There’s a veritable wine-buying renaissance happening in the U.S. Though international grapes still dominate the shelves, interspersed are under-the-radar varieties and regions hailing from Croatia to Uruguay and everywhere in between. At the same time, consumers are becoming more adventurous with their wine drinking, looking to merchants for guidance in their thirst for discovery.
Read MoreYou knew it was coming, yet, here you are on Feb. 14, holding the [*probably empty*] bag, flustered over a wine selection for the most important Hallmark Card holiday of the year.
A day fraught with expectation needn’t be if you toss away the clichés, reject convention and drink with conviction.
Read MoreI collect watches, for instance, and while I can’t quite justify dropping half a year’s mortgage payments on a Rolex Daytona (though I wish I could!), the NOMOS Tangente offers more than enough understated horological luxury at a price point that hews more closely my budget.
Read MoreA rosé wine is supposed to be fresh, floral, fruity, vibrant and great paired with food. Right? Tell that to Spanish winemaker María José López de Heredia, whose current release of Viña Tondonia Rosado Gran Reserva is from the 2008 vintage– a full decade old.
Read MoreA wine region’s reputation is often frozen within a slice of time, like a specimen encased in paraffin awaiting the guillotine cut of the microtome followed by the analysis that occurs under the wine-glass microscope by the consumers of the world.
Read MoreCountry: Italy
Appellation: IGP Veneto
Varietal: Raboso
Retail Price: $15
ABV: 10.5%
Score: 4.5 Stars/94 points
North central Italy is famous for its fizzing, red sparkling wines made to be enjoyed with meals such as pastas and pork dishes – enjoyable to drink while also balancing the food’s richness. This one is made from the Raboso grape and is lightly fruity, lower in alcohol and has a pleasant, acidy tang in the finish.
Read MoreHer summer pick is a fresh, mineral white from the region. They say you get jobs with your connections, your skills and your education in the field. Well, Blanche Orbe didn’t have that when she started in the wine industry—but that’s where she’s found herself.
Read MoreAs the snowflakes fall outside, watch the bubbles rise in your glasses.
NV San Osvaldo Raboso
Frizzante Veneto IGT
