OK, we’ve got our first Royal Wedding wine! Kensington Palace said Pol Roger Brut Réserve NV is getting popped at the reception. Pol Roger is a blend of 30-35 base wines across at least three vintages, and is made with the three traditional Champagne grapes: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Meunier. It’s $49, buy it … Continue reading
When it comes to New Zealand wine, you probably think about the punchy, tropical, zesty Sauvignon Blancs. Fair enough, since that’s 72% of their production. People there sometimes call it Savvy B which I thought was sort of funny, but then a winemaker told me to never cheapen it like that. I’d rather have my … Continue reading
I always think the best way to learn about wine and food pairings is to try more than one wine with a dish and see what goes better. It might not be the wine you like all by itself. But the beauty of having wine with food is that they both can make each other … Continue reading
As far as California wine goes, Napa and Sonoma get most of the attention. The wines from those hot areas can get really saturated with fruit, so I actually always try to seek out California’s lesser known areas that have cooler climates. I love Pinots from Mendocino and white Rhône varietals from Paso Robles, but … Continue reading
I’m always surprised when people don’t know that Oregon makes wine. And not only does it just make wine, it makes some of my favorite wine in the US. The Pinot Noirs are a balance between elegant, earthy Burgundies and heavily-fruity ones from Sonoma. But you also have delicious Pinot Noir-based rosés, lush and pear-flavored Pinot … Continue reading
Most people talk about the jokes. A subset talks about the menu. No one talks about the wine. Except for me! After doing some recon that would make the CIA proud (most people posted pics of the menu with the wines at the bottom CUT OFF – the horror!), I finally found out what wines … Continue reading
People might associate Spring Break with body shots and beer, but grapefriends know the real meaning: awesome spring wines to break open! So many good ones to sip on while we transition from vile winter to blissful summer. white pinot noir Oh yes, this exists and it’s so cool! And you’ve actually had it before … Continue reading
Hopefully you’ve had your fair share of fizz this holiday season. But if you haven’t, you’ve got one more night to unleash those corks from their cages and into your glass (and then continue for the next 364 days…) The conundrum of New Year’s Eve is always what to pop. Hanging with a small group? Definitely … Continue reading
For most people, Christmas is the big day and that’s when you have your feast. I don’t really know what they eat on Christmas Eve, but in our Italian family that’s our big night and we have the traditional Feast of the Seven Fishes. In the past we didn’t always have seven, but in recent years we’ve revived … Continue reading
Holidays always seem to involve a lot of time spent wrapping, the finishing touch on any gift. For wine and Champagne, it can be easy as people tend to just hand over their present in a silver wrapping with a red bow. But don’t miss an opp to get your grape on even at this final stage! I … Continue reading
