To say that Malbec is Argentina’s national grape is an understatement. The variety accounts for more than one-third of the country’s red-grape production and has almost singlehandedly put Argentina on the world wine map. Malbec’s stunning success in Argentina, where it thrives in the dry, sun-drenched climate, overshadows the fact that it was brought there […]
On warm days or evenings (yes, they are returning at last here in the eastern part of the country), who doesn’t enjoy nursing an ice-cold glass of white wine on the patio or deck? While the experience is refreshing, you may be getting only part of the enjoyment of the wine. Did you know that really […]
When wineries put the word “reserve” on their labels, it’s meant to signify a more prestigious bottle, a wine with more select grapes, or longer aging, or more limited production, or all these things. In some appellations in some countries — Italy and Spain come to mind — there are strict requirements for use of […]
Grüner Veltliner is Austria’s signature white wine. It’s the name of the grape and the wine: Austria is in the minority of European countries that call their wines by the varieties, as we do here in the U.S. France, Italy, and Spain, by contrast, mostly name their wines by appellations (Bordeaux, Chianti, Rioja, and so […]
The 2017 rosés have been trickling in for a few weeks or so, and one of the early standouts is not from Provence or the Rhône Valley in France, two bastions of pink wine, but from California’s Mendocino County — Bonterra’s Rosé 2017. Bonterra, an affiliate of Fetzer, bills itself as “America’s No.
Sometimes you want to drink something that challenges everything you know about wine. This is not that bottle. Instead, No Fine Print Cabernet is lush, fruity, and compulsively drinkable. It has plummy notes and slight warmth on the nose, tipping its hand toward a 14.8 percent ABV, and the palate is balanced and bright, with […]
These days it is incredibly rare to find a quality Cabernet Sauvignon from California for under 20 bucks, let alone under $15. Thanks to the success of Napa, California has become the land of high-quality, expensive Cabernet. Most great bottles of Napa Cab cost an average of $50, and anything under $20 is usually not […]
My first and only trip to Chianti was a disaster. Mechanical issues, delayed flights, and endless rebooking lines delayed the arrival of an already short trip by almost a full day, landing me in a gray, rainy Florence shortly before sunset. I lamented the sights (and glasses of wine) that I was missing through the […]
Italian whites are making a comeback, and not just because of hipster wines like Etna Bianco and Friulano. As a sommelier, I received just as many requests for Vernaccia and Gavi as I did Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio. Soave has been familiar to many white wine lovers since the 1980s, but with new energy […]
