Austere is a major geek term that is often used to describe a young, expensive wine that critics assume will evolve into a blockbuster. The term austere is actually difficult to pinpoint; it is a vague definition of a wine that has a high level of acid and/or tannin, which currently overpowers the fruit, but [...]
Italy may be best known for Sangiovese, the base grape of some of the country’s greatest wines, such as Chianti and Brunello. Rivaling Sangiovese is Nebbiolo, the fruit producing Barolo and Barbaresco. A third, lesser-known (at least, outside of Italy) yet just as supreme grape is Aglianico (ahl-YAHN-eh-koe). Grown primarily in the southern part of [...]
You may often see the term “cloying” used in the highbrow wine magazine reviews — most often when describing overly ripe white wines and dessert wines. Merriam-Webster defines cloying thusly: ” disgusting or distasteful by reason of excess ; also : excessively sweet or sentimental ( a cloying romantic comedy )” In wine terms, cloying [...]
Looking for an impressive, big-ticket bottle of wine that is cooler than the well-knowns?
For many of you, the answer is clear: Chianti is a winegrowing region within Tuscany, Italy. However, for those who have drunk Chianti before — perhaps many times — yet never really knew what it meant, you can learn all about it by following this link: Chianti Wine Basics. That page will cover the very [...]
Choosing a wine for Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be so different from any other special occasion. That said, sparkling wine or Champagne is the ultimate celebratory beverage, and the obvious choice for romantic endeavors. It’s a no-brainer — you can’t go wrong by picking a quality Champagne, no matter how you choose to spend [...]
OK, you’ve prepared a tray of baked ziti, have the nuclear-hot buffalo wings roasting in the oven, your secret-recipe chili simmering on the stove, and spread out the chips, dips, pre-cut veggie platter and getting ready to dole out the over-under squares in the final score pool. For beverages, you have the keg on ice [...]
It’s time to ring in the New Year, and what other way than with a sparkling wine or Champagne? Following are some of my favorite “non-vintage” or “NV” bottlings, with choices for every budget. Why non-vintage? For a few reasons, with the most prominent being consistency. Generally speaking, a Champagne house or sparkling wine producer [...]
You have two issues when matching wine with the traditional turkey dinner — first, a wine that will go with turkey, and second, a wine that will have a chance to stand up to all the trimmings and various side dishes. Needless to say, this is not an easy task. Ideally, it would be nice [...]
In a few days we’ll be ringing in 2006… and chances are you’ll be celebrating with Champagne. Check out the article Champagne Tips for New Year’s for some quick facts on what Champagne is, how to chill and serve it, what to look for on the label, which brands to choose, how to get the [...]
I have been swirling, sniffing, and spitting wines as a PR / marketing professional in the wine industry since 1996, and currently head the marketing communications department for Opici Wines. You can follow me on Twitter @joejanish or @wineweekly.
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