Until recently, the Malbec grape was known primarily as a minor player in French Bordeaux blends. But it is becoming better known as a varietal on its own, with some excellent vintages coming from Argentina, and price points that make them very attractive. Malbecs are known for their deep purple color, hard tannins, and earthy coarseness, said Al Spoler, co-host of Cellar Notes on WYPR radio. “The adjective ‘rustic’ applies to it very easily,” he said. “It’s wine made by peasants for their own consumption.” Argentina grows the most Malbec, with the stars coming from the Mendoza region. Exports to […]
Month: March 2011
Economy & Wine 3
In the world of wine, vintage 2008 was a blend of economy and ecology as financial woes put the brakes on a bull run in prices and more producers went green. “The marketers got into the green word for wine,” said Alice Feiring, author of “The Battle for Wine and Love or How I saved the World from Parkerization.” Boisset, the second-largest producer of Beaujolais Nouveau, bottled its entire 2008 harvest in plastic bottles. The lightweight PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles drastically cut shipping costs without affecting the young Gamay wine inside and created packaging that was “absolutely recyclable,” according to […]
Internet & Wine 2
As the kids go back to school and newly arrived overseas students crowd into Haidian, there’s a buzz of learning is in the air. As the Beijing wine world continues to expand, more and more Beijingers want to learn something about the pleasures of the grape. Just as a course in music appreciation can help you sort what’s Baroque from what’s not, a bit of wine knowledge makes it easier to tell your Cabernet Sauvignon from Cabernet Franc or, as you advance into the murky world of wine labels, your Pouilly-Fumé from Pouilly-Fuissé. Here in Beijing, probably the easiest way […]
Bubbly Bargains
Trying to sate Champagne tastes when you’re stuck with a beer budget can be a problem, but, say wine experts, there is frugal fizz to be had. Champagne, to be precise, generally is considered only sparkling wine from the region of France of the same name. And quaffing bottles that bear that name comes at a premium. But there are lower-priced options, including U.S. and Australian sparkling wines, Spanish cavas and Italian proseccos. “As the years go on, they’re getting better and better because the technology and the skill of making these products is increasing,” says Wilfred Wong, cellar master […]
Gifts for Wine Lovers 2
It’s getting perilously close to Christmas and some of us have not finished shopping for the important people in our lives. I know that it can be a daunting task to buy a wine gift for somebody who is really, really into wine, especially if you are not particularly wine knowledgeable yourself. It doesn’t need to be exasperating or expensive to get a great gift for the wine geeks in your life, but here are a few important things to keep in mind: Do – Decide how much you want to spend before you start looking for a wine-related gift. […]
Terrific Turkey Wines that will Make Your Holiday Meal More Festive – The Province
When hosting a holiday meal, the wines you serve are just as important as the food when it comes to making a sparkling impression with guests. From beginning to end, pairing the best wines with appetizers, the main course and dessert will not only show your guests you care enough to make the effort but will also give them an unforgettable experience this holiday season. Start the night off with a toast of bubbly to celebrate the occasion and the New Year to come. “Champagne is a very festive wine,” says Jennifer McLagan, an Australian-trained chef and author of Fat: […]
Bargain Wines 2
Name: Natalie MacLean Occupation: Nat Decants Wine Newsletter Holiday challenge: “I write about wine so most people expect me to serve fairly pricey wines at holiday gatherings and meals, but I don’t have an unlimited budget.” Holiday tip: “I look for the underpriced wines in the liquor store that taste twice as expensive as they cost: Argentine Malbec, South African Sauvignon Blanc and Chilean Cabernet. They’ll save you a bundle on your holiday entertaining and gift-giving.”
Matching Online
Can you suggest wine-pairing Web sites? — Robert B. Moberly Fayetteville, Ark. There are thousands of opinions on what food should be served with what wine. Keep in mind that any pairing is a highly personal suggestion and that the most important pairing advice is that if it tastes good to you, then it’s a good match. We prefer to use books for quick reference, but there are some good Web sites that you should bookmark, too. Wine writer Natalie MacLean keeps a nice database of pairings on her Web site, http://nataliemaclean.com/matcher.
Turkey Wines 7
As much as we anticipate pairing wine with our Thanksgiving feast, let us not forget: that bird at center-stage is akin to winged tofu. Dry, winged tofu. Doesn’t exactly tickle your wine fancy? Not to worry. When selecting a wine for the festive meal, it’s not the turkey you’re pairing to anyway. Rather, it’s everything that touches the turkey on your plate: a sea of savory, sweet, creamy and crunchy side dishes that are the true stars of the holiday. For this reason, spry, fruity wines with little age and decent acidity are the best for turkey and its fixings. […]
Wine Trends
Today’s wine drinker is not who you might expect. You’ll still find ladies-who-lunch sipping their Chardonnays and snooty “cork dorks” sniffing out barnyard aromas in Burgundies from obscure wineries. But today’s wine drinker is also a 20-year-old uncorking a Chianti for the first time, a young professional enjoying a food-friendly Riesling, a mid-lifer embarking on a wine country adventure and the retiree sharing a half-litre of B.C. red in a pub. In short, today’s wine drinker is everyone you know. “There’s no doubt that Canada is now a wine-drinking, wine-loving nation,” says Natalie MacLean, the Ottawa-based editor of the wine […]
