Drinking all-American today – you gotta! Domaine Carneros is an awesome sparkling producer, and Blanc de Noir rules. Frank Family and Landmark both make great Chardonnays – full bodied but not overly oaked, perfect for all the yummy rich foods on the Thanksgiving table. Tag me @grapefriend on Twitter or Instagram – everyone’s pics up … Continue reading
What do you drink when you’re out and just grabbing a glass? Everyone has their go-to’s. I know people who don’t even look at the wine list and just order “Pinot Noir” or “Sauvignon Blanc” – something that drives me crazy and was part of the reason I started this whole blog. I know a … Continue reading
Here’s what I thought about Gigondas before last night: an area in the Rhone that’s a cheap alternative to Chateauneuf du Pape (which is southwest of it, and one of my fave wine areas in the world). Here’s what I think about Gigondas now: YUM! And: more please. Went to a dinner at the amazing … Continue reading
Fall flavors are in full swing. I was craving squash, as you do this time of year, and found this recipe which was SO FREAKING GOOD. Trust me, just make it. And pair it with this yummy Anaba Chardonnay. I’m not normally the biggest fan of full-bodied California Chards, but damn this was perfect with this dish … Continue reading
Fall is in full swing! Harvest, Halloween, and happiness all due to wine. First, I loved all the non-kids who love Halloween for its grapefriendy potential. Who needs candy now that we can all have wine? Even though Halloween’s over, all year long people post pictures of #spookywine – ie, wine bottles that you shoot … Continue reading
One last post about Argentina wines (which makes me sad), and the family that has elevated it to a new place. On the last day of our whole trip, we landed in Buenos Aires and went straight to lunch where were greeted to the city by Nicolas Catena and his wife Elena. That’s basically like … Continue reading
Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Champagne is amazing. Match it with the incomparable food at Le Bernardin and it’s just complete insanity. We started out with some 2002 Blanc de Blancs (made only with Chardonnay grapes). This is only the fourth time they’ve ever even made a vintage Blanc de Blancs. Most people go crazy for BdB’s, … Continue reading
Wine tasting is exhausting work. Just look at us. This was at Ernesto Catena, this amazing vineyard in the Uco Valley in Mendoza. All we wanted to do was stay in these hammocks, sparkling Malbec in hand, and doze off into siesta land. Alas, we had lots to do! First up, lunch. We devoured these … Continue reading
A little break in the South American wine action to bring you some Argentinian cocktail love! On my last night in Buenos Aires, went to this super cool bar called Floreria Atlantico. You have to walk through a small flower shop/wine store and go down these rickety spiral stairs to get to the bar. Loved … Continue reading
On our first day in Argentina, we went to Nieto in Luján de Cuyo, which is in northern Mendoza. They make a ton of Malbec (obv, since that’s what Mendoza is known for) but also some good Bonarda and Torrontes among a few others. One cool thing was to see how they train some vines … Continue reading
