Diets and Recipes - wine

Merlot - Wine of the Week

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 14:01:55 +0000

Filed under: Wine , West Coast , America , Europe , France , Wine of the Week With the exception of White Zinfandel, Merlot may be the most-maligned wine in a couple of decades. In the 2004 movie Sideways, Miles, the main character and Pinot Noir lover, repeatedly trashes Merlot as the Worst. Grape. Ever. Somehow the wave caught on, and Pinot Noir sales soared while Merlot staggered along. Of course Miles was right, to a point. The U.S. was awash in mediocre Merlot, most of which didn't even come close to realizing the potential of the grape. (Now we have the same problem with Pinot Noir, but I digress.) Merlot does have its merits, and I ask you to give it--or rather, certain bottlings of it--a chance. Compared to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot tends to be softer, less tannic, and fruitier. Its flavors range from cherry to black plum and a hint of herbaciousness. In Bordeaux, Merlot is one of the two main varietals (along with Cabernet Sauvignon) and on the Right Bank is the dominant varietal. Read my Merlot recommendations after the jump. Continue reading Merlot - Wine of the Week

January Resolution - Ban the House Wine

Sat, 03 Jan 2009 14:00:50 +0000

Filed under: Wine , Beer , Champagne , Comfort Food , Spirits , New Year's Confession time: what's the wine you buy on autopilot, the wine you know inside and out like a wife of many years, the one that's reliable, trustworthy, and has stood by you through thick and thin?

I'll Take a Tube of Wine, Please

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 14:00:33 +0000

Filed under: Wine , West Coast , Trends , America A few weeks ago I listed my 2009 wine predictions , including one under "wishful thinking" about box wine, PET bottles, and lighter, alternative forms of packaging becoming mainstream. Now it seems we're one step closer: a California wine company is bottling (or would that be "bagging") a Cabernet Sauvignon in a cardboard tube.

The Ultimate Wino Vacation

Tue, 30 Dec 2008 14:01:48 +0000

Filed under: Wine , Europe Forget tramping to wine country to taste wine and pose for pictures sitting on a wine barrel--how about sleeping in one instead? Up in northern Holland, a hotel has made sleeping rooms out of old Beaujolais barrels. Each barrel held 15,000 liters of wine (almost 4,000 gallons). The rooms look quite, erm, cozy inside, with claustrophobically narrow single beds lining the sides, but it would be quite an experience nonetheless.

New Wine Resolutions - Wine of the Week

Sun, 28 Dec 2008 14:02:28 +0000

Filed under: Tastings , Wine , Champagne , Lists , Celebrations , Holidays , New Year's , Winter , Wine of the Week

A Celebratory Alternative

Wed, 24 Dec 2008 14:00:19 +0000

Filed under: Parties , Wine , Beer , Champagne , Celebrations , Holidays , Hanukkah , Christmas , New Year's , Winter

Inexpensive Holiday Sparklers - Wine of the Week

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 14:03:04 +0000

Filed under: Parties , Wine , Champagne , Celebrations , Holidays , Christmas , New Year's , Winter , Wine of the Week

The Wine Bailout

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 14:00:10 +0000

Filed under: Wine , West Coast , Trends , New Products , America I posted recently about investing in wine futures vs. the stock market; now a Napa wine company has tied them together. Here's how it works: you pre-buy a bottle of Napa Cabernet Sauvignon for $39, which is already a fairly good deal for that region, where most Cabs run much higher. The penny-pinchers at Bailout Wine record the Dow Jones closing value on the day you buy the bottle, and when it's officially released on August 14, 2009, you'll get $2 off for every 100 points the Dow has dropped since you first signed up.

Back Away from the Wine, Dr. Health!

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 14:01:30 +0000

Filed under: Wine , Australia , Trends , New Products , Health & Medical

2009 Wine Predictions

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:00:15 +0000

Filed under: Wine , Champagne , Trends , New Year's , Food News Looking into my crystal ball for 2009, I forecast a year that centers around value wine. Not necessarily value as related to price, because there will always be people who can afford $200 bottles, but value as related to what's in that bottle that makes it worth $200? See below for my actual and wishful predictions for the coming year. Actual predictions

Value, value, value. This is no shocker to most people, but in light of the economy it will finally hit certain wine drinkers that a status wine priced three times higher than a non-status wine isn't necessarily three times tastier. For us mere mortals who can't afford $3,000 Bordeaux, a whole world of inexpensive, good-quality imports awaits discovery. Regions like Spain, formerly-overlooked parts of Italy, Argentina, South Africa, and Chile will lead in producing excellent bang-for-your-buck wines, and California sales will suffer as import sales grow.
"Natural" wine. However you define natural--unfiltered, unfined, naturally fermented, organic, made with organic grapes, biodynamic, sustainable...these topics will continue to dominate geek-wine conversations in 2009, although they won't be as hot as value and carbon footprint.
New "it" regions. Bored winos will seek newer and zanier wine regions as they tire of the Last Big Thing (Austria, Oregon, Portugal beyond Port). Let's talk Brazil, Hungary, Mexico, Great Britain, Colorado, and Belgium instead.

"Wishful" predictions are after the jump. Continue reading 2009 Wine Predictions

Accessories for the Wine Nerd on Your List

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 14:00:30 +0000

Filed under: Wine , Books , Champagne , How To , Holidays , Hanukkah , Christmas , Winter

Zin to be California's state historic wine

Sat, 20 May 2006 11:06:37 +0000

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.

Best reds for barbecues

Thu, 18 May 2006 14:02:41 +0000

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.

Ravenswood Vintners Blend 2003 Zinfandel

Mon, 15 May 2006 19:03:04 +0000

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.

Stem markers for wine and cocktails

Mon, 15 May 2006 13:27:10 +0000

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?