11 Strong Red Wines to Try Tonight!

So, you’re looking for a red wine with a little brawn to it? Something that will bite back with your BBQ brisket? Climate and grape variety both play a role in crafting strong red wines. Widely available good strong red wines with high alcohol include Zinfandel, warm climate Cabernet Sauvignon, and new world Syrah (Shiraz). […]

Albariño Wine Guide

Honest confession time. Albariño is the one wine that I always have challenges with on blind tasting exams.  Albariño (al-bah-reen-yo) is a refreshing, light-bodied white Spanish wine from the northwestern corner of Spain in the region of Rias Baixas, Galicia. Albariño wines showcase lemon zest, apricot, melon, grapefruit, white peach, nectarine, and honeysuckle. You may […]

What Is Phylloxera And Why Is It Important?

At some point in everyone’s wine journey, they run into cryptic references of phylloxera. What is it and why is it such a big deal? Phylloxera is an aphid-like insect (a louse) that feeds on grapevine roots, killing the grapevine. The insect traveled from Eastern North America to Europe, devastating vineyards in the late 1800s. […]

The Curious History of Tannat Wine: Tannat Wine Guide

Tannat makes tongue-coating wines that leave you puckering. Tannat has thick, deeply pigmented skins lending themselves to heavy tannin extraction during fermentation. Today, the largest producer of Tannat isn’t France, but rather Uruguay.