Unroll the picnic mat and pop a tab. July is national picnic month, no surprise there. But what may be surprising is that canned wine – which is so convenient to bring on a picnic – can actually be pretty good. I’ll caveat this with saying I sampled a ton of canned wine that was not good, … Continue reading
We all know the famous regions, but on this Bastille Day (July 14) let’s celebrate some lesser known regions in France. Camargue: Near Arles, the terroir here is sandy which helped them avoid the pest phylloxera which scourged most other regions. Pre-phylloxera Grenache vines. Try the salmon-tinted, peachy Pink Flamingo Gris Rosé. $14 Ventoux: East of the Rhône Valley, it gets some … Continue reading
There are so many Chardonnays to explore beyond big oaky ones. I tasted around the globe for May 27’s Chardonnay Day and found some really interesting ones! Stellenbosch, South Africa: Tokara Reserve Chardonnay 2018White florals and pungent citrus notes. We had this with some Nigerian chicken and coconut rice – delicious! $26 Kosovo: Stone Castle 2018Owner Rrustem Gecaj left … Continue reading
Yep, still happening. Grab these great Champagnes to celebrate getting through another pandemic week! Laurent Perrier Brut La Cuvée: This is probably my favorite Champagne in this price range (and frankly even compared to other price ranges). Has such great apple fruit balanced with a hint of lime, and the bubbles are perfect. $45 Leclerc Briant: LOVE … Continue reading
Ah, it’s that time again. You get to watch games all day long, and this March 18 and 19 you won’t even have to try to hide it at work since we’re all still WFH. So you might not pop a bottle at the very first game, which starts pretty early in the day. But … Continue reading
This is still happening because we need to still remember to celebrate the small things – like getting through another pandemic week! This month I concentrated on ones made by women, because the number of female chef de caves are also still tragically low, but the ones in place are incredible and rising: Perrier-Jouët: The 8th cellarmaster — … Continue reading
On the Eve, we always do the Feast of the Seven Fishes. A few of the fish choices vary, but the star is always lobster and an octopus salad with lemon, green olives, and celery. You can go a couple ways with lobster, but we’ve always done white Burgundy which has a light touch on the fruit … Continue reading
It’ll be a month. You need quick, affordable wine. We also need to remember to celebrate. Grapefriend’s got it all. values Ritual Sauvignon Blanc 2018: Chile is a fantastic source of value wines – packed with flavor and so affordable. Love the piquant lemon on this organic Ritual (and btw, this pasta with sausage and broccoli rabe recipe was … Continue reading
Suddenly it’s not hot any more. This better not be the end of our warm days, but I’m happy to be done with the humidity. Outside all day and not sweating calls for a glass of wine and I have just the bottles, in all Lockdown price ranges. Values Riondo Prosecco: The lighter side of Prosecco … Continue reading
TONS of good ones around the $20 range this month! We’ll start with a bubbly, as you always should, and then get into lots of great whites. Montinore Vivace – This is a sparkling blend of Gewürztraminer, Müller-Thurgau, Pinot Gris and Riesling. That’s a lot of flavor, but it blends together harmoniously and is a fun … Continue reading
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