Author: gusclemens

If you enjoy rooting for scrappy underdogs, Zinfandel is your wine. Continue reading →

Wine snobs roll their eyes in disdain, but for one in ten wine drinkers, White Zinfandel—the winemaker’s mistake that proved golden—is their wine of choice.
Sutter Home, Beringer, and Llano Estacado are leading White Zin sellers locally. White Zin comes in many different types. Some are made from Zinfandel grapes alone, others include Zinfandel blended with Chardonnay or Chenin Blanc. There are even sparkling White Zins. Continue reading →

“Meritage”—what is it, and why is it so pricey?
Answer one: American wine made by blending two or more grapes. Answer two: a winery’s premier wine. Continue reading →

St. Patrick’s Day evokes images of a dram of Irish whiskey, a pint of stout. But wine?
Well, yes. Continue reading →

Wine experts say Americans serve white wines too cold and red wines too hot. Continue reading →

San Angeloans buy more Franzia House Favorites boxed wines than any other wine. Carlo Rossi jug wines are another top seller.
A brand of the E.&J. Gallo Winery, Carlo Rossi fits into the niche of a dependable, affordable table wine. It is named after Charles Rossi, a salesman for Gallo who married into the Gallo family. Charlie Rossi appeared in television ads for the brand in the 1970s. Continue reading →

As undisputed star of the 1990s varietal red wine boom, Merlot plantings in California soared from 2,000 acres in 1985 to more than 50,000 today. Continue reading →

Ah, Valentine’s Day. Dedicated to the one you love. Red is the official color, chocolate the lingua franca, romance the zeitgeist. Continue reading →

Historically, “pulling cork” is iconic to the wine experience. “Pulling plastic” and “twisting screw cap”, not so much. Closure opens up a wine world quandary. Continue reading →

Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine and Champagne/sparkling wines. Continue reading →