Five Reasons to Love Austrian Red Wines

Meg Houston Maker
Feature Stories
6 min read
I recently polled a few friends to get their quick take on Austrian reds. Replies ranged from “Yum!” to “Huh?”—but heavily weighted toward the latter. True, Austria’s better known for crisp whites like Grüner Veltliner, but red grapes are grown everywhere, too, and make up a third of vineyard plantings.

Simplify Wines On Thanksgiving

David White
Features
2 min read
Thanksgiving strikes fear in just about every host. Preparing a giant bird is a herculean task. Cooking gravy, stuffing, and cranberry sauce is always more complicated than expected. Then there’s the anxiety of any family gathering — will politics or off-color jokes derail the dinner? Add wine to the list

Field Notes from Nebbiolo Prima

Tracy Ellen Kamens
Features
4 min read
Understandably, Nebbiolo Prima, an annual press and trade event in Alba, Italy, is all about tasting tight, tannic Nebbiolo; but, it is the afternoon visits that offer glimpses into what these wines will become and the people behind the wines that make it magical. A Tale of Two Terroirs While

2011 Pepi Chenin Blanc-Viognier

Becky Sue Epstein
Wine Reviews
1 min read
A very pleasant wine at a very pleasant price: easy to drink, pairing with a surprising number of food flavors.  Beginning with a white plum aroma, the wine is lightly fruity on the palate with an undercurrent of crisp chalkiness.  A respectable amount of acidity provides balance throughout.  Try it

Struggling with Wine Tasting Notes

W. Blake Gray
Features
5 min read
Tasting notes are the hardest thing for me to write about wine. I have strong opinions about the elements of a good tasting note. But while I love a good argument, I have stayed out of this one because I don't feel comfortable telling other people how to write them.