As one of the world’s most popular wine grapes, I feel bad for Chardonnay. Opinions of the wine are intense and quite polarizing thanks to California winemakers’ style choice back in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Wines, back then, were flamboyantly big, bawdy, and voluptuous. They were heavily oaked, and in the case of Chardonnay, they were also heavily “buttered.” Some wine critics praised the choice, so the crowds dutifully followed. But these wines were the antithesis of the more restrained Burgundian style, and that’s when the maligning began. As the California trend continued, sadly, the market was flooded…
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Ahem… Not Wine Geek but Wine Enthusiast. I did a confessions post like this back in the Spring of 2018. That list is still reasonably accurate, with the exception that after our last wine fridge purchase, Gary has vetoed getting any more. (for the record, the last wine fridge purchased holds 350 bottles, so I dare not complain.) New Confessions 2022 I have been known to use an Infrared Thermometer Gun to check the drinking temperature of my glass of wine. We always use the “Three Sip Rule” before we say anything about the wine we just tasted. Or you…
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So you wanna be cool? Then drink a wonderful chilled red wine during this heatwave. And while most red wines should be consumed cooler than room temperature, I am talking chilled to 50º-55ºF to knock that sweat from your brow. But be careful; not all red wines should be chilled to that degree. A chilled red wine should be refreshing. Chilling red wine affects characteristics in wine differently. Tannins, for example, are accentuated by the chill. Grippy, parching tannins are far from refreshing by taking on an astringent quality. Aromas and flavors are muted when chilled. So a fruit-forward wine…
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In our house, rosé is a 365 days a year beverage. It started that way and never waivered. Thankfully more and more folks understand that there is a place for rosé all day and every day. This is our annual list of rosés we love. First are our new discoveries, and then we list our usual suspects. Why? Because they are delicious year over year. But You can read about them from the last rosé post. Now let’s start with some new finds that we are loving. This is Our 2022 Rosé All Day Lineup Paul Thomas Chavignol Sancerre…
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More Paso Robles Wineries Not to be Missed It was quite a thrill to see what the co-owner of LXV Wine said about our first post about Paso Robles. “Omg, super thorough and explains the Paso Robles wine region extremely accurately!” said Kunal Mittal. I have to say, it is always nice to be affirmed by a community member. If you missed the post, be sure to click on the link above. This post will continue to share information about the remaining wineries that hosted us during WWET Paso Robles. And I should start with LXV Wines because that is the…
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As you all know, my favorite vacation is a wine-tasting vacation. What is available at the source is so much better than what distributors choose to bring to our wine and grocery stores back home. At the winery, the variety is greater, the limited production wines are available, the scenery is beyond beautiful, and you always get to try before you buy. I could keep the list going, but there is no need. I am sure you get the drift. Recently, Gary and I traveled to Paso Robles for an annual wine writers event. The “deets” on our trip After…
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While Champagne is the most recognizable category of sparkling wine, there are, in fact, many others around the world. Most folks thinking of Italian sparkling wine will say Proceso. Others in the know might also think Franciacorta. But then there is the even lesser know wine – Trentodoc. Coincidentally. all three Italian regions that produce sparkling wine are located in the chilly, mountainous northeast. They are also in close proximity to one another. This is because sparkling wines are typically made from grapes that grow in cool-climate regions. And the mountainous northeast of Italy certainly fits that bill. The burgundy-colored…
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This post, Rick’s Pick – Wine of the Week, is something new that I am trying to get me back to posting more often. So, let’s begin. Over the New Year holiday, a new friend brought a bottle of 2020 Champalou Vouvray to the festivities. After my first sip, I knew I had to buy this wine and keep it in my rotation. This post will also be a mini-lesson for those unfamiliar with French wine regions and bottle labels. A Bit About Vouvray Wine from Vouvray is made from the Chenin Blanc grape. Vouvray is an AOC (appellation d’origine…
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I have been getting lots of questions about wine headaches, so I thought it might be time to talk about histamines in wine. But before we get there, we must talk about the elephant in the room. This post is about headaches and other reactions you get while drinking wine and not headaches resulting from being hungover. Histamines not Sulfites From a previous post, we know that for 99% of us, wine headaches do not come from sulfites; we have already gone through that. In the sulfites post, we also discussed hydration when drinking alcohol. So here it is worth…
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