by Morgan Franklin
Flights to Europe at the moment are really good value. That means, if you can be relatively flexible about when you travel, you can get a return flight to almost anywhere in Europe for an amazing price. This is great news if you want to embark on a wine tour in Europe, tasting the best the continent has to offer. But what about accommodation? Any savings you make on the flight can quickly be lost when it comes to finding an affordable place to stay. So, we thought we’d do a little research to try and find some Europe’s best value Airbnb accommodation. This is what we found... Cheaper than you might think The research looked at the average price of an Airbnb rental during the month of February 2017 for 1, 2 and 6 guests. The researchers chose the month of February to get a more acc...
by Bernard Kenner
There is something about Prosecco that has bothered me for years. It has nothing to do with the product itself, but rather to better inform the consumer about what they can expect from bottles they purchase. I believe there is a simple remedy, but first some background information for context. Prosecco has become the sparkler of choice for many, as evidenced by the widely promoted statistics mentioned in a flood of recent press releases and articles. This is due to good marketing and promotion of a very friendly, moderately priced, value wine, with festive bubbles as a bonus. As reported in a Wall Street Journal article, citing numbers also echoed during dinner at Eataly NY a few years ago by Stefano Zanette, President of the Prosecco consortium: Though Champagne sales have been cli...
by Bernard Kenner
If someone told me a few years ago that I could go to British Columbia, and have a Pinotage of better quality then I have ever had from South Africa (even if you are not a fan of the grape), or a wonderful Verdejo/ Albarino blend, much less a stunning Pinot noir, I would have said you were crazy. Yet, the Okanagan Valley region, either an hour's flight or four and a half hour scenic drive, east of the city of Vancouver, delivers that and much more. Sampling these wines far away from their home is not easy because production is small by international standards. They must be consumed close to home, as many wineries produce only between 2000 to 5000 cases per year, much of it hand sold at the wineries to locals and tourists; the rest mostly within the province, with some going elsewhere in...
by Cassandra Rosen
Snowbirds Vintners announced the addition of a new Rhône-style rosé to their sustainable, American wine portfolio. To date, award-winning Chef Jamie McFadden and veteran winemaker Norm Saley have also produced two sustainably made vintages for Snowbirds - a 2015 Grüner Veltliner, from the Lake Chelan AVA, in Washington, and a 2013 Merlot from the Monterey County AVA, in California. Inspired by Chef McFadden’s childhood winter vacations to warmer climates, Snowbirds Vintners was created to make food and wine pairings easier and more approachable. The label and look for the brand are whimsical, with a nod to the joy of exploring new tastes and experiences. Snowbirds Vintners wines are available at select retailers, with an SRP of $18 per 750 ml bottle. Snowbirds motto is, "Vacation ...
by Tom Dinardo - The Wine Zealot, Sommelier, And Ceo Winery & Wine Appraisals
This article offers all spirits and wine drinkers some terrific advice for protecting their wines and wine collection. Virtually all insurance companies will require a wine appraisal prior to issuing a wine insurance policy for your valuable wine collection. God forbid you should wait until your wine collection has possibly been compromised, or worse destroyed, by heat, freeze, flood, fire, tornado, earthquake, home repair, and or other wine damage. When searching for a qualified wine appraiser or wine appraisal expert for your wine collection you will want to ask the following questions from your potential wine appraiser. (1) Are you a designated appraiser? A. What organization awarded your appraisal designation? B. How long was the appraisal methodology training program (...
by Rachel Croft
Château de Pommard’s New Wine Experiences Explore The Mystery of UNESCO’s World Heritage Climats POMMARD, FRANCE (April 19, 2017) – Since 1726, the families of Château de Pommard have led the estate through some of Burgundy’s most inspiring evolutions. Famille Carabello-Baum, the fifth family to steward the domain in three centuries, are now doing the unthinkable – making it possible for wine lovers everywhere to decipher the mosaic of terroir that is the Côte d’Or. “As if 100 AOCs in Burgundy wasn’t confusing enough, now we have 1,257 different UNESCO World Heritage Climats of Burgundy! As a Grand Sponsor of the UNESCO Climats Project; it is our responsibility to untangle, for wine lovers everywhere, the web that makes Burgundy the most envied wine region in the world...
by Naushad Huda - I Like This Grape
You read that correctly: Michael Jordan! But not the hall-of-fame, NBA legend who was arguably one of the best to ever pick up a ball. This Michael Jordan is a legend in wine and arguably one the best sommeliers to ever pick up a glass. Jordan is a certified wine educator with the Society of Wine Educators and a Master Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers — one of only 15 people in the world to hold both diplomas! Thus, when he recommends wines, we take notes! Question: Michael, if you were to advise young wine drinkers – who are open to trying new wines – what 3 would you recommend? Answer: For those newer to wine that are eager to try and discover new things I am going to stay with soft, easy drinking AND DELICIOUS, rather than super complex, tannic or dry. Let’s s...
by Stuart George
At Vins Extraordinaires we offer fine wines by the glass. But what is “fine wine”? Supermarkets define fine wine by price: Anything and everything above £10 or so is on the shelving section labelled as “fine wines”, opposite the sub-£10 stuff. In my local supermarket it’s about 30 wines out of 650 in total, so about 4.6% of all wines sold here. The supermarket sells a well-known Marlborough sauvignon blanc brand at £21, ergo it is a fine wine. It has an “iconic” (= well-designed and eye-catching) label and, in its way, is an historic winery – it kick-started the Kiwi sauvignon industry. But it’s not, in our opinion, a fine wine. It’s made in vast quantities – but so are certain Champagne brands that are considered to be “fine”. Crucially, the quality is not t...
by Rob Jones
Wine is a sophisticated tipple usually enjoyed with dinner or in moderation with family and friends. Drinking games are usually quite the opposite, but wine and drinking games do not have to be mutually exclusive. The truth is that while wine might not be the first tipple you think of when playing drinking games, it can be the perfect accompaniment. In fact, drinking games with wine are nothing new. One of Italy’s most popular and historic drinking games had refreshingly simple rules. Participants would drink as much wine as possible before stopping at regular intervals to insult each other. To add a little jeopardy, each player was also armed with a knife, which did tend to keep things lively. Wine Wars : A Trivia Game for Wine Geeks and WannabesThis fun and fascinating trivia g...
by Susanna Gaertner
Summer! The season of al fresco dining with grilled meats, pasta, potato salads, and all manner of BBQ. And, of course, chardonnay, the white wine of choice for so many Americans. A perennial favorite, chardonnay can be crisp and floral or buttery and brazen; it should be an adventure to find the type that appeals to you. A good place to begin is with a brace of J. Lohr chardonnays, as different from one another as they are each perfect in their expression of the grape. I must confess that I am not a chard lover—my white wine preferences run toward riesling and sauvignon blanc—but I can confidently report on these two dynamic chards from the J. Lohr vineyard series. Kristen Barnhisel I first tasted the Arroyo Vista in its 2014 iteration and was impressed by its balance of ...
