It’s that luck of the Irish day, and everyone’s donning their best green garb and lifting their beer steins! We at grapefriend see things a little differently in our glasses. So should you not want to drink beer, we of course support that decision. So does the wine world, who has something even better to … 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
Prosecco has really grown in popularity lately because it’s peachy and much less expensive than many other sparkling wines. The danger is that so much of it’s being made now that the quality could go down, which is basically what turned a sparkling like Asti into an entry-level “supermarket wine.” Prosecco lands in the middle … Continue reading
Having been ruled throughout history by the Greeks, Romans, Normans, Muslims, Spanish, Piedmontese, and even a few others, Sicily’s an island with a total mix of cultures. All those cultures had various levels of interest in and production of wine, so Sicily’s indigenous grapes have fluctuated in popularity against international varities. For most of the … Continue reading
Forget about rosé of the week – this is a contender for rosé of the summer! Pratsch has been in the family for 8 generations in Hohenruppersdorf, Austria (population: 912!). Well, those 912 local people are very lucky. Made from Zweigelt grapes, which are native to Austria, this rosé has gorgeous brightness and perfect tart … Continue reading
This week’s fave rosé comes from Corsica, that French island near Italy I’ve always wanted to go to. Yves Leccia’s wines are apparently referred to as the Rolls Royce of Corsican wines. I haven’t had any of his others, but the rosé is on point! It’s made up of 20% Grenache, a common rosé grape, … 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
Looking for a go-to summer rosé? This is a contender. With the usual Provençal grapes (50% Mourvèdre, 25% Cinsault, and 25% Grenache), you get that refreshing, easy-drinking, perfect accompaniment to light summer meals. We downed it with grilled shrimp on the deck and not one person was unhappy. That likely comes from the easy vibe … 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
Here’s the deal with pétillant naturel wine, or pet-nat as it’s called on the quick. All wine goes through fermentation and creates CO2 gas. Usually this burns off into the air, but in sparkling wines they cap it to keep the bubbles in the bottle. Pét-nat lets the natural yeast on the grapes kick off … Continue reading
