carneros Late Disgorged Brut ($58). Aged for six years on the lees in the bottle, it has a bit more complexity and … Continue reading
