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 …
I’m getting really into Washington State wines. Apparently, so is Neil Patrick Harris. Yesterday he tweeted: “One of my favorite wineries, Slight of Hand Cellars, released their 2011 Conjurer. Delicious, with a fetching label: http://tinyurl.com/a2uwz74.” Two hours later, Fifteen minutes later (see comment below!), their website crashed. I’d never even heard of Sleight of Hand and NPH’s … Continue reading
grape: Pinot Noir producer: Archery Summit country: USA region: Willamette Valley – most Oregon Pinot Noir’s come from here, and I’ve rarely had one I don’t like (if not love) year: 2010 yum factors: Amazing! Refined and elegant black cherry with an undertone of cranberry. Plump and ripe with some great Oregon earthiness. Willamette perfection! price: $48 buy it: here Continue reading
So after winning the Oscar, Jennifer Lawrence has been shooting in Hawaii. She joked to E! News that she was “sinking into a bit of depression” thinking about her upcoming crazed schedule, which includes reshoots for Catching Fire. “I want to sit on my couch and drink and not change my pants for days at a time,” she said. … Continue reading
It was a cold one in NYC, but all my grapefriends warmed their bones with wine! This month was the highest number of tags ever, and we saw the full range of grapey goodness – from cheap but good to expensive but good! I don’t even have time to edit the photos anymore because there … Continue reading
If you’re not following grapefriend on Twitter, you may have missed these amazing grape gems this week! Nelson Mandela’s daughter and granddaughter are launching House of Mandela wines. His granddaughter Tukwini Mandela said: “The wine movement is growing.” Ohhhhhhhhhh yeah it is! Not sure how I missed this Clicquot Airstream thing, but it looks pretty awesome … Continue reading
We’re hitting pizza school! Kneading our dough (tip: pat it like soft bongos), slapping on awesome toppings (Brussels sprouts – who knew?), and of course drinking some wine. Our smoked duck and carmelized onion – killer with the Cakebread Zin And the Brussels sprouts and roasted garlic – no brainier with the Sauvignon Blanc. Mangia… Continue reading
All these reports came out that Paris Saint-Germain, the French football club that just got David Beckham, wants to release a Bordeaux with its players on different labels. They were supposedly in negotiations with Francis Lamblin, the winemaker at Chateau Lamblin in the Côtes de Bourg region of Bordeaux. But after everyone started freaking out, Lamblin told Decanter that he told … Continue reading
If you haven’t been to Stone Barns, it’s one of the best restaurants ever. Farm to table and super delicious and innovative. I could almost have water with the food (only almost) but luckily we got to drink Dave Matthews’ Dreaming Tree wines with every course so I didn’t even have to contemplate such a … Continue reading
Aha! Finally found a gif of one of my favorite moments from last night’s Oscars. It wasn’t exactly Jay-Z pouring out Ace of Spades and D’Usse from his seat, but at least Clooney got to knock back. Click here for the GIF of Clooney gettin’ his whiskey. PS, he should’ve tossed him tequila instead. Clooney and Rande … Continue reading
We know what they had at the Governors Ball (Champagne Thienot and Sterling wine). But here’s what else they were knocking back at parties around town. vanity fair Henriot Blanc de Blancs Champagne VF said they had 420 bottles on hand at last year’s party, and 400 were drunk. What happened to the other 20??? Lame. … Continue reading
