9 Wines Similar to Pinot Grigio: Light and Easy Drinking
If you love Pinot Grigio wine and are looking to expand your palate, you’ve got options. Lighter white wines similar to Pinot Grigio include Trebbiano, Soave, Muscadet, Vermentino, Chenin Blanc, and many more. These wines have soft aromatics, making them perfect for sipping on their own or with your next meal. Trebbiano: The Workhorse of […]
What Is a Good Fortified Wine?
Just like regular table wines, fortified wines come in a range of styles that you’ll want to explore. A good fortified wine delivers a complex flavor profile that can range from nutty and caramel to fruity and floral. Port, Sherry, and Madeira are three popular fortified wines, with unique styles, aging processes, and food pairings. […]
Beginner’s Wine Terminology Guide
Understanding wine terminology will help you pick wines you love. Wine terms cover structure, flavors, winemaking, and vineyard vocabulary. Here’s a quick wine terminology guide to get you started. Wine Tasting Terminology If you head out for an afternoon of wine tasting, or swirl and sip with enough wine lovers, you’ll start to pick up […]
How Old Does Wine Have to Be to Be a Vintage?
One of the biggest challenges the wine industry has is its web of complicated terms. Like the term “vintage”, which has nothing to do with a wine’s age. This is unhelpful. A vintage wine isn’t a certain age. A “Vintage Wine” is a wine where the grapes used to make it all came from the […]
Easiest Appetizers for Wine Tasting: 14 Great Picks
If you’re in the habit of hosting last-minute wine tastings, or just not that into cooking, then you’ll want super easy appetizer options. The easiest appetizers for wine tastings are pre-packaged, shelf-stable, or easy to grab and go. Foods like popcorn, chips, cheese, olives, and even sushi are great appetizer options that complement wine tastings. […]
Port vs Sherry: Which Will You Pick?
If you’re wondering about the differences between Sherry and Port, then you’re in the right place! Port and Sherry are fortified wines but use different grapes and winemaking methods. Port is sweet, full-bodied, with dark fruit, licorice, and leather. Sherry is dry or sweet, low acid, with citrus and nuts. Port is higher in alcohol […]
Madeira vs Sherry: What’s the Difference?
If we lived several centuries ago, we’d all know the difference between Sherry vs Madeira, two classic fortified wines. But today, Sherry and Madeira aren’t the go-to wines for most people. Madeira and Sherry are fortified wines but use different grapes and winemaking methods. Madeira is sweet, high acid, with stewed fruits, nuts, burnt sugar, […]
How Is Port Made?
Port wines have a prestigious heritage in the world of fortified wines and should definitely be in your wine-drinking repertoire. Port is made by adding distilled grape spirit called aguardente during the fermentation process. This results in a sweet fortified wine. Only wines made in Portugal’s Douro Valley can be called Port. There are many […]
10 Types of Fortified Wine
Trying to figure out fortified wine types? These wines have a storied place in wine history and in your glass! There are 10 well-known types of fortified wines: Sherry, Port, Madeira, Vin Doux Naturel, Vermouth, Marsala, Commandaria, Pineau des Charentes, Malaga, and Rutherglen Muscat. Fortified wines come in two styles: sweet or dry. Comparing fortified […]
How to Tell If Your Wine Is Fortified: 5 Quick Tips
Unlike regular table wines, fortified wines can pack a punch. But how do you know if your wine’s fortified? You can tell if a wine is fortified by reading the label. Wines with alcohol above 17% are often fortified. You may also see phrases like “fortified” or “contains added alcohol”. Finally, some wine styles are […]