The best wines to serve with this season’s bounty
Wine articles
Gai’A Assyrtiko Wild Ferment paired with mizuna, cucumber and feta salad
One of the most exciting white wines I’ve ever had
Hans Wirsching Iphöfer Kronsberg Silvaner paired with farro, sweet peas and ricotta
The first thing that catches your eye about the Hans Wirsching Silvaner 2010 is the playful green bottle that holds the wine. The flattened, flask-shaped bottle is known as a bocksbeutel, or “buck bag.” It is used in the central German wine region of Franken, as well as in a […]
Valdespino Inocente Fino Sherry and Deliciosa Manzanilla
When I ask friends if they’ve ever tasted Fino sherry, a blank look spreads across their faces. Most have heard of sherry, of course, but images of English ladies of a certain age sipping the sweetish libation before dinner is what usually comes to mind. The blank look soon turns […]
Bernabeleva Navaherreros Grenache paired with spicy black bean tacos
Tucked in the hills of San Martin de Valdeiglesias, a region just southwest of Madrid, the Bernabeleva estate is blessed with a perfect climate and ideal soils for growing grapes – especially Grenache grapes.
Bonny Doon Vineyard, ¿Querry? hard sparkling cider
One of the first things that European immigrants did when they settled in North America was to plant apple trees, just so that they could make cider. During colonial times, the beverage now known as “hard cider” (cider containing alcohol) was consumed with every meal.
Dominio de Pingus, Ribera del Duero Ψ PSI 2009, paired with orecchiette
With vineyards at 2,500 ft above sea level, a relatively short growing season, extremely varied soils – and the constant threat of spring frost – Ribera del Duero, in northwestern Spain, might not look like the easiest place to grow grapes. Yet this region turns out some beautifully concentrated, savory, […]
Porter Creek, Fiona Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir paired with shiitake mushroom gratins
As we drove towards Porter Creek Vineyards, the first thing I noticed was a small canary-yellow sign above the winery’s banner that read: “Organic farm, do not spray.” I smiled. My husband Marc and I were visiting Sonoma for a much-needed rest. I didn’t want our trip to turn into […]
Ravines Wine Cellars Chardonnay paired with autumn harvest salad
Ravines Wine Cellars is a Finger Lakes treasure. In the hands of its owner, the talented winemaker Morten Hallgren, Ravines has been making its mark on the region ever since the winery’s birth in 2000.
Muri-Gries Lagrein Rosato paired with tomato frittata
A stunning 11th century fortress turned into a Benedictine monastery, Muri-Gries is not your typical winery. The fairly large estate, located in Süd Tyrol, in northwestern Italy, is not just a winery, it’s also an orchard and a working farm.
Bonny Doon Vineyard Cinsault, paired with grilled vegetable napoléons
I’ve always had a soft spot for Cinsault (also spelled Cinsaut), especially old-vine Cinsault. A native of Southern France, this black grape variety is similar to Grenache in that it delivers soft, fruity, aromatic reds. It’s most often used in blends or to make perfumed all-Cinsault rosés. But old-vine Cinsault […]
Xinomavro, the noble black grape of Greece: A tasting at Bar Boulud
Last Thursday, Markus Stolz invited me to attend a tasting of Xinomavros, followed by a dinner at Bar Boulud in New York City. The invite came on the heels of my latest blog post about a magnificent Xinomavro from Thimiopoulos Vineyards. This was my chance to taste more than a […]