The secret’s in the glass (and cork)

New Year’s Eve is the ideal occasion to savor Champagne. Whether it’s because of the intriguing, elegant bubble or the urge to raise a glass at the stroke of midnight, it is unquestionably the drink of celebrations. It has a long history and an extensive list of contributors along the way, Dom Pierre Perignon undeniably the most famous. But a few other discoveries had to come before Perignon could supposedly...

Top party-planner tip: Don’t run dry

During the Christmas season I am always looking for ways to ease the stress of my party planning. Choosing the wine – whether you are planning a large cocktail party or intimate dinner – shouldn’t be the most complicated part of your planning. With just a few helpful tips, your wine choices can be the most effortless part of your party planning. Start with the amount of wine you will need. Ask any host...

Gifts to make the oenophile smile

The official Christmas shopping rush is well under way – a dreaded experience for some, a joy for others. Knowing your recipient appreciates wine makes for an easy list of ideas, and having the option of shopping in your pajamas is a perfect solution for those wanting to avoid traffic and crowds. With online shopping you can compare prices with the click of a button and search out the best values. Over the...

Lower-alcohol wines are a safer bet

If there’s one time of year when people indulge in alcohol more frequently it’s during the December holidays of Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Holiday cheer brings countless parties where drink glasses magically stay filled. Many of our favorite big, bold cabernet sauvignons and oaky chardonnays can easily have 15 percent alcohol or higher. For an alternative, consider wines with lower alcohol, in the...

Bubbly suggestions to go with bird

Finding the ideal Thanksgiving wine can be hit or miss, with an array of flavors — turkey, coconut fruit salad, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes — all vying for the spotlight. With all of these dishes competing for the grandeur, it’s asking a lot for a single wine to match perfectly with all of our Thanksgiving favorites. So when it comes to Thanksgiving wine, think versatility. There are many wines...

Wild game dishes take bolder wines

Hunting season is a much-anticipated time of year for many in the South. I frequently receive e-mails asking about pairing wine with wild game. Here are a few easy tips to keep in mind for pairing wines with your catch of the season. Deer, elk, caribou and moose: Venison is now thought of as primarily deer meat, though it can be the flesh of any game animal. Venison is leaner than domestic meat and often has a...

Animal-based agents worry vegetarians

When most people think of wine, they think grapes plus fermentation equal wine. But a stage in winemaking could actually be a dilemma for vegetarians and vegans. Before bottling, winemakers generally choose to clarify and stabilize the wines in a process called fining. Skipping this step may result in wine that is hazy or has loose sediment floating around in it. Many of the main fining agents are animal-based...

New Zealand wines grow more fine

When you think of the history of wine, particularly from countries with wine-centric cultures, you think centuries, but for New Zealand it’s only decades. The growth in New Zealand’s wine production and quality has been nothing short of phenomenal. The ideal climate paired with passionate winemakers catapulted this region’s significant breakthrough over the past 20 years. Only 10 years ago, New Zealand...

House wine tells a lot about a place

The quality of a restaurant’s “house wines” many times reflects the quality of the establishment. So why does house wine seem to have a bad reputation on wine lists? It could be because too often the house wines are the half-consumed bottles hanging around with dubious quality or a past history as generic “red” or “white.” But wine can be a pricey addition to the check in any restaurant, so ordering...

Sherry is so very deserving of notice

Last month I had the opportunity to mark off another goal on my wine-driven “bucket list” with a trip to southern Spain. I have always been bewildered by the near perfect performance by Mother Nature that creates sherry. So, walking into Osborne Bodega in Jerez, Spain, was everything I had imagined, including the cobwebs and dark corridors. Jerez is considered the heart and soul of Spain’s historic sherry...