Labor Day is “so-long-to-summer” portal, although veteran Texans know hot days will not end soon.
Kids, however, are back in school or going off to college and this is the last big outdoor party, pool, lake, tank-top, flip-flop weekend before the harvest festival feasts. In short, sangria sayonara time. Continue reading “Sangria 9-2-2015”
An effete wine server ostentatiously extracts the cork and pretentiously presents it to you. Now what?
Do you studiously examine the cork for flaws? Smell it? Lick it?
Continue reading “Cork conundrum”
A wine bottle’s foil (or faux foil) cap is an almost-anachronism.
Today, the cap usually is an unnecessary obstacle to opening the bottle. It serves little purpose other than a branding opportunity for the maker and a chance for your wine server to show off. Continue reading “Foil capsules”
We should have known it would come to this. With growing emphasis on organic farming and terroir (vineyard environment, soil, climate), obsessive wine/food afficionados would do dirt tastings.
Yes, people tasting dirt. Continue reading “Dirt tasting”
Today, Americans collectively drink more wine than any other nation, an epochal change that began three generations ago. In addition, we are more sophisticated about what we drink.
Not all wine makers, however, are thrilled by increased sophistication. Continue reading “Low end glut”
Fine wine makers have mixed feelings about supermarket chains selling their wine.
On one hand, grocery stores offer exciting opportunities to sell to folks who would not set foot in a wine or liquor store.
On other hand, wineries worry about image. What if loyal customers of a winery’s high-end efforts balk when they find winery’s third-level bottles alongside cheap bargains on a grocery aisle? Continue reading “Supermarket wine”
Random wine facts to calm timorous tipplers and furnish factoids to help you impress friends. Continue reading “Random wine facts”
Open enough wine bottles and you will encounter things you aren’t sure about. What do you do?
Things you don’t have to worry about and are not flaws: Continue reading “Wine issues”
High summer’s go-to wines: rosé, vinho verde, prosecco.
We visited rosé last week. Vinho verde is delicious, delicate, light wine from northern Portugal you should try.
Prosecco sometimes is called poor person’s Champagne, but that does disservice to sparkling wine that is made in Italy’s Veneto region and tastes great in a plastic cup by the pool. Continue reading “High summer sippers”
Fourth of July wine suggestions are fraught with patriotic paradox and peril.
Patriotic call: California zinfandel, quintessential American wine. But zin is bold, fruity, high alcohol; drink early in heat and you pass out before firework’s rocket red glare. Not cool, dude. Continue reading “July 4th”