Wine Sediments

Condrieu is that rare French gift to novice wine drinkers: the single grape apellation. Unfortunately, it is an expensive gift: wines from this 105-hectacre region in Côtes du Rhône regularly start at $50/bottle, and availability is scarce.

American and Australian winemakers have been quick to capitalize on the rising popularity of the Viognier grape, but […]

Most days, I have some wine with dinner, say, “Hmm, I like that,” and then go on with my life. Once in a while, I stumble on a bottle that makes we want to grab strangers by the lapels, shake vigorously, and then recite a treatise on delicious fruitiness and notes of pineapple.
The 2004 Planeta […]

The Boston Globe recently published a list of top wines available for $10 or less. “Plonkapalooza” began with 50 wine picks from five regional stores which were evaluated in a blind tasting by local bartenders and buyers.
Despite the strength of the euro, the majority of finalists were European. No wines were nominated from inexpensive powerhouse […]

I’ve never been much of a meat eater, so while I enjoy many light reds and all varieties of white wines (especially the veggie-friendly Grner Veltliner), my experiences with Cabernet Sauvignon have largely been solo affairs, at wine tastings or classes.
You won’t find much in the way of traditional vegetarian-Cabernet pairings from the meat-heavy […]

What wine do you serve with Indian food? My answer is usually beer, but if pressed I go with an dry Riesling or a spicy Gewurztraminer. Now there’s another option: Indian wine.
Sula Vineyards harvests grapes from several hundred acres in the mountainous Western Ghats of India. The wine is made in neighboring Nashik and […]

Visiting Nashoba Valley Winery during apple-picking season is the closest that eastern Massachusetts gets to the wine tourism madness of Napa. There are too many tasters, not enough cashiers, and like a lot of stops on the California wine buses, the ratio of human density to wine quality is not favorable. But our vintner choices […]

I’m half-Irish, half-Italian, which means that I come from peoples who really enjoy their alcohol but also have a respect for the slow-moving, Old World means of producing it. Although I enjoy wines from all regions and across many styles, I have a real fondness for neglected or near-forgotten grapes. My proudest wine moment […]

Sherry gets a bad rap. At best, its a supporting player in wine-based cocktail recipes. At worst, its what your maiden aunt drinks before supper at 4:30 in the afternoon. In the United States, it’s hardly considered at all. But sherry deserves more love: its an old and integral part of Spanish cuisine, its delicious, […]