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 …
grape: Zinfandel – it’s a wack job of a grape. You never really know what you’re going to get – deep and blackberry brambles, or this guy. producer: Dashe. This is their Les Enfants Terribles series (“Les Enfants Terribles” means the rebel children, and you’re about to see why it has this name). country: USA region: Potter Valley, Mendocino County … Continue reading
The grapes just keep on coming! What with Christmas, New Year’s and your general grape guzzling, I’m pretty sure the last month of 2012 was the grapiest month of all. Keep it up, grapefriends! Our clear Grapefriend of the Month is Jordan from Edmonton – I think you’ll see why in this month’s gallery! As … Continue reading
Whether you’re Democrat or Republican, you have to admit that any politician who gifts people with wine is a wily player. Obama’s definitely on grapefriend’s side with this. For Speaker John Boehner’s birthday back in October, Obama gave him a bottle of 1997 Poggio Antico Brunello di Montalcino Altero, which goes for about $90. Brunello di … Continue reading
A cava I like! Way to kick off the new year. And check out this hunk o’ Parm. Continue reading
On New Year’s, Happy Hour happens at midnight. I hate delayed gratification. But how can grapefriend bail on anything that involves toasting? This is what was on tap. Fizzmas is technically over, but here’s one last Fun Fact: Laurent Perrier Cuvée Rosé Brut is the world’s best-selling rosé Champagne in the world. Happy New Year’s, … Continue reading
What a year for grapefriend. I’ve had so much fun sharing the love of the grape with everyone. People loved all sorts of different posts each month, but here are the top 10 posts of 2012! 10 you deserve a grape today, victor cruz!: Ah, to be back in last football season when the Giants were on their … Continue reading
Sooo excited about my very first post for Cosmo! Did a fun one about what bubbly you should pop on New Year’s based on your Resolutions, which I know everyone will stick to… Lots of fun suggestions if you’re searching for your perfect sparkler for the night! Check them all out here: http://www.cosmopolitan.com/food/party-ideas/champagne-recommendations Tweet us … Continue reading
For best-of lists, most people get all well, well, well look at the old amazing wines I drank, 1000’s of dollars worth, and say stuff like “it’s drinking well now.” That’s not really grapefriend though. Partly because I don’t have the money, partly because you probably don’t either, partly because sometimes I love non-expensive wine. … Continue reading
For those of you travelling out of DC today, here’s a little silver lining: the Starbucks at Dulles now serves wine (and reportedly LAX is getting one next year). In non-airport land, these “Starbucks Evenings” places are now in LA, Atlanta, Portland, and Chicago. The variety is actually really good; they all have one sparkling, … Continue reading
grape: Pinot Noir producer: Wrath, named after the wrath of Juno that sent Aeneas wandering the Mediterranean in Vergil’s Aeneid. They say, “One can argue that we see such fury in both the might of nature and the passion of art.” And there’s passion in this wine for sure. country: USA region: Monterey year: 2009 yum factors: Whoa! Great dried cranberry … Continue reading
