What’s Orange Wine
Do you have a bottle of orange wine in front of you? If so, I hope you’ll savor every sip, because these are special bottles. Orange wines are made from white grapes that ferment on the skins. This turns the wine an amber (orange) color. It also gives the wine more body and tannin than […]
How Is Sherry Made: A Complete Guide
Comparison of Sherries Sherries Comparison Type Aging Regimen Biological or Oxidative Aging Sweet or Dry Flavors Fino Under flor (yeast layer) Biologically Dry Crisp, almond, green apple Amontillado Biological aging followed by oxidative aging Both (starts biologically, then exposed to air) Dry Nutty, caramel, dried fruit Oloroso Oxidative aging Oxidatively Dry Rich, toffee, walnut Pale […]
Which White Wine Is Sweet: 14 Great Options
Individual tastes in wine are, well, individual. One of the enduring challenges when it comes to buying wine is that you have no idea what’s in the bottle if you’re new to wine. Here to help. There are sweet white wines like Liebfraumilch, Moscato d’Asti, Riesling, and Demi-sec Vouvray. Late harvest Riesling, Icewine, Sauternes, Passito […]
What Is a Good Sweet Wine for Beginners?
New wine drinkers figure out pretty quickly that the liquid in their wine glass doesn’t taste anything like grape juice. Good sweet wines for beginners include: Moscato d’Asti, White Zinfandel, Cabernet d’Anjou, off-dry Riesling, Vin Doux Naturel, Demi-Sec and Doux Champagne, Port, and Sauternes. Wines come in a range of sweetness levels, so you have […]
Chablis Wine
Wine naming conventions can be confusing, especially when the wine goes by a growing region and not a grape. Chablis (shah-blee) wines are made from 100% Chardonnay grapes in north-central France. Chablis is a dry white wine with high acid, green apple and citrus notes. Chablis is typically unoaked with a mineral quality making it […]
What’s Vermentino? Everything You Wanted to Know About Vermentino Wine
Vermentino (pronounced vur-men-tee-no) I recently enjoyed a Vermentino as an afternoon aperitif ahead of a large family meal. Our little bottle of Vermentino hailed from Napa, of all places, which was unexpected. Vermentino, a thin-skinned Italian white grape, is grown in Sardinia, Liguria, Corsica, and Provence (known as Rolle). It shares a high-acid style with […]
What Makes Amontillado Sherry Special?
If you’re new to Sherry, then the best advice I can give is to sip with an open mind. Sherry comes in several different styles, but Amontillado is one of the favorites that I love sharing with friends as a transformative wine experience. Amontillado is a special style of Sherry because it goes through a […]
What Is Barossa Wine?
Australia’s Barossa zone is known for rich, powerful Shiraz wines that account for 50% of the region’s plantings, as well as elegant Rieslings grown higher up in the Eden Valley. Check out Barossa’s classic offerings.
How to Tell If Wine Is Sweet (Before You Buy)
New wine drinkers are often inducted into the world of vino via sweet wine. This begs the question: How do you know if a wine is sweet? Read the label for terms like ‘off-dry’ or a sweetness scale. Alcohol levels below 11% ABV indicate some sugar. Sweetness is measured in g/l (grams of sugar per […]
Riesling: A Comprehensive Guide
Pronunciation: REE-sling If you’ve tried one Riesling, I guarantee you haven’t tried them all! Riesling makes high acid, aromatic white wines with notes of citrus, stone, and petrol. Riesling makes dry to sweet dessert wines and sparkling sekt. Riesling pairs well with fusion cuisine that marries spice and flavor. Here’s what you need to know […]