I don’t care if you’re in a relationship or not – pop these pinks and you’ll definitely be in love. The 2017 Oltrenero Cruasé, a Pinot Nero sparkling rosé from Lombardy, has some white strawberry and a hint of savoriness. An easy way to start the night. Trentodoc Cesarini Sforza 1673 Brut Riserva Rose’ 2011, 85% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Nero from the TrentoDoc area … Continue reading
With a smorgasboard of dishes and flavors, there’s almost no wrong wine to serve at Thanksgiving. But of course you want to choose a red and a white that can please the whole table. For bread stuffing, veggies and sweet potatoes, I usually go with a crisp, apple-pear scented Pinot Gris. And for the dark … Continue reading
Most people think picnic and think casual wines. I say, rock the high-low and elevate your basket. The 166th edition is the latest Krug Grande Cuvée ($159 here). Full of deep brioche, light hazelnuts and fine bubbles, it’s a gorgeous bottle of Champagne. Champagne is always a blend of wines from three grapes, and this one is made … Continue reading
Last month we delved into Provence, but this month let’s talk about the other great P in pink wines: Pinot Noir. Now, this is a grape not a region like Provence, but it’s a grape that makes some of my most favorite rosés ever (especially from the Willamette Valley in Oregon). Try these: Sanford: very dry … Continue reading
As an American holiday that involves fireworks, there’s only one thing to drink: American sparkling wine! A few domestic wineries use the same grapes (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier) and winemaking method as Champagne. Here are a few I like: Iron Horse: Often served at White House dinners, they well represent domestic sparkling wine. $38.99 BUY HERE … Continue reading
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
Wine fever is sweeping the NBA in a major way lately. Seriously, this article goes so in depth you’d think it was like Watergate or something. But it’s amazing to hear all these guys talk about how much they’re obsessed with wine, and that one of the greatest accolades they can hear is that they … 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
