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 …
Coming off of last month’s International Whisky Day, you may want to spend this month sipping some cool new experiments. Waterford Whisky in Ireland has been exploring how historic farming and growing techniques impact their whisky. Luna is the first single malt ever to be made from biodynamic barley, which has been farmed using techniques that treat the land as a single ecosystem. … Continue reading
As we finally start getting some signs of spring, one of my favorite things to pop is a light red you can chill. Here are two great ones: Argiolas Perdera 2019: a super pretty wine from Sardinia made from 100% Monica grapes, $15 Jean-Baptiste Adam Pinot Noir: I think we all know how I feel about Alsatian Pinot … Continue reading
Hotel California might not have had wine since 1969, but they have rosé Champagne. These sparkling pinks from the Champagne region get their color from the skins of the red grapes, which in Champagnes are Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. They also usually cost more than their non-rosé counterparts (starting around $50/60 and heading up to … Continue reading
Fire up your chili as the Bengals and the Rams battle it out. Pair it with beer? Please. The deep black fruit of Syrah is a great compliment to chili’s hearty meat and beans (or whatever version is your favorite). And while the Super Bowl is wholly American, I tried a few from all over the world. … Continue reading
Now that we’ve gone through what wines to give everyone, we’ve got some other gifts to cover. If you know the person in your life has plenty of wine but still wants to celebrate how great it is being a grapefriend, these are the gifts for them. Blue Quail wreaths: The McFadden family grows herbs to … Continue reading
It’s that time of year when everyone hits me up to ask what they should get people as gifts. Here are my go-to categories. Champagne In the $50 price range, you can’t go wrong with Champagne. I love G.H. Mumm Grand Cordon for its Christmas-y green and red-ribbon bottle. Cabernet Always a safe choice, and people will love … Continue reading
You might see a lot of people recommending Riesling for Thanksgiving, and here’s why: it’s incredibly versatile. The sugar balances out acid, but if you don’t prefer the sweeter styles try ones from Alsace which tend to be on the dry side. Try a very typical style, Amélie & Charles Sparr Sentiment Riesling ($25) is very zesty and crisp. The label on the Laurent … Continue reading
Normally I drink my scotch neat (or with a small ice cube), and am dubious of adding anything that would dilute or spoil the taste. But scotch cocktails are handy when you want to stretch your drink and not have so much alcohol, plus they can be very refreshing pre-dinner. I recently tried a few mixers with Speyburn … Continue reading
I hope you’re watching Succession! Roman’s constant barbs are as delicious as wine. One thing I notice a lot is that no matter how rich people might be (and ok, granted they’re actors but even on reality shows) they don’t ever seem to hold wine glasses properly by the stem. The Roy family are all … Continue reading
We actually have all Values this month, because even though one of the recommendations is over $40 it’s such a great red that it’s really a steal. Villa Wolf Sekt: Absolutely delightful light-strawberry Pinot Noir sekt from the Pfalz region in Germany. (Sekt is what they call sparkling wine in Germany and Austria). $17 Erbaluce: Had … Continue reading
