In honor of the holidays, I’m devoting this blog post to what I consider to be some of the best gift ideas for wine lovers. They’re all from WineShop At Home, the Napa winery for which I’m an independent wine consultant. [Read more…]
Gift Ideas for Wine Lovers
Do You Know the Way to Cabernet
Often referred to as the “King of Red Wine Grapes,” Cabernet Sauvignon wines (aka Cabernets or Cabs, for short) range from medium- to full-bodied and are characterized by their high tannin content, which provides structure while supporting the rich fruit characteristics.
Flavors and aromas you’re likely to find in Cabs include plum, cherry, blackberry, blueberry, black currant, cassis, mint, eucalyptus, cedarwood, vanilla, tobacco and leather.
Cabs pair beautifully with red meats, hearty pastas, lamb, strong-flavored cheese, especially blue cheese, and dark chocolates.
Cabernet Q&A
Here is a Q&A highlighting some key information about this wonderful grape and wine. [Read more…]
Screw Cap vs. Cork
Don’t you love the sound of a cork popping out of a wine bottle? For most of us, it’s romantic and exciting, and it signals a special event or occasion. Somehow, unscrewing a screw cap just doesn’t have that same special feeling. But is that a good enough reason to only “sport the cork”? [Read more…]
Enjoying Riesling in Summer
In California, after several weeks of teasingly cooler climates, the temperature is back in the upper 80s. Welcome Indian summer! Indian summer is the time to savor those last sips of hot summer weather. And I can’t think of a better wine to do that than Riesling. Riesling is incredibly refreshing, and it goes well with just about everything. Try it with spicy Thai food, salads, fish, poultry, Mexican dishes, appetizers, and desserts. [Read more…]
Fine Tuning Your Wine Tasting Skills
Many of us have trouble matching the wine’s description (either on the label or in a review) to its actual taste and smell. For example, when a Chardonnay is called “oaky”, what does that taste and smell like? I’d like to share five tips for fine tuning your wine tasting (and smelling) skills. [Read more…]
