wines

This Saturday, June 10th is National Rosé Day, as if you needed an official reason to sit outside and sip a chilled bottle of your favorite pink wine.

Holiday traditions are what make this season so special. Whether it’s your Aunt Betsy’s eggnog, wearing matching Christmas pajamas with your siblings even as an adult, or the very simplest tradition of gathering with friends and family, every person and every family has their own traditions that make the holidays uniquely dear to them.Some of…

There's not much that can measure up to taking in a summer sunset with the backdrop of a beautiful vineyard. Pour yourself a glass (or three) of vino and you're really in business. But with so many options out there — and with conventional wisdom dictating you either reach for a rosé or choose between an oaky…

Gianpaolo Paterlini is a critically acclaimed sommelier who is partner and wine director at 1760 and wine director for Acquerello in San Francisco.Champagne is perhaps the most recognizable but misunderstood wine in the world. To start, it is a sparkling wine, typically made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and/or Pinot Meunier grapes grown in the Champagne…

Ask any bona fide globe-trotter to list their favorite places in the world, and South Africa and its Western Cape will come up time and time again. Few other cities can match Cape Town’s abundance of activities, natural beauty and topographical variety. But venture to the wilds that surround this extraordinary city and the treats…

If Portuguese Vinho Verde wines had a celebrity spokesperson of the moment, it might be Alvarinho. Grown in many parts of northwest Portugal and Spain (where it goes by the name Albariño), this popular white varietal produces wines with clean and crisp, fruit and minerality on the nose and on the sip. "Cleansing" would be…

When it comes to wine, the Portuguese generally eschew the likes of chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon and merlot grapes found so commonly around the world for their own options. The winemaking region here has more than 45 indigenous grape varieties, and single varietal wines, like the lovely Loureiro, are becoming increasingly popular exports. For a long…

Marked by good acidity and brilliant citrus, Vinho Verde wines hail from the Minho province, making the most of Portugal’s wet, northwestern soils. Vinho Verde has solidified its personality among the other wines of the world as the friendly sip that gets along with anything and everything on the table. It’s the up-for-anything companion, whether you’re celebrating a huge milestone or…

Much like a bottle of vino itself, the world of wine is complex, multilayered and constantly evolving. There always seems to be a “hot” new find, a previously undiscovered vintage or variety that has aficionados immediately jostling one another for the privilege of knowing someone who might be able to procure them a case, or even just…

The word “leftovers” has become ubiquitous with the word “Thanksgiving.” Thursday night is but the pregame for the rest of the weekend’s eating festivities in my household. Two turkeys are cooked, knowing that we’ll only make our way through one at Thanksgiving dinner and that the second bird will be reserved for turkey-cranberry-stuffing sandwiches the…

Thanksgiving is a time for intentional reflection and gratitude, but equally as importantly: FOOD! Thanksgiving has spun out from a one-day feast with family to a multiday, multiparty food bonanza. Friendsgiving dinner parties, cocktail parties, Friday brunches — any excuse to gather with family and friends, eat great food, and celebrate a five-day weekend.That being said,…

Hosting a holiday cocktail party can be overwhelming. You’re supposed to look perfect while serving as the perfect host — not to mention simultaneously presenting a delicious spread and fabulous drinks. It’s not easy, but it’s totally doable. Follow our simple holiday party road map for a stress-free approach to the season. Don’t go crazy with…

A 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley has been named Wine Spectator's Wine of the Year. While maybe not as shocking as last year's pick — a port, of all things! — this wine, by producer Peter Michael from Oakville's Au Paradis vineyard, scored a 96-point rating and is described as "deliciously pure and supple, with…

There are few appetizers easier to throw together than a cheese board, but it can be a truly elegant food display when assembled thoughtfully. We created a locally and seasonally inspired fall cheeseboard whose different components are meant to pair perfectly with the fruit-forward, luscious Prophecy Pinot Noir.The perfect cheese board consists of complementary sweet,…

Christie's is renowned for securing enormous prices for fine works of art from living legends and old-world masters alike. But wine experts have criticized the auction house for its links to counterfeit wine.Between 2006 and 2013, at five different auctions, Christie's New York wine department attempted to sell wines that experts say were fake. Experts note that before two…

Recently, I tasted a funky, unfiltered and unsulfured Chenin Blanc from the Catalonia region of northeastern Spain. Chenin Blanc, as you may know, is native to northern France, not Spain, which created an interesting context for the wine. “Whoa,” I said. “That’s some really Bretty wine,” referring to a yeast called Brettanomyces that is often…

Cooking fish in general is daunting for many, but the thought of roasting and serving a whole fish can seem beyond the realm of possibility for the average home cook. In reality, roasting up a whole fish couldn’t be easier and makes for quite an impressive dinner presentation. Roasting fish with the bones in keeps it…

There’s a time and a place for cupcakes shaped like tombstones and pretzels formed into witch hats, but your classy, adults-only Halloween party is simply not that time. So we’ve come up with a recipe that’s ghoulish in its own right, while still a sophisticated and delicious dish: steak tartare. The blood-red, raw steak will…

Grilling has long been regarded as a summer activity, and grilled hot dogs and hamburgers have become synonymous with backyard fun. Now that we’ve settled into fall and the air has grown crisper, grills across the country are sitting unused, gathering dust and, soon, snow.We’re here to change that. There are few things more enjoyable…

This recipe for pasta with mussels in spicy tomato sauce is a perfect example of a dish that is greatly enhanced by the quality of the wine used to cook it. Fresh mussels are steamed open in a garlicky Prophecy Sauvignon Blanc–infused broth, which is used to build the spicy tomato sauce. The light citrus…

Every host needs an arsenal of quick and easy, but totally impressive recipes. The type of recipe that looks as though it took hours of hard work, but was in truth ready to go in a matter of minutes.This “Fig and Pig” crostini is just that. A simple goat cheese spread is whipped up while the…

As we settle into autumn, the way we cook and eat shifts along with the weather. As the abundance of beautiful summer produce wanes and the weather cools, we make more room on our plates for meats and reintroduce cuts that we all but forgot during the summer months.Pork belly requires a long roasting time,…

Salty, briny oysters can be prepared any number of delicious ways — fried with aioli, steamed with just a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, in a seafood boil with clams and mussels. But of all the preparations of the versatile oyster, nothing beats a fresh oyster, straight out of the water, with a simple mignonette.Mignonette…

In Around The World In 80 Wine Varietals, contributor Chantal Martineau unearths how a particular grape drinks differently around the globe. What can you say about a wine commonly likened to cat pee? In the kinds of bars where you probably shouldn’t order wine to begin with, you’ll often be given the choice between a…

“It’s like licking a wet stone,” your wine-loving friend says. He seems to know what he’s talking about. But why would anyone want to put rocks in his mouth? Minerality is a hot buzzword in wine these days, but like so many descriptors used in wine tasting, it's tricky to get a grasp on. At…