11th Hour Valentine's Day Wine Recommendations

Valentine’s Day food and drinks can get expensive.

I say: Save your money for theatre tickets or something sexy for your significant other.

If you’re staying in, you can drink delicious wine without spending much.

In a piece out today, a group of writers and I recommend some inexpensive wines that would pair perfectly with Valentine's Day.

Click here to read the full piece at Snooth.

Wine Regions to Watch

Yours truly, left, helping out Tyler Russell,
winemaker for Paso Robles' Cordant & Nelle.

I'm not very concerned with what's "trending" in terms of wine. My philosophy is: try new things, keep an open mind, find what you like, and drink it.

But with fierce competition for wine markets, technological improvements, adventurous winemakers, wine regions are always trying to reinvent themselves.

If you're looking to try something a bit different, to branch out from what you're used to, there are plenty of exciting wine regions to explore.

Several wine writers, myself included, recently picked some regions worth watching. (Spoiler alert: I picked Paso Robles.)

Click here to read the full piece on Snooth.

Screw the Wine/Gender Binary - Part #2

As regular readers know, I contribute to a monthly collective column on the wine site Snooth. 

This month's topic was related to wine and gender, and whether "masculine" and "feminine" are helpful terms when related to wine. 

I laughed when I read the prompt, because I had just written one of my most popular columns in months called "Screw the Gendered Wine Binary."

Well, I chimed in, along with some other thoughtful writers, on this topic. 

If you're interested, here's the full article. 

Lesser-Known Grape Varieties Have Lots to Offer the Andventurous Wine Drinker

The Trousseau grape. Credit: Wikipedia.

2017 is starting off pretty rough on the national stage, but for adventurous wine drinkers, times are good.

More and more importers are searching out ancient and indigenous grape varieties from all over the Old World. And more American winegrowers and producers are trying their hand at grape varieties you may not know.

From Baco Noir to Trousseau to Rkatsiteli (say that last one three times quickly), there are so many ways to branch out from Cabernet and Chardonnay.

A bunch of wine writers (myself included) offer up some suggestions on fascinating, sometimes obscure, but most always delicious, grape varieties. 
Click here for some adventurous, palate-expanding grape varieties to explore.

Ring in 2017 with Champagne!

2016 is almost behind us — Finally!

It’s been a crazy, awesome, terrible year, so let’s pop some Champagne and raise a glass to 2017!

When it comes to bubbles, Champagne is the Alpha and Omega. So if I’m going to bust out the bubbles around the holidays, I’m bringing Champers. The terroir of Champagne is diverse but exquisite, so I try to find single-vineyard Champagnes, and learn about the vineyard, soils, winemaking

If you’re looking for bubbly recommendations, check out this new article on Snooth. You’ll find bubbly tips from myself and a host of other wine writers.  

On Thanksgiving, Eat and Drink a Bit of Everything

It's almost Thanksgiving! Let the feasting and drinking and awkward political arguing begin!

Pretty much any (good) wine will do, but if you're looking for some specific recommendations, check out list solid list from Snooth. A bunch of cool wine writers (and this nerd) share some of the bottles that will be on our tables.

All the best to you and yours during this holiday season.

Happy Halloween! Here are Some Wine and Candy Pairings

Halloween is by far my favorite holiday. And even though it falls on a Monday this year, there's still time to unwrap some candy bars, uncork some wine, and have a damned good time.

I'm not a huge fan of chocolate or candy and wine pairings but there are some really good ones, if you're a sweet tooth fan looking for a buzz with your sugar rush.

I propose Reese's cups and Malvasia Madeira in my latest submission for the Snooth wine website.


Click here to read a range of wine and candy pairings from some great wine writers.

A Brief Guide to Age-Worthy Wines

Credit: Todd Paul. Wikimedia Commons

It's a question I get often from friends. They want to know what wine they can buy and bury for 10, 15, 20 years.

There is no debate: the best wines in the world can age (and improve) for a decade-plus.

So if you're looking to cellar some bottles for an anniversary or birth year of a child, I have some suggestions for you. 

Click here to read my suggestion on Snooth, as well as suggestions from a bunch of wine writers around the country.

Red Wines for Summertime Sippping

It's still pretty hot in the mid-Atlantic (and much of the country), but that doesn't mean you need to limit yourself to white and pink wines. Some red wines are perfect for these late summer evenings.


A bunch of wine writers (myself included), give some of our recommendations for summer reds in a new article on the wine site Snooth.


Click here to read the full article.

Wine Myths Debunked

Credit: El Pantera - Wikimedia

The wine world is full of tired maxims, repeated with confidence by people who want to sound wine savvy.

You can't drink red with fish!

All bottles must be stored at a constant 55 degrees or else they will be ruined. 

Soave is crappy wine consumed by old winos. 

While there are some general rules about wine appreciation, rules are meant to be broken. Wine is meant to be enjoyed. Wine appreciation isn't a cut-and-paste kind of thing. It's about spreading joy and loving life. 

For this month's Wine Writer's Round-Up from Snooth, I join a bunch of talented writers in debunking some of the most common wine myths. 

Click here to read the whole piece. 

Cheers!

The Ultimate Wine & Cookie Pairing Guide

My latest contribution to Snooth's Wine Writers Round-Up Series is live now.


This month, we're focusing on wine and cookie pairings. Spoiler alert: my pick involves Girl Scout Samoas and 10-Year Blandy's Bual Madeira.


But there are a bunch of great recommendations in here for anyone with a sweet tooth.


Cheers!

Vintage Pick: 2013 Sonoma

For my latest contribution to Snooth’s Wine Writers’ Round-Up series, we offer some suggestions on exciting vintages to check out. I chose 2013 in Sonoma, a vintage that I’m fully in love with.

I love the Pinot Noirs, Chardonnays, Syrahs (and plenty of other wines) from the 2013 vintage in Sonoma. The wines from different sites and different winemakers show a similar aesthetic — vibrant aromatics, bright fruit, fresh acidity and accessible structure. In 2013, a cold winter was followed by a warm spring, that triggered early bud break in many vineyards. But the year was relatively calm and uneventful, spare a heat spike in late June and early July, the weather was consistent. On the Sonoma Coast, the days were warm and the nights chilled by cold Pacific breeze.Bibiana Gonzalez-Rave, winemaker for Pahlmeyer’s Sonoma Coast wines, called the vintage ideal, a “perfect 10.” And I’ve heard similar praise from winemakers from all over the North Coast.

Click here to read the full article, along with 15 other picks from some great wine writers.

Low Alcohol Wines For the Win

Damn, I love Madiera. And Port. And high-octane Cali Zinfandel. But, sometimes, I don't want to drink wine that is going to get me blitzed (at least not immediately).

I taste a lot of huge California, Australian, Chilean and Rhone wines, and so many of them are pushing 15%-plus alcohol. (Thanks climate change + candy-loving palates + delayed picking!)

But I love light-bodied wines with low alcohol and refreshing acidity.

However, I don't like to sacrifice on flavor. For me, the most refreshing, crisp, oceanic, exciting wines on the planet come from the rocky soils

As part of Snooth's Wine Writers Round-Up series, I and some other writers offered our thoughts on some low alcohol wines. Check out the piece here. Cheers!

My Favorite Wine Vacation Spot

I try to craft pretty much every vacation around two things: wine and waves.

South Africa has unique and incredibly high quality examples of both. It's my pick for best wine vacation spot in the world.

Check out my recommendation, and a bunch from other wine writers, in Snooth's February Wine Writers Round-Up.

Dry January? Nah, Wine & Healthy Lifestyle Pair Perfectly

It’s a New Year, and we’re all supposed to make some sort of resolution to change things. Eat healthier, get more exercise, etc., etc. — these declarations of intent generally require more self-restraint and less indulgence. 

But wine can (and in my opinion, should) be an integral part of a healthy lifestyle. In 2016, I plan to surf as much as I can (which is always my resolution), travel to new places, keep up with my workout regimen and drink more sparkling wine. 

The holidays are over, but why not keep the bubbles flowing into the new year? Champagne and Champagne-method sparkling wines from other regions are bright, crisp, complex and wonderfully for pairing with shellfish, fish, salads, all the things you're telling yourself you need to eat more of in 2016. 

Read the whole post on January’s installment of Snooth’s Wine Writers Round Up: http://www.snooth.com/articles/nobody-talks-about-wine-in-january/?viewall=1#ixzz3xM7HSsYe

Holiday Value Wine Recommendations <$15

Buying wine for a group doesn’t have to be expensive, nor should you feel pressured to buy in bulk from a big box store. While you may be able to obtain twelve bottles of the same wine at a deeply discounted price, you risk boring your crowd with the same old wine for the entire day and into the night. (And you know they’ve had that wine a million times before.) A carefully curated selection of value-priced bottles creates a colorful collage of story-filled glasses on your table. Make up your own mixed case of marvelous wines for the holiday table! The web’s top wine writers are here to help you.

To read my recommendation and some great ones from 15 other writers, click here. 

Special Occasion Wines Worth the Price ($30 or more)

I’d rather buy one $30 bottle than three $10 bottles. Bargain wines can be a lot of fun, and I love tracking down good ones in the $15 range, but to truly understand the wines of a given region, yup, you have to spend some money.

The $60 suggested retail for the 2010 Cenyth Proprietary Red Wine is actually very reasonable given the stunning quality of this Sonoma County red blend. (You can find it for about $50 at some retailers). I’ve been tasting through a bunch of Napa and Sonoma Cabernets and Bordeaux blends lately, and this bottle had the best quality-to-price ratio of the bunch. And it’s perfect to pop open and decant with good friends and family during one of these cold, autumn evenings.

Click here for more recommendations from the full article on Snooth.

Spanish Garnacha: Reliable, Tasty, Inexpensive

This post first appeared on the daily wine blog Terroirist.

For wine newbs and nerds alike, Spanish Garnacha offers a lot of fun options, many of them for a moderate price. This grape (the same grape as Grenache) has historically been used in blends, but it's common as a varietal wine. "Garnacha" is featured frequently and prominently on many Spanish wine labels. A juicy red grape (and the base for the Southern Rhone wines of Chateauneuf-du-Pape), Garnacha is becoming more widely known among consumers looking for something smooth yet bold and fruity.

Apparently every grape now has to have it's own "day," so on September 18 I tasted some Spanish Garnacha on Garnacha/Grenache Day. In an online video tasting sponsored by Snooth, Guillermo Cruz, sommelier at the award-winning Mugaritz in San Sebastian, said customers frequently ask for a bottle of Garnacha by name, which was an uncommon request just a few years ago.

Like any wine from any region, the $10 bottles with screwcaps and kitschy labels are most likely going to be sweet, candied wines without much depth. But perhaps unlike many regions, Spanish Garnacha quality rises quickly with only slight cost increases. There are lots of real, terroir-driven wines out there for $15-$25, which isn't as easy to find with some popular red varieties.

These wines were all received as trade samples and tasted sighted.

2014 Grandes Vinos y Viñedos Cariñena Beso de Vino Old Vine - Spain, Aragón, Cariñena
$10
Juicy ruby color. Nose of candied red berries, red licorice, caramelized sugar, coffee and vanilla. Medium-bodied, soft drinking tannins, moderate-low acid. The red berry fruit is sweet and chewy, mixed in with notes of Brazil nut, campfire logs, vanilla and coffee. Fun, simple, easy-drinking Garnacha for near-term consumption. (81 points)

2013 Bodegas San Alejandro Garnacha Calatayud Las Rocas - Spain, Aragón, Calatayud
$13
Bright ruby colored. Smells like raspberry and currant jam, some earthy, sweet violets and black pepper as well. Soft tannins, medium acid for freshness on the palate. The raspberries and red and black cherries are tangy but sweet. Notes of cedar, loamy soil and coffee mix with peppery spice and tobacco. Ready to drink, a crowd-pleasing, food-friendly wine that offers some subtle complexity. (86 points)

2013 Bodegas Aragonesas Garnacha Campo de Borja Coto de Hayas Centenaria - Spain, Aragón, Campo de Borja
$14

Medium ruby color. Bright and juicy with red and black plums, lots of rose petals, some dusty earth, cocoa powder and charcoal. Full-bodied with dusty tannins and chewy fruit. Black and red cherries and plums, the fruit is juicy and ripe and laced with notes of vanilla bean, coconut shavings, charcoal, dusty soil and pipe tobacco. A big wine but accessible and stays relatively fresh. Pair with grilled everything and guests who love oaky Napa Cabernet. (87 points)

2010 Viñas del Vero Somontano Secastilla - Spain, Aragón, Somontano
$28
Medium ruby colored. A bit musty on the nose, with wet leaves and old library books, but also a lot of black cherries and blackberries, Full-bodied, bold tannic structure, but some nicely tart acid to keep it balanced. Black cherries, blackberries, roasted fig, a darker wine with deep notes of loam, iron, charcoal and black licorice. Tobacco, black pepper, add in some mocha and wood shavings, but not too much. Some decaying leaves and mushrooms, too. A bit tight at first but gets all sorts of open and exuberant with an hour or two. Settles down on day two and gets smooth and earthy. Would like to revisit in three years. (88 points)

Summer - Fall Transitional Wines <$20

In the mid-Atlantic the humidity is finally fading, so fall is an amazing time to be outdoors. I’m constantly grilling, reading a book on the patio, sneaking away to the beach when the waves kick up and the crowds die down. In my glass, I move away from my standard summer selections (bright pinks and crisp whites like Muscadet and Chablis), and I look to medium-bodied reds, wines that pack freshness and ripe fruit but also offer more savory and spicy aspects. I look for bottles to pair with late-ripening vegetable dishes and my own conception of autumn.

Click here to read the full article on Snooth.

Credit: Luca Zanon/Unsplash.