Finding the perfect bottle for a colleague—or yourself!—is never easy, so I’ve narrowed the choices for you. I’m lucky to receive wine samples almost daily from winemakers and publicists seeking my opinion. I mention this not as a humblebrag but to explain that I can’t always spotlight every wine that deserves attention—whether in print or … Read more
Wines for Hearty Holiday Meals pt.2 Welcome back! It’s mid-December and the parties and entertaining will continue for at least another two weeks. In my last post, I proposed an alternative approach to pairing heartier winter fare with lighter wines, exploring the harmonious marriage of bright, refreshing high- acid white wines and low-tannin, high-acid, chillable … Read more
Wines for Hearty Holiday Meals pt.1 With the holiday season up on us, our tables will be amply adorned with an array of hearty holiday dishes that beckon for the perfect wine pairing. While traditional choices like robust reds—especially in cooler climes—may be the natural choice, I’d like to propose an alternative approach: the harmonious … Read more
Label Lingo Choosing a wine is often as much about the packaging as the information the producer provides. As you might imagine, I get a lot of requests for recommendations for wines that typically go something like, “Can you tell me a great Cabernet for under $40?” or, “Name a Pinot Noir for 30 bucks!” … Read more
Wine with Tomatoes! Tis the season to pair the acidity of tomatoes with the acidity in wine. Whenever I host wine tastings I take guests through a series of three sips, or tastes. The first sip is to simply clear the palate by way of a toast: “Cheers to what we professional tasters call ‘the … Read more
Burgundy Below the Radar One of France’s greatest wine regions might be known more for its unaffordability as its deliciousness. Until now. I’m just back from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where I hosted a few events during their Winter Food & Wine Festival. During my presentation at their opening dinner I told a story about learning … Read more
Thoughts on Dry January My reason for dabbling with no-alcohol, low-alcohol, and full-on alcohol last month was the result of having done a lot of research toward the end of last year, when I began receiving emails from publicists pitching their best non-booze options for ‘Dry January’—and beyond. If you’re reading this while sipping a … Read more
Calories in Wine A friend reached out to me last week, quite sheepishly, to ask if I had heard of a brand of wine that she had recently subscribed to (to receive a monthly allotment). I said I hadn’t, so she sent me a link to their website, and I realized why she had subscribed … Read more
Natural Wines I’ve been tasting a lot of wines promoted as “natural,” how about you? I would bet that unless you’re in the industry (like me), and unless you’re under 35 (I am not), you probably haven’t. I bet you’ll be hearing more and more about the general concept as it weeds its way slowly, … Read more
Drink Sweet to Beat the Heat I’m just back from speaking at my 22nd Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, the annual culinary festival that is widely considered to be the best in show anywhere. While I’m certainly biased because I’m a contributing editor to Food & Wine magazine and have been to dozens of other … Read more
