Sauvignon blanc is versatile all year, but it particularly shines in the scorching summer we endure this year. Continue reading “Sauvignon Blanc summer 8-3-2022”
Category: Recent Columns
Wine capsules 7-27-2022
What’s with the foil or plastic capsule at the top of a wine bottle covering the cork? More pointedly, what is the point of it in the 21st century? Continue reading “Wine capsules 7-27-2022”
Chardonnay 7-20-2022
The past 40 years have been a rollercoaster for chardonnay, the most popular wine in the United States. Continue reading “Chardonnay 7-20-2022”
Smaller wine containers 7-13-2022
You demanded wine options. Winemakers heard you and new options—some might call them marketing gimmicks—are being created as fast as they can be dreamed up. Continue reading “Smaller wine containers 7-13-2022”
Chilled red wines 7-6-2022
NEWS FLASH: We are in the “Dog Days of Summer,” or “High Summer” as it was called in the Old South. Whatever you call the scorching time between early July and mid-August, it is time to chill your wines.
That includes chilling red wines. Forget the myth that chilling reds means killing reds. Lighter, less alcoholic, less tannic, less oaky red wines do fine chilled. And, yes, you can even put an ice cube in your glass if you wish.
Some chillable reds:
• Cinsault’s delicate tannins and its strawberry and cherry flavors show well when chilled.
• Gamay, best known for its use in Beaujolais. Chill its lighter-bodied iterations.
• New World pinot noirs with lighter bodies and more fruit-forward approaches work well. Heavier pinot noirs, including lower-end, mass-produced pinots are not as suitable.
• Zweigelt, Austria’s most-planted red, brings cherries and chocolate and soft tannins to the chilled red strategy.

You likely have other favored lighter reds. Experiment. If you don’t like the red chilled, leave it alone and in this season of triple-digit days, it will warm up soon enough to be enjoyed in your air-conditioned abode.
General tips:
• Chilled reds should be between 50 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Chill the bottle to your refrigerator’s temperature, then take it out an hour before serving.
• Conversely, put the bottle in your refrigerator 30-45 minutes before serving.
• Chill in a bucket of ice and water—ice alone is too slow. Add salt to the water speed things up even more.
If you are not willing to warm to chilled reds, you can always fall back on chilled rosés and light, bright whites. There is no reason to eschew wine just because cows are producing evaporated milk and hot water is coming out of both your taps.
Tasting notes:
• Sokol Blosser Estate Rosé of Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, Oregon 2021: Chill out with this chilled on a hot summer’s day. $17-25 Link to my review
• Domaine de Cala Rosé, Coteaux Varois, Provence 2021: Restrained red fruits flirt with your palate rather than assault it; 60% cinsault. $19-21 Link to my review
• McCay Cellars Rosé of Cinsault, Lodi Appellation 2019: Provence-style rosé from quality Lodi producer. Follows cinsault varietal profile very closely. $35 Link to my review
Last round: It was so hot farmers fed their chickens ice so they wouldn’t lay boiled eggs. Wine time.
Mendoza Argentina 6-29-2022
If you drink Argentinean wine—who doesn’t, given its high quality and excellent QPR (quality-to-price ratio)—you likely have seen Mendoza on the label. Continue reading “Mendoza Argentina 6-29-2022”
Open bottle tips 6-22-2022
A standard 750 ml wine bottle contains five 5-ounce pours. What do you do when you drink one or two pours and have left-over wine? Continue reading “Open bottle tips 6-22-2022”
Father’s Day 6-15-2022
When this wine column began more than 14 years ago, Father’s Day was not a topic. Men drank beer, women drank wine. That was just the way it was. Continue reading “Father’s Day 6-15-2022”
Wine container history 6-8-2022
Wine containers have evolved for thousands of years. Let’s examine. Continue reading “Wine container history 6-8-2022”
Wine and sports 6-1-2022
In the antediluvian 20th century, you likely associated beer with sporting events and athletes. Today, in the bright, shining enlightenment of the 21st century, wine can claim its spot alongside beer as a sports libation. Beer guzzlers would demure—likely with a belch—but they would be wrong. Continue reading “Wine and sports 6-1-2022”