Filed under: Wine , West Coast Zinfandel grapes are one of the first types of the fruit that were grown in California, with some vineyards dating back over 100 years and still producing fruit from the "old growth" vines. Generally, the zin grapes were first used only for blending with other grapes in wine making, but during the 1960s and '70s, pure zinfandels produced in California came into great popularity. The fruity, light flavor of white zinfandel introduced many people to wine, while potent red zinfandels continue to gain in popularity. Celebrating its heritage as the "original" California wine, state senators voted to make zinfandel California's official historic wine . The first draft of the bill actually called to make it the official wine of California, not qualifying the designation with the word "historic," but lawmakers did not want to single one wine (or grape) out over the others that are grown in the state.

Filed under: Wine , Magazines , Barbecuing Some might say that the best reds to have when barbecuing are red meats. Given that steaks and burgers are some of the top barbecue foods, there are few who might disagree entirely with that, but Food & Wine reminds readers not to forget the other reds: wines. I know that I usually think about drinks like soda, beer, margaritas, iced tea and lemonade as good choices for barbecues, as well as for dining outdoors in general. There's no reason not to add wines to that list, too.

Filed under: Wine , Raves & Reviews , America I think I've found a red wine I can handle. Red wine is tough for me for a number of reasons. For one thing, anything I drink, I like to drink it ice cold. I can't imagine the looks I'd get if I sat down in a restaurant and asked the sommelier to please chill the Merlot in a the sub-zero for a half hour. Secondly, red wine is usually just too "strong," tannic, heavy, alcoholic, bitter, and/or smelling of wood.

Filed under: Wine , Cocktails , Stores & Shopping , New Products We've all seen the pretty little wine charms that are used to identify people's wine glasses. They're usually made of wire and dangle like earrings with sparkly little beads or other charms (my parents have ones that look like different cheeses). They're perfect for looping around the stem of a wine glass, or even a martini glass, but what if you're having a cocktail party with tumblers and rocks glasses?

Filed under: Wine , Restaurants , Newspapers , Happy Hour Is it weird that I've only bought a bottle of wine in a restaurant once? It was about 7 or 8 years ago. If I do buy wine at dinner, I always seem to buy it by the glass, even though I worked in restaurants for over 10 yeaers and I know that buying by the bottle is the way to go. Now the Boston Globe weighs in on the subject, and says not only is buying a bottle cheaper, the per glass price is going up. The figures they give are kind of staggering to me. About 5 years ago you could get a glass of house red or white for $4 to $6, those same glasses are now going for $10 to $15? Is that true? (I guess I'm talking about restaurants other than The Olive Garden). For example, at Vox Populi in Boston, a glass of Alisa 2002 Pinot Grigio is $8 (a good price), but an entire bottle is $28. Do you buy bottles of wine by the glass when you go out to dinner? Do you only buy glasses of wine when you're at a bar, or do you buy a bottle there too? Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments

Filed under: Wine , West Coast , Cheese , Newspapers , America From the mouths of the experts, the San Francisco Chronicle has some tips on how to order wine in a restaurant . The article also has each sommelier's two choices for one bottle under $35 and one bottle over $35.

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Filed under: Tastings , Parties , Wine , Hors D'oeuvres , West Coast , America Saturday May 13, 2006, the Make-a-Wish Foundation is hosting a benefit event at Los Angeles' Pacific Design Center . The 13th annual Uncork a Wish will feature wines from Stag's Leap , Niebaum-Coppola and Rombauer Vineyards and food from restaurants like BOA Steakhouse , Sushi Roku , The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills, Pink's and Mr. Cecil's Ribs. $250 VIP tickets are sold out, but general admission tickets at $125 (advance)/$150 (door) are avilable.

Filed under: Tastings , Wine , New Products The fashion in wine glasses is for them to be varietal, which means that the shape of each glass is specifically designed to enhance the flavor and aroma of that type of wine. It also means that connoisseurs have to buy a lot more stemware if they want to have the best experience with their favorite wine. A new type of glass, the Zafferano Esperienze glass , promises to be the ultimate in wine tasting. These glasses are varietal and come in 15 different shapes . The rippling at the base of each glass is designed to allow the wine to develop its optimal flavor by giving it maximum exposure to the surface of the glass.

Filed under: Wine , West Coast , Farming , Fruit , America Yesterday, the Chronicle food section focused on organic foods . Today, their wine section does the same, looking at organic wines and why they are so difficult to find . Many vineyards grow certified organic grapes, but the wines themselves are not organic. The reason? The USDA prohibits added sulfites in organic wines.