As I prepared for our next wine tasting trip to the Lodi region, it was only natural to think fondly of the Zinfandel grape. Lodi is famous for producing powerful Zins from 100 year-old vines. Then it hit me: what, exactly, is a Zinfandel? It turns out that the Zinfandel grape has some mystery in its background, but I can save you some time on Google, because here is what I discovered.
One of the many great things about the wine tasting experience is the wide range of knowledge levels that can co-exist in the tasting room. There’s no judgement made of your understanding of wine, whether you have a PhD in oenology (yup, that’s the study of wine. It’s a thing.) or you’re making your debut in the wine tasting scene. That said, there are a few things that you should probably should not say in the winery. With tongue firmly in cheek, here are our 5 things not to say in a winery:
We love almost everything associated with wine: the tasting experience, the flavors and smells, the people we meet, even the the peculiar terms used in the wine business. Today we address one of those peculiar terms: ice wine, or icewine, depending on where you grew up.
This time of year is wonderful and terrible at once. There’s so much to love about Christmas, but the pressure of presenting the ideal gift for everyone can really strain the brain. There’s still time to pick out a little something for the wine lover in your life that will be appreciated without breaking the bank. Here are six gift ideas for the wine lovers in your life:
As wine lovers, we spend a lot of time thinking about wine. That brings a lot of pleasure, but a surprising aspect that is commonly overlooked can really affect the overall experience: the wine glass itself. In this one limited case, it isn’t just marketing. The wine glass DOES play a substantial role in wine appreciation! Here’s what you should know.
It’s me again, Internet friends, coming to you with a post that’s a little more serious than my usual shenanigans. Buckle your seatbelts and ready yourself for some emotional intimacy.
It was recently my half birthday. In case you didn’t already mail me a card, no worries because I also accept Venmo and Paypal. Since I’m officially 22 and a half, I’ve made it through 18 months of wine tasting and compensating for five years of forced designated driving. Here are some of the handy […]
If you know me in real life (which is approximately four of you, who also share my genetic material) then you know I love holidays. Arbor Day, Chrismukkah, Grandparent’s Day: it doesn’t matter. If it’s on the calendar, then I’m celebrating. You can imagine what it takes for a holiday to be one of my […]
When we were little kids, we learned about “inside thoughts” and “outside thoughts”. Your teacher (with the endless supply of pastel smocks…where do teachers get those smocks?) taught you that you can’t verbalize everything you think, because you’re probably thinking socially unacceptable nonsense 98% of the time. So we adapted, and basically started lying about […]
How often do you hear “the sulfites in red wine give me a headache” while you are wine tasting? Have you wondered if there’s anything to that? More importantly, how can these poor, afflicted souls learn to enjoy their red wine? That’s the important part. Here’s what you should know. Wine has many positive qualities. […]
Internet friends, we all know that I am consistently underprepared for many of life’s most pedestrian moments. Traveling? I’m the one bothering the front desk for those crappy disposable tooth brushes, because I forgot mine. Oh, we’re eating out? Awesome, I’ll forget my wallet roughly seventeen times between my house and the restaurant. Saturday […]