If you don’t watch Vanderpump Rules, we likely would get into a fight about it. It’s near perfect brainless fun. Most shows on Bravo are (I watch 90% of them), but this one has a particularly brilliant and intoxicating brand of purposelessness. Hell, even the New York Times has validated our feelings. Centering around the staff … Continue reading
Tag Archives: chenin blanc
grapey gift guide 2015
Giving anything but grapes would just be completely un-grapefriendy or friend-y at all pretty much. So here’s my rundown of some great and fun bottles to give to all types of people in your life! token cheer Ah, the perennial holiday must: the token gift as a small but happy thanks to all sorts of … Continue reading
scandal wine recap: wine gets all dirty
Last night’s episode was so good – and so grapey! Let’s get right to it with Abby… It took about 20 minutes to get to our first wine moment on last night’s Scandal but once the drinking started, it thankfully didn’t stop. Let’s leave the martinis to Cyrus’ new escort friend and the second-best scotch … Continue reading
scandal wine recap: island wine vs fixing wine
Our Scandal wine recaps are back!!! Take it away, Abby… Scandal’s BACK. I’m BACK (thanks, Grapefriend!), and by the end of the hour Olivia is BACK doing what she does best, though perhaps to the detriment of her emotional health. Above all else the wine is BACK in a big old plot-driving way. wine moment … Continue reading
scandal wine recap: take that plane to wine land
It’s our final Scandal wine recap (so sad), and Abby’s back with deep and meaningful insight into the inner workings of this show as grapefriend plies her with wine. First, let me just say that grapefriend sure knows how to throw the BEST #ScandalFinale party in town. We had goblets of wine and more popcorn than … Continue reading
tina fey’s little helper
My new obsession is Protea wines. They’re from South Africa and they make a red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Shiraz and an absolutely delicious Chenin Blanc that’s packed with pear and honeysuckle, but very light with low acidity – pure Chenin (which is a wildly popular planting in South Africa). They both just launched in … Continue reading
biodynamic basics
Here’s the most important thing you need to know about biodynamic wine: it’s often exceptionally, potentially mind-blowing good. I applaud anyone farming organically, but don’t usually taste a difference. With biodynamics I usually do. OK so what is it? I went to a whole talk with Nicolas Joly, one of biodynamics’ passionate pioneers who makes … Continue reading
mommy, where do bubbles come from?
On the 5th day of Fizzmas my true love gave to me… a lesson on bubbles! This is actually pretty fun. So during fermentation, carbon dioxide is produced. For most wines, this CO2 is just released into the air, never to be seen again. But Champagne actually undergoes two fermentations, and in the second one … Continue reading
wine qualifies for the olympics!
For the first time in Olympics history there are official Olympic wines!!! This is so cool! And pretty fascinating in terms of how they chose the wines. The three official Olympic wines, a red a white and a rosé, are the only ones on sale at the Olympic Park and pretty much every other 2012 venue. … Continue reading
drink me: south african goodies
So last night we were going out with a big group, and someone had made a reservation at a South African restaurant. “Ballsy!” I thought, since who knew if everyone would like it. But grapefriend was very excited because I knew what I was in for – some awesome South African wines! When some initial bubbly … Continue reading