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 think we can all agree that if you and Mark Sanchez just broke up you’d be trying to figure out how to live another day. Eva Longoria has done this the smart way: the grapefriend way! The Daily Mail ran this article and pic of her outside of Ralph’s supermarket in LA, with quite a … Continue reading
The anticipation is KILLING grapefriend! Last election, he and Michelle drank Graham Beck Brut NV (which means Non Vintage). It’s a sparkling wine from South Africa, and the same thing Nelson Mandela drank at his inauguration as South Africa’s first black president. I like Graham Beck, but really Obama should be drinking American! Did he drink Mumm Napa, … Continue reading
Grapefriend is non-partisan because wine is for everyone, but I think most people will be quite happy when all the bashing posts stop. That alone probably upped wine sales in the past two months. Now that it’s Election Day, we’re almost in the clear. Unfortunately, a few states legally won’t be able to celebrate with … Continue reading
Back in action with some MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir. Like a grapefriend at happy hour, the city will always bounce back. Continue reading
In addition to the loss of life and homes, businesses got hit by Sandy too. As grapefriend, this story I read made me feel horrible for Red Hook Winery, who has probably lost all of their wine. The winery was doing a cool experiment where they took grapes from the same North Fork vineyard but … Continue reading
I just love when people tag me when they drink wine. This month was pretty crazy, especially since lots of east coasters were stuck in their Sandy bunkers (those wine pics are here due to extreme circumstances and extreme wine drinking and not included in this month’s Getting Your Grape On). So let’s get to it! … Continue reading
With all the craziness and people losing homes and being displaced, I really hadn’t thought about football. But many Giants and Jets live in New Jersey where the stadium is, and yesterday Kate Mara (niece of Giants owner John Mara) tweeted a pic of Eli Manning assessing the damage to his Hoboken apartment building. It … Continue reading
The scariest wine is probably barfy flavorless Pinot Grigio, but in the spirit of Halloween let’s get a little spookier. Here are great wines to serve at or bring to any Halloween party, or just to drink at home alone Sandy-style (i.e. if you’re still without power). talbott pinot noir, sleepy hollow vineyard It’s rare … Continue reading
It was a treacherous night for so many people, but during disasters you hear so many great stories about heroic acts. The people who were saving lives in the storm last night as they evacuated all of the patients from NYU and transferred them to other hospitals deserve our thanks and congratulations. And the preemie … Continue reading
I hope Hurricane Sandy isn’t that bad, because apparently everyone will be drunk. Here’s what east coast people posted as their Frankenstorm preparations. Stay safe, you awesome grapefriends. I don’t think I need to tell you to drink well, since that already seems to be in progress. I gotta say, though, as much as I’m … Continue reading
