Each year a new study emerges with claims to the frequency of corked wine bottles. “Less than 1 percent,” some studies say, while others put that figure closer to 3 percent. Truth is, it’s impossible to know the exact proportion of bottles cork taint affects. One thing we can pin down, however, is which closures […]
Sipping Champagne aboard a hot-air balloon sounds like an over-the-top photo op designed for and by the Instagram era, but the practice has 250-year-old roots. Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier, a chemistry and physics teacher, and military officer François Laurent le Vieux d’Arlandes, took the maiden voyage into the sky on a hot-air balloon on Nov. […]
The “natural wine” trend has swept the food and wine industry, and lifestyle publications from Vogue to Playboy are covering the phenomenon. The benefits for small wineries have been huge; but, unfortunately, most of the conversations surrounding natural wine neglect its most important component: farming responsibly. Biodynamics, the method of farming preferred in the natural wine world, […]
Splurging on Champagne should be enjoyable, but, with the wine’s premium price tag, things can easily become intimidating. To help make sure your hard-earned money returns the perfect bottle, we’ve compiled a list of the best Champagnes to buy right now. All bubbles were blind-tasted by VinePair staff and a group of trusted industry professionals.
Send all questions to advice@vinepair.com. Is it bad manners to bring another brewery’s growler to a taproom? Absolutely not. I realize some breweries have a policy that they will only refill their own growlers. I find that policy not only ridiculous, but also completely hypercritical — if you self-identify as “craft” you should also care […]
Taittinger’s non-vintage brut Champagne is a refreshing, fruit-driven bottle of bubbles. You’ve no doubt come across it in your local wine store, given that the Champagne house is one of the region’s largest producers. You may, however, be less familiar with the proper pronunciation of the brand’s name. Or, it may come as a surprise […]
“Everyone wants to talk about the big Ford truck,” Derrick Westbrook says. “No one wants to hear about your tiny hybrid.” Westbrook, a Chicago-based sommelier, is explaining why single-serve sparkling wine bottles don’t generate as much industry cred as magnums and other large-format vessels.
“Sugar is like butter on meat,” Matteo Burani, export manager for Italy’s Gruppo Lunelli, says. He’s not talking about cooking, though; Burani is referring to the effect of dosage, or added sugar, in sparkling winemaking. Sugar might complement existing flavors, Burani says, but it can also mask what you’re tasting.
Nothing quite compares to the pressurized pop of a thick, porcini-mushroom-shaped cork shooting from a chilled bottle of sparkling wine. But while the sound epitomizes Champagne celebrations and Gatsby-esque opulence, sparkling wine is a broad category, full of affordable alternatives and pairing options beyond caviar crostinis. From where to turn for bubbly bargains, to food […]
